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Introduction
In a society of ever-advancing technology and innovation, science is not only a major
player, but a vital component to understanding our world. From medical breakthroughs to
environmental sustainability, science is at the forefront. Yet, despite the vital role which science
plays in our society and world, educators often run into the issue of engaging students in the
material so relevant to their daily lives. As a pre-service educator in science, I recognize the
challenge of engaging students and helping them to develop an appreciation for the material and
the nature of science. In the following essay I will examine and reflect upon what science is, its
purpose and benefit in secondary schools for both educator and student, as well as goals of
science education, using experiences from my pre-internship to illustrate my thoughts. Although
addressed from a general science background, these topics will also be explored in specific
relation to the subject of biology as I reflect on how my philosophy on science in secondary
schools will influence my teaching methods and the experiences I help create for my students as
we learn together.
What are Science and Biology?
Science is a powerful word that has the ability to change policy and influence decision.
Through the science courses I have taken in my undergraduate degree I have come to understand
that science is a tool by which humans comprehend the world and the world’s natural
phenomena. Not only does science help us to answer why things occur the way they do, but also
helps us to understand how. For example, science helps us to see why cancer occurs and how we
can treat it. Yet, limited in its scope, science cannot provide ethical or moral answers to
questions such as why cancer occurs in those we love. Rather, it provides insight into complex
relationships.
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Specifically, the field of biology – focused on the study of life – is an encompassing,
interconnected discipline which gives insight into the natural processes, delicate mechanisms,
and intricate relationships that sustain the daily existence of humans and all other life forms.
With deeply rooted connections in other fields such as biochemistry, chemistry, paleontology,
and pharmacology, biology extends beyond itself and is an important component for
understanding current issues in environmental science, health, and conservation efforts. Further,
biology is not just useful for comprehension of current issues, but also for understanding the
past. Evolution is a central concept in biology that outlines the fundamental processes by which
life came to exist as seen today. Science provides insight into the past while helping mankind to
understand and solve problems of the present. Although many students would argue that science
has no bearing on their life, as educators we must help our learners to see that through the
influence on health care, environmental policy, and innovative technology, science is an intricate
part of all our lives.
Why teach Science in High Schools?
Despite the significant role science plays in our modern lives, the importance of the
subject in secondary schools is still questioned. As I worked in my 3-week pre-internship at
Greenall High School this semester, I encountered several students whose disinterest in science
was rooted in the reason that “science [was] irrelevant to [their] life”, along with the fact that
since they weren’t going to university, they “don’t really need to know this stuff”. These two
comments highlighted for me two major beliefs I have with regards to science education. Firstly,
whether it be physics, biology, chemistry, or any other science course, the subject matter taught
is relevant to each student, regardless of the occupation they choose to enter. It made me realize
that ultimately the job of a science educator is not to impart scientific information, but to help
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students develop an appreciation for science and recognize the important role science plays in
their lives. The vaccinations we receive and give to our loved ones, the innovative research in
multiple sclerosis, development of our lands for oil extraction, pollutants in our water systems,
and harmful chemicals in our foods are all issues that affect each and every one of us, and are
therefore of relevance to our lives. I recognize that it is important for us as science educators to
help our students recognize these real-life connections to science and in doing so, help our
students to develop an appreciation for both science and life-long learning.
In today’s world it is nearly impossible to turn on the television or read the newspaper
without encountering science or science-related issues. Climate change, oil-sands debates,
government cut-backs on laboratory funding, cancer research, and so many other issues are on
the frontlines of the news and nearly impossible to avoid in our media-centric world. However,
the viewpoint given and ideas presented are not always balanced, nor are they always accurate.
Too often the public, including students (as seen in my pre-internship), see biased advertisements
of oil-sands on T.V., or an inaccurate story on how vaccinations cause autism on “The View”
and take this information at face-value without critical thought or a desire to know more. For this
reason, my second belief is that we as science educators must promote and help our students to
develop scientific literacy. We in the scientific world often complain about the ignorance of the
general public when it comes to matters of science, but as science educators we must realize that
our students, if left uneducated in scientific literacy, add to the problem! It is imperative that
science educators ensure that students know how to interpret scientific information, think
critically about all perspectives presented, and that students use their knowledge-base in
conjunction with independent study to come to a clear, well-founded understanding of the issues.
Rather than taking the media at face-value, students must be equipped to understand the
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information being thrown at them and view it through a critical lens. By producing scientifically
literate, critically thinking students, we develop a scientifically literate, critically thinking public.
I believe that this can be achieved by providing students with the opportunity to read scientific
literature and learn how to interpret it in a guided setting. Learning how to ask questions and
inquire about the world and issues around oneself is a skill that goes beyond the classroom: a
skill which a thorough understanding of the nature of science nurtures and develops over time.
Given that scientific literacy and an appreciation of science do not occur in a single
semester, it is imperative that such goals are established and worked at from the beginning of a
student’s educational journey. As mentioned by my students, many of them did not plan to go to
university, and those who did were not all planning to enter science degrees. For myself, this
statement illustrated the need to use the time we have as educators wisely, ensuring that the
science experiences we provide to our students throughout their school years equips them with
the tools to be scientifically literate, think critically, and recognize the relevance of science in
their lives.
