Developing Ideas in Education and Students’ Questioning

Introduction

John Dewey famously said, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself”. Asking questions about the natural phenome of the world around us forms the basis of science and addresses the most fundamental matters within the discipline. Science encompasses the knowledge and skills a student requires to develop such ideas and question the natural wonders in the world around them.T his developing ideas essay will be focusing on evaluating how students’ ideas develop in science - in particular themes including the National Curriculum, the role of technology and cross-curricular links, as well as research addressing the wider academic discipline, in addition to identifying gaps for further work required in enhancing such concepts.

Identifying What Science Is to Students

Research indicates that students’ ideas of science is predominantly thought as being the accumulation of facts about the natural world around them, which proves an ineffective tool if only learnt passively rather than taught as a broader subject more relatable to them. It is therefore important students are not only taught to passively rote learn key concepts, but also as agreed by over half of students taking their GCSE’s to understand and comprehend content taught to support in developing their ideas. Furthermore, survey data has shown over two thirds of students are keen to show their interest in debating their views on particular scientific topics and ideas such as genetic engineering and cloning.

National Curriculum in Perspective

Research has indicated the presence of a strong link between theory and practise, leading to more enriched science teaching and positive attitudes. However, the perspective of the nature of science itself of practicing science teachers has been highlighted as this plays a direct role in the effectiveness of teaching and in so doing to the development of students’ ideas.

Moreover, despite being a core subject within the National Curriculum, it has been suggested by Driver, the study of science remains restricted to the abstract classroom setting, as the chances for that taught scientific knowledge to be put to use in their future careers is relatively small.

Internationally, further arguments note that although Chemistry – a well-loved, science subject enjoyed by students in Swedish secondary schools, student interest is both negative as well as positive, which has a direct influence in the development of their ideas. It has been highlighted that factors such as the importance of the teacher, the structure of lessons and being more practical all play a major role in developing a more relatable experience in their learning in order to maintain the value of the discipline.

Ofsted Framework and Cross-Curricular Links to Enhance Idea Development

The working definition of Ofsted for the science curriculum is:

“A framework for setting out the aims of a programme of education, including the knowledge and understanding to be gained at each stage”

The framework underlines the intent for how the curriculum within science is taught in secondary schools. Cross curricular links are also as vital part of the development of students’ ideas, it is therefore essential the part that science teachers play in implementing the curriculum is of the highest quality and standard.

Student Interpretations and Analysis Through Cross-Curricular Links

Host School demonstrate a great deal of cross-curricular collaboration between different departments, exhibiting a change in direction for the framework with the aim of developing it through subject teaching. For example, the teaching of topics such as Planets (Physics) and Sustainable Development (Chemistry) at Key Stage Three, directed by the Literacy for Life department as well as Performing Arts, Citizenship/PSHE and History.

The cross-curricular link between Science and that of Citizenship for example can be directly related to the research of Driver, where she has stated that along with understanding the nature of science, students are also citizens. It is therefore essential for scientific literacy taught with such departmental links to broaden their aspirations and career path goals.

In more dated as well as more recent literature, it has been suggested that a stronger focus in the curriculum for more relatable science learning will incorporate a more clear social process for students when negotiating and emphasising on their learnt scientific knowledge in the natural world.

Cross-Curricular Links Enabling Student Idea Development

Collaboration between departments provides the building of strong foundations in the topics and enhance student ideas at a young age, whilst adding to the smooth transition from Key Stage 3 to higher Key Stages Four and Five.

Departmental links also incorporate the cohesive relatability of scientific ideas within real-life scenarios, for example, the theme ‘Silent Movies’ taught in Literacy for Life is directly linked to Physics – Light and Sound Waves, as well as ICT and History. This leads to the development of core and new skills, exceeding high expectations and refining of content knowledge as well as application to the natural world.

Although developing ideas in science forms an integral part of a secondary school students understanding of the outside world, Driver has argued that this also brings about certain limitations of the knowledge they possess. Such disagreements include those related to the theory of knowledge (including methods, validity and scope); and how such issues coincide with the decisions made by an expert in the field of science, such as a doctor and whether or not they can be trusted.

Such skills provide students the knowledge and skill-set to identify rationale for content taught as part of the curriculum – to pass exams and attain progress, retrieving relevant information or knowledge, scaffolding responses to questions support their opinions and views of the world which all further develop and enlighten their scientific ideas.

What Ideas Do Students Need to Develop?

Being able to explain science concepts in order for students’ ideas to be formulated and comprehendible is one of many perquisites of teaching and research has shown that science educators consistently questioning student thinking and ideas supports in their development and can be used as an important tool for assessment.

Hypothetical learning progression practice such as “Working with Students Ideas” has been observed in Host School A, which focuses on the ambitious pedagogical practices of early career science teachers to positively reinforce instruction to student response in more difficult scientific concepts such as Quantitative Chemistry and Electricity (Physics).

Through eliciting questions such as promoting assessment for learning strategies before, during and after a science lesson; leading to questioning prior and current knowledge to further broaden students’ ideas of the scientific phenomena of the natural world, which are all in line with Beyond 2020 recommendations for science education.

On the other hand, although research favours inquisitive such scientific knowledge, time - a major factor which science educators do not have in abundance, is considered a draw back for reporting and addressing opportunities for developing student ideas through enquiry.

Conclusion

To end up the essay about developing ideas and students’ questioning it's needed to mention that in order for students’ ideas to be highlighted in the most productive and effective manner possible, strategies and teachers’ instructional moves that prompt such ideas and questions are implemented. In agreement to the prompting of students’ ideas through instruction, Principle 3 of Rosenshire’s Principles of Instruction suggest that effective teachers are those who ask a large number of questions and check the responses of pupils, thus leading to the development of ideas from the onset.