BINDURA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE EDUCATION
2nd INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS EDUCATORS’
CONFERENCE
Implementing a STEM Curriculum Reform: Successes and Opportunities
The Formation of Science Teachers: A
Proposal of Tasks for a Differentiated
Teaching Learning Process in Education
Courses (II)
Prof. Ramirez
CURRENT SITUATION
THEORETICAL
BACKGROUND
Learning Styles
Multiple Intelligence Theory
Differentiated Instruction
Task based Teaching
Every student and teacher
deserves to be treated with
RESPECT. Every student should
have an opportunity to reach his
or her individual potential. Every
student should master specific
basic skills
WE MUST EXPLORE TO
ACCOMMODATE
INDIVIDUAL
DIFFERENCES IN THE
CLASSROOM AND TO
GIVE ALL STUDENTS THE
BEST OPPORTUNITIES
FOR SUCCESS
LEARNERS DO
NOT FIT A
SINGLE MOULD
Students differ in many respects
Individual learning needs
Interests
Learning preferences
Level or pace of learning
Skills development
Personal experiences(previous
knowledge)
Culture, family and socioeconomic
background, etc.
Learners bring their
OWN individual
approach, talents
and interests to the
learning situation
LEARNING STYLE
Preferred way of learning, natural
inclination towards learning
If identified, teaching and learning
experiences can be provided for an
effective learning
Major types of learners
Visual
Auditory
Tactile /kinaesthetic
(Gardner, 1985)
OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS OF
LEARNERS
•Innovative learners
•Analytic learners
•Common sense learners
• Dynamic learners
•Avoidant students
• Participative students
• Competitive students
• Collaborative students
•Dependent students
-INNOVATIVE LEARNERS: they
look for personal meaning while
learning, draw on their values
while learning, enjoy social
interaction, cooperate and
want to make the world a
better place (Gardner
& McCarthy, 1990).
-ANALYTIC LEARNERS:
they want to develop
intellectually while learning,
draw on facts while learning,
they are patient and
reflective, they want to
know "important things"
and to add to the world's
knowledge (Gardner
& McCarthy, 1990).
-COMMON SENSE
LEARNERS: they want to
find solutions, they value
things if they are useful,
they are kinaesthetic,
they are practical and
straightforward, they
want to make things
happen (Gardner
& McCarthy, 1990).
-DYNAMIC LEARNERS: they
look for hidden possibilities,
judge things by gut reactions,
synthesize information from
different sources, and are
enthusiastic and adventurous.
(Gardner & McCarthy, 1990).
-AVOIDANT STUDENTS tend
to be at the lower end of the
grade distribution. They tend
to have high absenteeism,
they organize their work
poorly, and take little
responsibility for their
learning. (Reichmann &
Grasha, 1974).
-PARTICIPATIVE
STUDENTS are
characterized as
willing to accept
responsibility for selflearning and relate well
to their peers.
(Reichmann & Grasha,
1974).
COMPETITIVE STUDENTS
are described as suspicious of
their peers leading to
competition for rewards and
recognition. (Reichmann &
Grasha, 1974).
-
DEPENDENT
STUDENTS typically
become frustrated
when facing new
challenges not directly
addressed in the
classroom.
(Reichmann & Grasha,
1974)
-
-COLLABORATIVE
STUDENTS enjoy
working in harmony
with their peers
(Reichmann & Grasha,
1974).
Theory of multiple intelligences
Linguistic
-Body-kinaesthetic
-Spatial
-Logical-mathematical
-Musical
-Interpersonal
-Intrapersonal
-Naturalistic Intelligences
A classroom that utilizes differentiated
instruction is a LEARNERRESPONSIVE, TEACHERFACILITATED classroom
Lessons may be on INQUIRY BASED,
PROBLEM BASED, TASK BASED
and PROJECT BASED instruction
TASK BASED TEACHING
TYPES OF TASKS
Role plays
Simulation
Solution to problems
Debate
Mini-lectures
Round table
Oral report
Presentation of the results of research works
Games
PROPOSAL OF TASKS
to Be Developed in
Education Courses
I-DEBATE (Management of Science Education, Management
of Learning in Tertiary Education, Sociology of Education)
(Interpersonal, Verbal/ Linguistic, Logical/ Mathematical
Intelligences. Social, Verbal, Logical Learning Styles.
