How can science and technology activities be made engaging and relevant in primary education?

How Technology enhances teaching and learning science?

“Science teaching is such a complex, dynamic profession that it is difficult for a teacher to stay up-to-date. For a teacher to grow professionally and become better as a teacher of science, a special, continuous effort is required” (Showalter, 1984, p. 21). Teaching science has been emphasized in a lot of documents from worldwide organisations such as American Association for the Advancement of Science (1993), National Research Council (1996, 2000). Also, The National Science Education Standards (NSES) encouraged teachers to apply “a variety of technologies, such as hand tools, measuring instruments, and calculators [as] an integral component of scientific investigations” to support student inquiry. The use of technology tools in science classrooms allows students to work as scientists (Novak & Krajick, 2006).  However, it is not easy. Science teachers experience various constraints, such as lack of time, equipment, pedagogical content knowledge, and pedagogical skills in implementing reform-based teaching strategies (Crawford, 1999, 2000; Roehrig & Luft, 2004, 2006). In the 21^st century, educational technology tools such as computers, tablets, data collection and analysis software, digital microscopes, student response systems, and interactive whiteboards can support teachers a lot in effective teaching, also helping students actively engage in the acquisition of scientific knowledge. When educational technology tools are used appropriately and effectively in science classrooms, students actively engage in their knowledge construction and improve their thinking and problem-solving skills (Trowbridge, Bybee, & Powell, 2008). Moreover, the use of technology helps students transfer their existing knowledge to new situations by strengthening the connection among the independent piles of knowledge in their minds, and includes them in the teaching process (Novak and Krajick, 2006)

Organisation in class 

This video considers different organisational strategies for teaching science in the primary classroom.  These include managing whole class introductions and practical investigations as well as different types of group work.  Advantages and disadvantages of each organisation are presented.  Practitioners are encouraged to think about how to choose the most appropriate strategy. Also, the video particularly focuses on the need for organisation before a lesson and how the teacher might optimise the learning and assessment of the children during the activities.  Especially, the video is illustrated with a variety of classroom examples.

There are two main types of organisation

1: Whole Class - Introduction, practical activity, sharing science books, demonstration, drawing the lesson together

2: Group Work - Groups doing different practical activities, one group only doing one science activity

In general, practitioners should think about how to make the lesson relevant and stimulating. It is necessary to ask these questions “What needs to be done before the lesson?”, “What equipment is available?”, “How can it be organised?” and “What will you do in the lesson?”. To choose the organisation, it depends on what teachers want the children to learn, what experience that the class already have, how much time will be spent, what equipment and materials available

Technology and Science activities

Teachers now can explain a scientific issue by presenting image and video on screen. By doing that, students can easily understand what it is and how it works and can remember that knowledge for a long time without forcing them to learn. Moreover, it is necessary to let children do their own experiments by providing them basic tools and materials to do that. Some teachers may think it is not good for children to just stare at a screen for hours. There are some activities for primary children that allow them to use technology, but in a safer way. For example, make a stop action film: Children can make a plan together, taking photos, and making a movie about a circle life of a plan or an animal or printing out QR Codes to scan and get clues to find out the hidden objects.

Also, teachers can work together, sharing their experiences in order to get a better teaching. A lot of interesting science activities can be found on the internet, from a scientific website or educational organisations. It can help teachers a lot on creating ideas inthe teaching career.

Conclusion

Technology and Science area “capitalises on children and young people’s curiosity about our natural, physical world and universe though investigating, understanding, and explaining. They learn to generate and test ideas, gather evidence, make observations, carry out practical investigations, and communicate with others. They also learn how through computer science, the horizons of what is possible can be extended beyond our current imagination” (Donaldson, 2015, p.50). “Children and young people will also have opportunities to learn how technology is used to design products that improve the quality of human life and to apply their scientific and other knowledge to practical purposes and challenges. For schools, this means providing children and young people with rich opportunities to develop technological skills, knowledge, understanding and attributes through designing and developing products and systems. They will be able to explore the impact of technology on society and the environment” (Donaldson, 2015, p.50)

References

Novak, A. M., and Krajick, J. S. (2006) Scientific Inquiry and Nature of Science. Implications for Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education. Science & Technology Education Library, 25.

American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1993). Benchmarks for scientific literacy. New York: Oxford University Press.

Showalter, V. M. (Eds.). (1984). Conditions for good science teaching. Washington, DC: National Science Teachers Association.

National Research Council. (1996). National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

National Research Council. (2000). Inquiry and the national science education standards.   Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Crawford, B. A. (1999). Is it realistic to expect a preservice teacher to create an inquiry-based classroom? Journal of Science Teacher Education, 10, 175-194.

Crawford, B. A. (2000). Embracing the essence of inquiry: New roles for science teachers. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37(9), 916-937.

Roehrig, G., & Luft, J. A. (2004). Constraints experienced by beginning secondary science teachers in implementing scientific inquiry lessons. International Journal of Science  Education, 23, 3-24.

Roehrig, G., & Luft, J. A. (2006). Does one size fit all?: The induction experience of beginning science teachers from different teacher preparation programs. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 43(9), 963-985.

Trowbridge, L. W., Bybee, R. W., & Powell, J. C. (2008). Teaching secondary school science: Strategies for developing scientific literacy (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.