Wellesley Science Outreach

Wellesley Science Outreach

Teaching Tips

Cooperative Learning/Groupwork

“A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.”

Cooperative learning is a great tool to promote communication, responsibility, teamwork, critical thinking, reasoning, and other lifelong skills. Groups work best when structured (versus putting students together in pairs or threes to work on an assignment together). Groups of 2-3 with more than one minority member are generally ideal and most effective. As the teacher, you should specify objectives for the lesson right away. Ensure the task that groups are working to complete is complex enough that all members of the group must work together to accomplish it. Be sure to monitor groups as they work, and lend support if necessary. Encourage positive interdependence (all members must cooperate to complete task) and strive to create individual and group accountability. In group discussion, encourage student participation and student-to-student interaction, as well as communication with you, the teacher.

These are traits of high-performance teams in business/industry and signs of a productive and effective group:

-Clear, positive interdependence

-Face-to-face interaction/communication, where all group members promote their fellow group members’ learning and success

-Group members hold each otherand themselves accountable

-Ability as a group to process group effectiveness

Incorporating Nature of Science

By simply thinking about the nature of science, your teaching is immediately affected. Try to convey the following ideas about the nature of science in your lessons:

-Science is an attempt to explain natural processes

-There is no one correct way to do science

-Science knowledge has a tentative character and relies on observation, experimental evidence, rational arguments, and skepticism

-All cultures contribute to science.

Help your students gain knowledgeof science versus knowing about science. A thorough knowledge of science does include facts, laws, and theories, but students should also learn about the processes of science.

-For example, students will gain a better understanding of Boyle’s law if they understand what “law” means and what constitutes a law in the science world. Additionally, giving students background on Boyle’s law – Who was Boyle? What did he do? When did he live? – “humanizes” science and helps students to see that science is an interdisciplinary field.

Encouraging Your Students

Students are more likely to continue their study of science if:

-Students feel that teachers view them as capable of doing science and encourage them academically

-Teachers have high expectations for their students

-Students are given more experience with extracurricular science activities, hands-on science, etc.

-Students have a good knowledge of science careers, college options, etc.

“Is science me?”

Awareness of Diversity

Boys are more likely to receive more attention, praise, critical feedback, and support for assertive behavior. Girls are often more passive in class, teachers are less demanding, and their experience is less experiential – even in all girls’ schools. The consequences of this are seen before high school.

Minorities benefit from the incorporation of different pedagogies (projects, group learning, etc), examples drawn from the experience of all students versus the majority of students, and having examples of diverse role models. Additionally, minorities benefit from a cooperative rather than competitive classroom environment. As a teacher, work to instill the idea that anyone, regardless of race or gender, can do science.

Tip: When putting students into groups to work, try to ensure that girls and minorities are among other girls and minorities in their group. Girls tend to have “secretary” roles in male-dominated groups.

References:

Smith, Karl A., “Cooperative Learning: Making “Groupwork” Work”, New Directions for Teaching and Learning, No. 67, Fall 1996.

Ed. Alsop, Steve et al, Analysing exemplary science teaching, Open University P, Berkshire England, 2005.

Eaton, R. Lynn Jones, “Teaching for diversity in undergraduate science,” in Dennis W. Sunal (ed.), Reform in Undergraduate Science Teaching for the 21st Century, IAP, 2004, pp. 153-166.

Smith,Cary Stacy, and Li-Ching Hung, “Stereotype threat: Effects on education,” Social Psychology of Education, 2008, 11: 243-257.

Matthews, Michael R., Science teaching: the role of history and philosophy of science, Routledge P, New York NY, 1994.

Prepared by Rhea Brown, June 10, 2010