Innovative, Analytic, Participative, Dynamic, Common
Sense, Collaborative, Kinaesthetic Learners)
Monalisa Smile is a USA film of 2003 that tells the story of
Kathy, a teacher of History of Arts who is living her first
experience teaching at a very conservative female school in
California, during the summer of 1953. You are going to watch
a 17 minutes fragment in order to discuss the answers to the
following questions with your peers:
-Is the situation related to issues of management of education?
-If so, which are the positive and negative aspects you were
able to determine?
-If the answer is NO, support it
Learners are given 20 minutes for the analysis of the answers and
some of them are asked to write down the aspects determined.
Afterwards, there should be a whole class activity where one learner
goes to the board to write in two columns the positive and negative
aspects, each of them numbered. Later the classroom is divided into
two teams. Some cards with the topics of the course outline are
distributed between the two teams and they are asked to predict the
correspondence between the topics of the course outline and the
aspects analysed, derived from the film. A learner from each team is
asked to jot down the results and to prepare a poster in their free
time. The posters are to be hung in the classroom walls and at the end
of the course they can be analysed to determine if they were right or
not when they were asked to make the predictions about the course.
The film is given to them so that they can watch it completely in their
free time.
ORIENTATION TOWARDS THE CONTENT OF THE COURSE IS DONE
THROUGH THIS TASK
2-ROLE-PLAYING (Curriculum Study, Curriculum Design,
Implementation and Evaluation, Curriculum Issues in Science
Teaching and Learning)
(Bodily/ Kinaesthetic, Interpersonal, Verbal/ Linguistic
Intelligences. Physical, Social, Verbal Learning Styles.
Kinaesthetic, Participative, Collaborative Learners)
A- You are a teacher who went to Zambia to attend a
conference; there you meet some teachers. One of them
begins talking to you and wants to know many things about the
Zimbabwean curriculum renewal process. Answer all his / her
questions and ask some others for you to know about their
education system
B- You are a Zambian teacher. You meet a Zimbabwean
teacher at a conference in your country. Ask him about the
aspects you want to know related to the Zimbabwean
curriculum renewal process. Answer his/her questions
3-SOLUTION TO PROBLEMS (Psychology of Education and
Pedagogics)
(Logical, Interpersonal, Bodily/ kinaesthetic Intelligences.
Logical, Social, Physical Learning Styles. Analytic,
Innovative, Common Sense, Kinaesthetic Learners)
Mr. Mugari is a teacher of Science working at high schools for
8 academic years. At present he has a student named Aphios.
During the first term, Aphios kept an adequate behaviour at
school and his record indicated good academic results. At the
beginning of this term, he attended lessons but he was very
quiet and did not participate in the lessons. Last week, Aphios
withdrew.
Questions to discuss:
1-Which are the causes you think may have provoked this
situation?
2-If you were Mr. Mugari, how would you handle Aphios’ case?
4-SOLUTION TO PROBLEMS (Pedagogics and ASE Course)
(Logical, Interpersonal, Bodily/ kinaesthetic Intelligences.
Logical, Social, Physical Learning Styles. Analytic,
Innovative, Common Sense, Kinaesthetic Learners)
Some students are developing their teaching practice and they
are facing some problems with the formulation of the formative
objectives in the lessons plans and they want their Pedagogics
lecturer to review this content in a consultation time. However,
the lecturer considers this topic was already been analysed
thoroughly. She thinks they need to review some other
important topics like the formats of organisation of the Applied
Science Education (ASE) file.
Questions to discuss:
-Do you think the attitude of the lecturer is the best?
