Partha Pratim Roy
South Point High School, Kolkata, India
University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, U.S.A.
Partha Pratim Roy Fulbright DAT
12/13/2011
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• What is ‘Discovery Learning’ ?
• What is ‘problematic’ about its
implementation in a real classroom ?
• My study of the problems.
• Designing and running a ‘discovery
experiment’ in the class.
• Findings from the experiment.
• Conclusions.
Partha Pratim Roy Fulbright DAT
12/13/2011
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Different people call it in different names
• Inquiry driven learning
• Constructivist learning
• Problem based learning
• Experiential learning
Partha Pratim Roy Fulbright DAT
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John Dewey
1894, 1897, 1916, 1936
Allowing learners to explore things and
phenomena mainly by their natural
curiosity, and to construct their own
knowledge.
Minimal guidance or no guidance from
the teacher.
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J. S. Bruner 1960, J. J. Schwab 1978
“The shrewd guess, the fertile hypothesis, the
courageous leap to a tentative conclusion these are the most valuable coin of the thinker
at work, whatever his line of work. Can
schoolchildren be led to master this gift?”
(Bruner)
“The schoolboy learning physics is a physicist,
and it is easier for him to learn physics
behaving like a physicist than doing something
else.” (Bruner)
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Some important findings from research:
Unguided discovery might lead learners to
inventing serious misconceptions . (Brown
1992, Brown and Campione 1990, 1994)
Unguided or minimally guided “discovery
learning” does not match with the human
cognitive architecture, and hence cannot
succeed. (Kirschner and Sweller 2006, Klahr
and Nigam 2004)
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Research Findings continued:
The “middle ground between didactic teaching
and untrammeled discovery learning” is that of
“guided discovery”. In the guided discovery, the
role of the teacher is equally important as that
of the learner. (Brown 1992, Brown and
Palincsar 1989)
Discovery method is not just “discovery
learning”, “discovery teaching” is also a major
component of this concept. The classroom is no
longer an arena of discovery for the students
only; it is an arena of discovery for the teacher
also. (Hammer 1997)
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What is ‘problematic’ about its
implementation in a real
classroom?
• Uncertainty in discovery path creates tension
about covering the course content.
• Discovery process needs more time than
what is available.
• Number of students in the class is too large
to guide a discovery process.
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12/13/2011
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My Study: Method
1.
Observation of the classroom proceedings in an AP
Physics B class every week, for 3 months. (Data
recorded as field-notes)
2.
Conducting a problem-solving session in the class
in absence of the regular teacher, and close
interaction with students. (Data recorded as fieldnotes)
3.
Design a ‘discovery experiment’ for the class, on the
basis of my experience with the class, and run that
experiment in two classes. (Data recorded as fieldnotes)
Partha Pratim Roy Fulbright DAT
12/13/2011
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My Study: Findings 1
Epistemology of the Teacher:
1. Transmissionist, i.e. based on lecturing skill,
2. Based on authority of laws and formulae of
Physics,
3. Fragmented, i.e. Chapter based.
Epistemology of the students:
1. Constructivist, i.e. based on forming own
knowledge,
2. Based on sense making by coherence of
ideas,
3. Holistic, i.e. not chapter based.
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My Study: Findings 2
Teacher’s discourse pattern: Authoritative.
Discussion is guided by the authority of
the physical laws and principles i.e. by the
power of physics.
Students’ discourse pattern: Argumentative.
Any discussion is guided by coherence in
concepts and sense making of phenomena,
causing ‘physics’ to emerge.
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Designing and Running a Discovery
Experiment in the Class
Topic: Archimedes’ Principle (Scheduled for next
month, never discussed earlier in school)
Four questions (AP and SAT Physics type) are asked in
the beginning of the class.
Three guiding questions are given to facilitate inquiry.
Questions are of general inquiry type, not in reference
to any law or principle.
Students are encouraged to apply their previous
knowledge.
Partha Pratim Roy Fulbright DAT
12/13/2011
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Findings from the Experiment
1. Discovery exercises are capable of engaging all those students
into the learning process who are otherwise not engaged in the
classroom activity.
2. The discovery exercise is successful if the guiding questions are
designed according to the epistemology and discourse pattern of
the students.
3. Any discovery exercise is to be pursued with preparedness for
uncertainty and suddenness of turns in the inquiry path toward
unexpected directions.
4. The success of a discovery exercise should not be determined
comparing the students’ discovery journey with that of the
scientist’s.
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Conclusions
Students are more
engaged in learning
Teacher’s
Epistemology
and
Discourse
Pattern
Understanding
becomes better
Less time
required to
complete
syllabus
Discovery
Exercise
A holistic view of
the subject can
be developed
Students’
Epistemology
and
Discourse
Pattern
Students get trained
in the methodology
of Physics
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Acknowledgements
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Prof. E. F. Redish
Dr. Ayush Gupta
Dr. Andy Elby
Dr. Matt Bobrowsky
Dr. Jim Greenberg
Dr. Letitia Marion Williams
Ms. Yau Jong Twu
Mr. Jim De George
American Association of Physics Teachers
FHI360 Team
U.S. Department of State
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