SCIENTIFIC ATTITUDES, CONTENT AND PROCESS

In the study of science, you cannot separate Scientific attitudes, content and process because they depend on each other in finding out and acquiring scientific knowledge. These aspects of science are very important to anyone who wants to study science.

SCIENTIFIC ATTITUDES TO LEARNING SCIENCE

Science is characterised by certain attitudes such as accepting of all knowledge as tentative,etc., known as scientific attitudes. This article attempts to describe some scientific attitudes to be encouraged in pupils. Positive attitudes towards science would enable pupils to:

• Value the practical benefits afforded by a scientific understanding and a scientific approach, while at the same time being aware of the limitations of science.
• Familiarise them with and have confidence in their handling of scientific knowledge to be able to willingly contribute to public discussions on scientific issues of interest to the society as a whole.
• Develop lifelong interest in science and aspire for science- related jobs.

These attitudes flourish in a classroom where the children are encouraged to explore, manipulate, question, experiment, risk, invent, test, and modify ideas, thereby simulating, meaningful and challenging activities abound.

Some of the attitudes that need to be developed in children in the learning of science include:

 Open mindedness – Children change their minds in the light of new information. This involves the willingness to listen and accept new ideas and facts. Every time new evidence shows and inference or prediction to be inadequate the need for open-mindedness is demonstrated

Intellectual honesty – This involves being able to respect undisputed scientific facts and ready to change an idea only when there is convincing evidence against it.

Respect for evidence – this involves being able to narrate events or observations as they occurred even in situations where they are in conflict with the expected results.

 Curiosity – this involves being able to observe and notice small details, asking questions that demand explanations, finding out about new or unusual things and showing interest through careful observations of details. . The children ask questions; seek answers through initiating and carrying out investigation and use re Terence materials. Curiosity flourishes in the classroom where there is: a wide range of motivating experience; a dynamic environment; an interesting environment; and a teacher who uses the children’s own experiences and interests.

Other attitudes are:

• care for the plants and animals
• care for the environment
• discrimination
• honest
• creativity

Some of these attitudes are partly intellectual and partly emotional and the other involve the consideration of values. Pupils are expected to make value judgement on matters that concern them directly.

Your role is to help develop these attitudes by providing conditions that stimulate pupils’ interest and opportunities that help develop positive attitudes. Pupils must develop intellectual and practical skills which would help them to explore the scientific world and develop understanding of nature in order to solve practical problems in life. At the end of a science lesson these questions must be answered; can the pupils relate what they have learnt to what goes on around them? Will they be able to offer possible solutions to everyday problems that they encounter?

TEACHING THE PRIMARY SCIENCE CONTENT

Traditional science laid greatest emphasis on the recall of knowledge and understanding of the content. The focus was to meet the needs and requirements (real or imagined) of universities as they greatly influenced both the content of the courses and style of teaching…to prepare the students only for particular university entrance examinations. The type of teaching was all too prevalent lecture recitation, laboratory syndrome and ignored such important areas as inquiry and process of science.

There is however a shift to the process of science where scientific method is valued than scientific facts. In the process of science education, the learner acquires knowledge and understanding of a wide range of scientific concepts, laws, theories, and principles. Through this, they develop the ability to function autonomously in areas of science solving practical problems in life. The content, attitudes and processes are provided concurrently and are mutually dependent thus making the students appreciate and utilise the scientific knowledge. The student develops a fuller understanding of the nature of the theories and procedures of scientific investigations through a systematic and quantifiable approach that constantly develops and draws upon increasing knowledge and understanding of science.

However, you (teachers) are encouraged to be honest with pupils when there is some aspect of science you are not familiar with. Encourage pupils to go and find out things for themselves by talking to other teachers, looking up things in books, pamphlets, or databases, or by writing away to an expert person or organisation.

Combining instructions with demonstrations or activities arouse curiosity and interest in science. This inspires the pupils to seek to read more and to become more observant as they encounter/interact with several things. The principle responsibility of the teacher is to facilitate the process, provide guidance and ask relevant questions that will encourage the pupil to intensify and broaden their learning experience. The capability and interest of the pupil or the group becomes a major concern. This helps the pupil to understand and appreciate the world through experience and to analyse what is happening around them based on prior knowledge and current experiences.

The teachers in the ideal situation use their knowledge and understanding to structure the children’s knowledge, interest, experiences to accomplish these objectives. Primary science must be contextualised to the local situation in content and pedagogy using local materials for activities. Students should study the science of an integrated nature to help them understand the possibilities and limitations of science and the effects it can and will have on them, in their community, country and world. Such science will address environmental questions, possibilities and problems with further technological development, the role of the teacher is to design, develop and put into practice a variety of experiences for the pupil.

We can compare the traditional methods with modern methods as follows:

Traditional Methods

Modern Methods

•        Emphasis is put on passing exams and move to the next level of education•        only ensures the transition of a cliché; nothing new is discovered because the information-gathering means is absent and at the same time, no data is present to collate pre-existing observations and thus, the same kind of knowledge and thought is transferred•        Traditional education system often needs the physical presence of a teacher•        the children are isolated from the society, constricting their interactions to only their environment and physical neighbourhood with a common routine and conventional approach to disseminate information

•     Learning is through life and for life (for future use in life)•     Information from observations with regards to any issue (problem-based learning or experiential learning), leading to discovery.•     Education is learner-centred; the teacher is there only as a guide or facilitator.•     Constant interaction and exploitation of the use of technological gadgets, textbooks and other diagrammatic materials in exposing the student to a worldwide view of learning.

TEACHING SCIENTIFIC PROCESSES

The process skills in science lead to generation, development and establishment of scientific knowledge. Teachers ought to be familiar with processes of science. Most teachers emphasise teaching through content rather than through process. Teaching through process involves and requires the following:

• Try to know each pupil by name.
• Keep records of the areas of difficulty for every pupil.
• Offer positive help through positive reinforcement.
• Praise before pointing out a mistake.
• Listen to what the pupil has to say.
• Display pupils’ work regularly.
• Avoid giving the impression of disinterestedness.
• Limit as far as possible situations of apparent labelling.
• Limit giving particular pupil dominance in class.
• Respect the answers given by each pupil and correct gently.
• Do not show gender bias.
• Do not be sarcastic or compare a pupil with older siblings ahead of them.

It is important to let your pupils know that the process of learning is just as important as the outcome. Traditionally, it was thought that learning in schools came only from the subject the pupil studies as part of the syllabus. Now we know that pupils also learn from messages or signals that they pick from the attitudes of their teachers and other pupils. These make up the hidden curriculum.