Philosophy of Science Education

Effective teachers demonstrate a rich, thorough understanding of the content and skill knowledge, theories, and issues that comprise the discipline.

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”  -- Aristotle

I firmly believe that engagement is the critical step to involve and inspire my students in wanting not only to learn, but to continue their journey long after the last bell has rung.

As a science teacher, I have the unique opportunity not only to help students make the necessary connections inherent to content knowledge, but to excite them into learning by doing, thereby enhancing their knowledge base. I’ve been influenced by the work of Roger Bybee in promoting the use of the 5E Learning Cycle: engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration and evaluation. However, the most important of these, in my opinion, is engagement, for without that spark that ignites the passion and creates the connection, the study of science becomes little more than an exercise in rote memorization of irrelevant facts. That’s not my classroom. My classroom holds the foundation for inquiry-based education. By allowing my students to explore a topic before bombarding them with definitions and vocabulary words, they are free to construct meaningful explanations in their own terms when traditional vocabulary is clarified.

Students are encouraged to question beyond memorization of subject matter. After all, the study of science is actually just the deconstruction of the natural world around us— and what could be more relevant (or more fascinating)? Once students go beyond the four walls of their classroom, they cease being automatons of reconstructed knowledge, and rapidly become scientists in their own right.

In my experiences as a science educator in various non-classroom situations (as an educational intern at the Long Island Aquarium and as a science outreach professional at Ithaca’s Sciencenter), I’ve found that, once you engage learners of all ages with tangible items, you bring the outside world to them in a completely enthralling way. Experiential science is a natural outgrowth of a human being’s inherent curiosity of the outside world, and tapping into that fascination is key in building upon that educational touchstone. Working in an aquatic touch tank, I found children and adults alike to be equally captivated by various marine life (e.g., horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs, conch shells, etc.). By allowing visitors to hold and examine specific living specimens, they were immediately intrigued by every aspect of marine biology, frequently calling over other family members to share in the experience. It was exhilarating—not just for them, but for me, as well, for I could delight in their joy of discovery every time. Perhaps this is why I’m so adamant about inquiry-based learning—it takes the learner from spectator to participant. It’s a constructivist approach that builds understanding through a process of inquiry and, ultimately, reflection. From something as simple as handling a sea star, to more complex issues involving complex scaffolding of information and interaction, experiential learning can make all the difference.

NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) agrees: Their Next Generation Science Standards reinforce the value of application of content as well as integrated cross-curricular instruction that allow for a variety of scientific investigations. Inquiry, engaging students in scientific practices (analyzing data, interpreting, and communicating information) to reflect the practices of authentic scientists bring abstract concepts into the classroom in a real and meaningful manner. The application of knowledge to the world around them is a lesson that “sticks”; science class can—and should—generate family dinner table discussion.

That’s how budding scientists are born, one conversation—and one experience—at a time.