Promoting Development of Scientific Thinking | ||
Some
people think of science as learning facts about the world around us.
Others think of science and other ways of knowing as “the having of
wonderful ideas” (Duckworth, 1987). This latter view of science and ways
of knowing match the characteristics of young children as learners.
Young children are naturally curious and passionate about learning
(Raffini, 1993). In their pursuit of knowledge, they’re prone to poking,
pulling, tasting, pounding, shaking, and experimenting. “From birth,
children want to learn and they naturally seek out problems to solve”
(Lind, 1999, p. 79).
Such
attitudes and actions on the part of young children indicate that they
engage in scientific thinking and actions long before they enter a
classroom (Zeece, 1999). Unfortunately, when science education is
introduced in a formal setting, it often reflects the understanding of
science as the learning of facts. This approach has led some educators
to suggest that “most science learning that takes place in formal
settings is not true science” (Zeece, 1999, p. 161).This article will
discuss the benefits of active, hands-on learning, goals for early
childhood science programs, and suggestions for fostering scientific
learning in the early childhood classroom.
Science as Active Exploration
While
it is appropriate to introduce older students to science history and
expect them to learn facts discovered by others, young children should
learn science (and all other areas of study) through active involvement –
that is, through first-hand, investigative experiences. Young children
should be involved in “sciencing” versus the learning of scientific
facts presented by others (Kilmer & Hofman, 1995; Mayesky, 1998;
Zeece, 1999). Sciencing is a verb and suggests active involvement. Such
involvement should be both hands-on and minds-on in nature. Thus,
children should be engaged both physically and mentally in investigating
and manipulating elements in their environment (Chaille & Britain,
2003; Kilmer & Hofman, 1995). To be developmentally appropriate and
to be in compliance with national guidelines for the teaching of
science, science education at the preschool and primary level must be
“an active enterprise” (Lind, 1999, p. 73). Both the National Science
Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996) and Benchmarks for
Science Literacy (American Association for the Advancement of Science,
1993) call for an action-oriented and inquiry-based approach to science
with young children. As articulated by Lind (1999), “the best way to
learn science is to do science” (p. 74).
Therefore,
science for young children should involve asking questions, probing for
answers, conducting investigations, and collecting data. Science,
rather than being viewed as the memorization of facts, becomes a way of
thinking and trying to understand the world. This approach allows
children to become engaged in the investigative nature of science
(Kilmer & Hofman, 1995; Lind, 1999) and to experience the joy of
having wonderful ideas (Duckworth, 1987).
Discovery Learning
Teachers
can’t give children “wonderful ideas”; children need to discover or
construct their own ideas. Developing new concepts or ideas is an active
process and usually begins with child-centered inquiry, which focuses
on the asking of questions relevant to the child. While inquiry involves
a number of science-related activities and skills, “the focus is on the
active search for knowledge or understanding to satisfy students’
curiosity” (Lind, 1999, p. 79). Knowing the right answer, then, is not
one of the primary objectives of science in the early childhood
curriculum. Duckworth (1987) refers to “knowing the right answer” as a
passive virtue and discusses some of its limitations. “Knowing the right
answer,” she says, “requires no decisions, carries no risks, and makes
no demands. It is automatic. It is thoughtless” (p. 64). A far more
important objective is to help children realize that answers about the
world can be discovered through their own investigations. Sciencing, for
example, involves coming up with ideas of one’s own. Developing these
ideas and submitting them to someone else’s scrutiny is, according to
Duckworth (1987), “a virtue in itself—unrelated to the rightness of the
idea” (p. 68).
Developing
ideas of one’s own add breadth and depth to learning. This is so, even
if the child’s initial ideas are inaccurate views of the world.
Duckworth (1987) explains: “Any wrong idea that is corrected provides
far more depth than if one never had a wrong idea to begin with. You
master the idea much more thoroughly if you have considered
alternatives, tried to work it out in areas where it didn’t work, and
figured out why it was that it didn’t work, all of which takes time”
(pp. 71-72).
Science Goals
Desired
goals of science in the early childhood curriculum include what we hope
children will attain or achieve in three different areas: content,
processes, and attitudes or dispositions. Content refers to the body of
knowledge representing what we know about the world. Children’s body of
knowledge develops and increases over time, and their desire to
communicate and represent their knowledge should be acknowledged and
supported.
The
processes, or process skills, represent the active component of science
and include such activities as predicting, observing, classifying,
hypothesizing, experimenting, and communicating. Adults should support
children in practicing and applying these skills in a variety of
activities throughout the day. This can be done by showing a sincere
interest in children’s observations and predictions and by providing a
variety of materials and settings that invite experimentation.
Certain
attitudes or dispositions are also central to scientific inquiry and
discovery. These include curiosity, a drive to experiment, and a desire
to challenge theories and to share new ideas (Conezio & French,
2002). Teachers should value these attitudes or dispositions, be aware
of how they are manifested in young children, and find ways to
acknowledge and nurture their presence.
sumber : By Ruth Wilson, Ph.D. |
Rabu, 09 Oktober 2013
Development of Scientific Thinking
Langganan:
Posting Komentar (Atom)
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar