Rethinking Elementary Science Instruction
The factor that matters most in science program success is the commitment of the principal.
ByDonna R. SterlingandWendy M. Frazier
Principal, November/December 2011
Web Exclusive
In recent years, principals often find that their science programs have dwindled due to increased emphasis on language arts and mathematics instruction, with minimal time for children to learn science. Yet three decades of research suggests that strong science programs increase students’ language arts and mathematics performance (Casteel & Isom, 1994; Holliday, 1994; Hurley, 2001; Mechling & Oliver, 1983; Rosenfield & Berninger, 2009; Simon & Zimmerman, 1980).Additionally, quality science instruction can empower students to succeed inan increasingly complex and technologicallydemanding world (Michaels, Shouse, & Schweingruber, 2008).
One approach to refocus attention on science is hiring a science laboratory teacher to lead science instruction for all grades and classes.Students make the most progress when principals, science laboratory teachers, and classroom teachers work collaboratively together.By having the science laboratory teacher and classroom teacher co-plan and co-teach science, teachers also learn from one another. Co-planning and co-teaching for effective science instruction isa highly rewardingmethod of job-embedded professional development.
To help decide if having a science laboratory teacher would work for your school, we share successes and challenges of running elementary science programs where elementary students go to a centralized science lab for science instruction. We also share how principals established a supportive environment so that limited funds for science were cost-effective.
Through observations of science teaching in 13 elementary schools in an urban school district, meetings with principals,and an extended series of interviews of threescience laboratory teachersabout their experiences running an elementary science program,common critical factors were found that impact their programs. The factor that mattered most to their success was having the shared commitment of supportive administrators,especially the school principal.
Schoolwide Implementation
Principals need to show unambiguous, continuous commitment to students learning science. With limited budgets, it is important that funds directed toward science instruction be used cautiously, and an environment established to support their effectiveness. To this end, principalsshould do the following.
Prepare teachers, staff, and parents for the new program.To help science regain its position as a subject of importance, share with teachers some of the research listed above that illustrates how science instruction supports student performance in other content areas. Teacher buy-in is important since this approach will involve their students, their planning time, and co-teaching experiences.
Establish the role of science laboratory teacher as a leader in the school.The principal sets the tone at the very beginning for how other teachers will perceive the new science laboratory teacher and how their science teaching roles are complementary with the regular classroom teacher. To develop teacher commitment, a positive school culture is central for improvement and growth, and requires an informed, willing faculty.
Assign a mentor early who fits the specialized needs of the science laboratory teacher.If the science laboratory teacher is new,he or she should have a mentor. Since most science laboratory teachers in elementary school are the only laboratory teacher in the school, they should have two mentors, one from their school who can share school protocol and one who is an experienced science laboratory teacher in another school who can share pertinent resources such as lesson plans, equipment and supplies, and instructional strategies.
Designate adequate space for the centralized science lab room.Gathering supplies into one centralized location is a cost-effective way of ensuring that previously purchased supplies are available to all and actually used. In addition to space, the science lab room needs lab tables (not desks with slanted table tops that cause science materials and equipment to slide off)and adequate space for students to be able to walk around the tables. There needsto be access to water, and a door nearby to the outdoors. Windows are another important necessity so that plants can be grown and studied.
Provide an adequate budget for supplies.Supplies will be needed, and it is important to have a budget already set up to order science materials from science supply companies, with flexibility to purchase consumables from local stores when cheaper. Thescience laboratory teacher cancoordinate the use of fewer supplies across the school’s grade levels.
Provide access to curricular materials and lesson plans, as well as time for curriculum development.The science laboratory teacher will probably be planning with every teacher in the school. Adequate planning time must be incorporated into the science laboratory teacher’s schedule to support co-planning and co-teaching with multiple teachers and aligning state and local curriculum standards from multiple grade levels, as well as the pacing of individual teachers.
Job-Embedded Professional Development
In an era of tight budgeting, job-embedded professional development is an example of how to provide meaningful support to teachers rather than paying for substitutes or professional development days.
When students go to the science lab, so should the regular classroom teacher. The expectation is that all teachers will collaborate with the science laboratory teacher to plan what will be done in the lab and how this will build on what is done in the regular classroom. Basic concepts underlying job-embedded professional development are:
- Teaching as a team where teachers work together with children;
- Scheduling co-planning and co-teaching time during the school day;
- Mentoring and learning from each other;
- Focusing on student learning; and
- Celebrating innovation and success.
Co-planning and co-teaching are critical to the success of a science program involving science laboratory teachers, and must be presented to the faculty in a positive, clearlymandated manner. The other teachers need to see the science laboratory teacher as a leader, not a specialistin science that can be ignored. The science lab teachers need encouragement to see themselves as leaders, too.
Science lessons where students are asking questions and actively manipulating real science materials take planning and orchestrating. Students should be solving problems in a way similar to what real scientists do such as collecting, analyzing, and reporting data.Facilitating students to interpret data and create meaning takes a skilled teacher to lead classwide discussions to weed out irrelevant data, work through misconceptions, and arrive at meaningful conclusions. Creating this kind of learning experience for students can be difficult for teachers because this is often not the type of learning they participated in while they were learners.
Assessmentis an important part of teaching.Formative assessment on student understanding of the science concepts being taught enables teachers to identify what students have learned and their continuing misconceptions. This information can be used to evaluate new instructional activities and inform instruction so that it is more meaningful.
University-School Partnerships
Form an alliance with a local university to increase your program’s impact and cost-effectiveness. Local universities are an excellent resource and can assist with job-embedded professional development by helping teachers become aware of relevant science-related issues in their community; how these issues align with their curriculum, new science concepts, and use of science-related skills; and how to implement inquiry-based science lessons with limited supply funds.
With a new program, it is critical to track progress in the early stages with attention to program costs and impact on teachers and students. This effort will enable principalsto make educated decisions based on data as to what does and doesn’t work as the science program develops. It also will provide justification to the district’s central administration office for continued funding of the school’s science leadership position and increased funding for additional science-related programming.
University partners can provide strategic support during development of the school’s assessment program, instruction for teachers in how to conduct action research to improve practice, and assist teachers and principals with data analyses and reporting of findings grounded in classroom practice and student performance. Discuss with university faculty no-cost ideas for how your school can become part of the teaching, research, and volunteer service required by many universities.
In the program we were observing, principals supported a partnership with a local university to build confidence in science teaching for new and veteran teachers. Interactions with university faculty occurred during intensive training sessions for multiple weeks during the summers, on a weekly basis during the academic year, and on a monthly basis outside school hours. Fieldtrips were planned so teachers could experience first-hand the relationship between their science curriculum and important community issues, such as the health of our watershed. Some school principals, assistant principals, and counselors showed commitment to their teachers by attending some of the science training.
Working with a university that will write proposals for grant funding for science teaching and learning provides the potential for increased teacher professional development and science equipment for those who participate. University science teaching specialists and researchers who help plan science programs with schools and work with science laboratory instructors and classroom teachers in a collegial atmosphere can add a professional element to science teaching and learning. Science laboratory teachers find this partnership to be instrumental in providing legitimacy to their work as science laboratory teachers, and promoting their professional growth as new and veteran teachers. When funding is unavailable, university faculty can partner with schools to identifylocallyavailable, low-cost resources.
Creating a Promising Future
As you plan for future science instruction in your school, consider using a science laboratory teacher for instruction and job-embedded teacher professional development. Also consider establishing a partnership with a local universityto cost-effectively enhance the impact of the science laboratory teacher, provide teacher professional development,and write grants to obtain additional funding for supplies and teacher professional development.
Principals wanting to promote a successful, emergent science program at their school can begin by preparing the school’s teachers, administrative staff, and parents for an emergent emphasis on science invigorated by leadership from a science laboratory teacher.Shared commitment at all levels is crucial. Principal commitment includes communicating a written job description prepared beforehand and establishing an environment for job-embedded professional development.
Science skills are integral to your students’ success. To create a promising future, reflect with fellow principals, administrators, and your school’s advisory team on cost-effectivelyenhancing your science program to positively impact your teachers and students.
References
Casteel, C. P., & Isom, B. A. (1994). Reciprocal processes in science and literacy learning. The Reading Teacher, 47(7), 538-545.
Holliday, W. G. (1994). The reading-science learning-writing connection: Breakthroughs, barriers, and promises. Journal of Research in Science Teacher, 31(9), 102-111.
Hurley, M. M. (2001). Reviewing integrated science and mathematics: The search for evidence and definitions from new perspectives. School Science and Mathematics, 101(5), 259-268.
Mechling, K. R., & Oliver, D. L. (1983). Handbook I: Science teaches basic skills. Washington, DC: National Science Teachers Association.
Michaels, S., Shouse, A. W., & Schweingruber, H. A. (2008). Ready, set science! Putting research to work in K-8 science classrooms. Board on Science Education, Center for Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Rosenfield, S. A., & Berninger, V. W. (Eds.) (2009). Implementing evidence-based interventions in school settings. New York: OxfordUniversity Press.
Simon, M. S., & Zimmerman, J. M. (1980). Science and writing. Science and Children, 18(3), 7-9.
------
Donna R. Sterling is a professor of science education and director of the Center for Restructuring Education in Science and Technology at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.
Wendy M. Frazieris an associate professor of science education and associate director of the Center for Restructuring Education in Science and Technology at George Mason University.
Copyright © 2011. National Association of Elementary School Principals. No part of the articles in NAESP magazines, newsletters, or website may be reproduced in any medium without the permission of the National Association of Elementary School Principals. For more information, view NAESP's reprint policy.