Application of Theory to Practice
A general consensus in the faculty of education is that we tend to teach as we were
taught. For myself, I am certain that this will not be the case. Although my exposure to teaching
science is limited, the experiences I have been given and my time as a student have provided me
with insight as to what I value in education and how I plan to teach science as a discipline.
In my pre-internship my students taught me several important lessons, in a few areas
which have influence how I plan to teach science. Firstly, assessment of prior knowledge is an
important measure as it can help me as a teacher to determine what students already know, what
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needs to be covered, and where their interests are. For both student and teacher it can highlight
alternative conceptions that may need to be re-shaped to accurately fit the biological concept or
mechanism at work. Additionally, assessment of prior knowledge is important as it allows me as
a teacher to understand the points at which I can connect new content to prior knowledge,
making the information learned both relevant and interesting. However, I learned in my preinternship that pre-assessments are not just for myself as the educator. Rather, they are also for
the student! When conducting a treaty-education lesson, an online poll was used to determine
prior knowledge and worldviews with regards to First Nations Residential Schools. After
watching a film and discussing the topic, an exit slip was given in which students were able to
reflect on if/how their views on residential schools had changed, new information they had
learned, and questions that still remained. Essentially, by providing students with the opportunity
to acknowledge and assess their prior knowledge, they were also able to see their own learning
journey as they reflected again on the exit slip. Although this is a non-science example, I
understand that the same principles apply to scientific content. Pre-assessment is an amazing tool
which I plan to use throughout my career, but I now recognize that despite the important roles it
plays for me as an educator, it really is a tool for the students also.
I have heard during my time in the faculty of education that it is natural to want to teach
in the way you were taught. However, thinking back on my high school science education, I
recognize that the majority of my learning experiences do not reflect how I wish to educate my
students. Taught in a very traditionalist manner, the keys to success in school for me were
listening to the lecture and afterwards, memorizing all of the facts, processes, and terms
presented. Although I did very well in school using this method, I can honestly say that much of
the information “learned” is no longer with me, and makes me believe that perhaps I never really
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learned it at all. Rather, I memorized for the test, regurgitated the information back on the exam,
and then rarely thought of it again. For me, this experience is not one that I want to replicate for
my students, and therefore I hope to create a learning environment in which memorization – a
useful skill - is only a tool by which information is learned, but is never the end goal. Rather, I
want to create lessons, assessment tools, and activities which are focused on developing
understanding rather than memorization. One method that I believe fosters understanding is the
use of ABC – Activity Before Content. As I mentioned before, utilization of engage activities is
excellent for giving students a reason to be interested in the lesson and also presenting complex
content. It requires students to ask questions, think through processes, and understand the
material, rather than simply providing a list of information to memorize. Throughout my preinternship I used the ABC strategy and it was quite effective in engaging students and causing
them to think of the processes behind the scientific principle we were exploring that day. Any
time that students are engaged in the lesson is ultimately a success!
Another excellent way to engage students was through the use of technology in our
activities. During pre-internship, Jared and I used several types of technology to engage students,
including probe-ware for a sensors lab, cell-phones in an online poll for pre-assessment as well
as communication during our final assessment activity, and GPS units in a scavenger hunt. The
students responded very well to using technology and communicated after that they loved having
the opportunity as it made the activity more fun, more efficient, and “really cool”.
One thing that I found to be “really cool” when I worked in the field for 3 weeks in the
Outdoor School (ODS) at Greenall was how important place-based learning can be. Prior to my
experience at ODS I did not acknowledge place-based learning as an important component of my
teaching style as a science educator. However, during this time I had the opportunity to teach
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about invasive species while in a field looking at black-knot on tree, as well as discuss water
quality and the implications for aquatic species while ice-fishing on the lake. These are just two
examples of the many in which the geographical location of our lesson added deeply to student’s
understanding of the material, but also to the relevance of the material to their lives. No more
was the topic of lake-water contamination foreign, but it was in their backyard, beneath their
feet. The contamination affected the fish they were catching and the food they would eat.
Essentially, place-based learning gave more impact to the lesson as students were connected, and
felt connected to the area we were in, and in turn, connected to the concepts addressed. Although
it is not realistic to have place-based learning each day or to continually bring students on field
trips, the unique aspects of ODS helped me to recognize the important role it can play and that
opportunities to bring students into that learning environment should not be passed up.
Conclusion
Science is far more than hypothesis or experiment. Science goes beyond rote
memorization and regurgitation on exams. Science is, and always have been about current
events, innovation, questioning, finding answers, developing and using technology, as well as
conceptual understanding. As committed educators who are dedicated to teaching the nature of
science and using it as an essential tool to develop life-long learners, we need to make science
relevant and interesting. Use of technology, ABC, place-based learning and engaging activities
are just a few of the ways by which we as educators can make science interesting and relevant to
students. Knowing not all students will become university science majors, we must take the
opportunity in high school to help them develop scientific literacy and critical thinking skills. My
hopes are that, in my class, science will be an interesting, relevant, and important experience for
my students which helps them develop into life-long learners, regardless of future ambitions.