IBSE Final

Chapter 1 The Teaching of Science: Contemporary Challenges

tHE tEACHING OF SCIENCE: 21 st-CENTURY PERSPECTIVES 9

of a conceptual framework, and (c) organize knowledge in ways that facilitate

retrieval and application. (Donovan, Bransford, and Pellegrino 1999, p. 10)

A science curriculum should incorporate fundamental knowledge and

be based on and contribute to students’ development of a strong conceptual

framework. Research comparing performance of novices and experts, as well

as research on learning and transfer, shows that experts draw on a richly struc-

tured information base. Although factual information is necessary, it is not suffi-

cient. Essential to expertise are both the mastery of concepts that allows for deep

understanding and a framework that organizes facts and information.

Thinking About Problems

Finally, there is a finding related to students’ ability to think about their thinking:

A “metacognitive” approach to instruction can help students learn to take control

of their own learning by defining learning goals and monitoring their progress

in achieving them. (Donovan, Bransford, and Pellegrino 1999, p. 13)

Research on the performance of experts suggests that they reflect on and

monitor their understanding of a scientific investigation. Experts note any

requirement for additional information, the alignment of new information with

what is known, and the use of analogies that may provide insights and advance

their understanding. For experts, there often are internal conversations grounded

in the processes of scientific inquiry. This finding has clear implications for the

theme of teaching science as inquiry.

These three findings tell us that a science curriculum should acknowledge the

fact that students already have ideas about objects, organisms, and phenomena,

and that many of these ideas do not align with contemporary scientific under-

standing. The challenge for curriculum developers and teachers is not so much

the fact that students have these misconceptions, but how to change the current

conceptions. In contrast to many contemporary programs, research on learning

indicates that curriculum and instruction should include a clear conceptual

framework as well as facts and information. Finally, students can enhance their

own learning through self-reflection and self-monitoring. These can be taught in

the context of school science programs.

Whether carefully designed by professional curriculum developers or

quickly compiled by teachers, any science curriculum provides an answer to the

question “What should students know and be able to do?” Based on research,

the general answer to the question seems clear: Students should learn both

facts and concepts. But—and this is an important qualification—the curriculum

should be structured using a conceptual foundation. The goal of learning with

understanding includes factual knowledge placed on a conceptual framework. I