-What would you do if you were one of the students from this
group?
-How would you solve this problem?
5-ROUND TABLE (Management of Science Education and
Management of Learning in Tertiary Education)
(Interpersonal, Bodily/ Kinaesthetic Intelligence. Social,
Physical/ Kinaesthetic Learning Styles. Innovative,
Analytic, Participative, Dynamic, Common Sense,
Collaborative, Kinaesthetic Learners)
At the beginning of this course you were asked to prepare an
interview to ask teachers and lecturers about their roles in the
teaching learning process and their opinions about a good
teacher. Today as part of the introduction to the lesson on
Teacher and Students Empowerment you have to present and
discuss on the results of those interviews, as well as, your own
opinions.
At the end of the lesson, the lecturer may ask the learners that
participated on the round table to write a five paragraph essay
to be published in the Moodle Platform.
6-MINILECTURE (Pedagogics, ASE, Educational
Technology and Science Curriculum)
(Intrapersonal,
Logical,
Verbal/
Linguistic
Intelligences Solitary, Logical, Verbal Learning
Styles. Analytic, Common Sense, Participative
Learners)
As part of the new teaching experience your lecturer
is implementing, applying learning contracts, you are
asked to teach a lesson on the use of teaching
media in the teaching learning process of science .
Plan and deliver your lesson. Try to achieve a good
teaching environment.
7- SOLUTION TO PROBLEMS (Management of Science
Education and Management of Learning in Tertiary Education,
Curriculum Issues in Science Teaching and Learning, Problem
Solving)
(Logical, Interpersonal, Bodily/ kinaesthetic Intelligences.
Logical, Social, Physical Learning Styles. Analytic,
Innovative, Common Sense, Kinaesthetic Learners)
You, as a Biology teacher, need to orient some tasks to your
students. You need to prepare a review lesson on sexual
transmitted diseases because they have some difficulties
regarding this topic; they are not progressing in a proper way,
so they need to improve.
Questions to discuss:
-What kind of approaches would you assign to them in order to
develop their abilities?
-Which techniques would you develop the most?
8-SIMULATION (Pedagogics)
(Interpersonal, Bodily/ Kinaesthetic, Verbal/ Linguistic Intelligences/ Social,
Physical, Verbal Learning Styles. Innovative, Analytic, Participative, Dynamic,
Common Sense, Collaborative, Kinaesthetic Learners)
It is 8 in the morning. The teacher enters the classroom, greets the learners and
they say “Good morning, teacher!” Immediately, he writes the date and the topic on
the board and says “Today’s topic is going to be evaluated in the final test.
Concentrate and pay attention”.
The teacher begins presenting the topic, but in order to get to the concept they have
to deal with, he asks the learners different questions. He asks a learner to go to the
board to write down the ideas the rest of the learners are providing. After the
learners have stopped, the teacher gives them the concept. The teacher explains
some ideas related to the concept and a learner asks him what the use of learning
that content is. The teacher tells the learner that it is one of the most important
topics in the program and it is always on tests. He continues with the lesson, but
there are some learners talking, another is looking through the window.
At the end of the lesson, the teacher asks the learners to define the concept they
have been dealing with. The learners look at their notes and two raise their hands to
participate. After listening to them, the teacher wishes them to have a good day and
says “Good bye!”
-How do you value this situation?
Roles to play: teacher, students, staff members
CONCLUSIONS
To address the differences of the
learners of a teaching career the
lecturer should ACCOMMODATE
HIS TEACHING STYLE TO THE
STUDENTS’ LEARNING STYLES,
LEARNING STRATEGIES AND
INTELLIGENCES THAT
DOMINATE, since the very
conception of the lesson plan
To address the learners’ differences
the lecturer should prepare
differentiated TASKS with a strong
focus on problem solving,
cooperative learning, research
work and reflection, life experience
and demonstration of
understanding.
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
Lecturers of
education courses
should become the
learners’ MODELS