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ERIC Number: EJ1343382
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Jan
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0269-2465
EISSN: N/A
Different Approaches to Teaching Primary Science: The Role of the Teacher Is What Makes the Difference
Eley, Alison
Primary Science, n171 p7-10 Jan 2022
There is broad agreement in the literature (e.g. Furtak et al., 2012; Harlen and Qualter, 2018) that the purpose of primary science is for children to develop: (1) scientific skills; (2) knowledge and understanding of some scientific concepts; (3) positive attitudes to science; an understanding of the nature of science; and (4) an appreciation of the applications of science and its value in the wider world. There are common themes across all UK curricula about the overall aims of primary education. These include supporting children to become confident and healthy individuals, informed and responsible citizens who appreciate the value of scientific endeavours and their impact on progress in society, effective and creative contributors, and ambitious and successful learners who are well prepared to live fulfilling lives. All four UK curricula specify that children should engage in problem-solving activities and open-ended thinking tasks, to have opportunities to take responsibility, to develop self-management skills and intrinsic motivation for tasks, to work in groups and collaborate with others, and to learn to communicate effectively. Achieving these wider curriculum aims means giving children opportunities to be creative and to follow their own curiosity, to engage in open-ended exploratory activity and to make mistakes, and to think for themselves and make decisions about their own learning. Primary science education has a pivotal role to play here, and enquiry-based approaches are central to this. The rationale for adopting an enquiry-based approach to primary science has been clearly established in the literature (e.g. Harlen et al., 2012; Dunlop et al., 2015; Harlen and Qualter, 2018), but consider further: if primary science becomes simply about knowledge acquisition, it is ignoring its responsibility for supporting the delivery of the wider curriculum aims. Or, put the other way round, when primary science offers enquiry-based learning, it is playing a key part in delivering and enriching the wider curriculum. In this article, Alison Eley encourages teachers to focus on what is happening when effective teaching and learning are taking place in primary science classrooms.
Association for Science Education. College Lane Hatfield, Herts, AL10 9AA, UK. Tel: +44-1-707-283000; Fax: +44-1-707-266532; e-mail: info@ase.org.uk; Web site: http://www.ase.org.uk
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A