Bringing Inquiry to the College
Science Classroom: Science
Classes for Pre-Service
Teachers
Barbara A. Gage and Patricia A. Basili
Prince George’s Community College
NSTA 2002 Eastern Regional Convention
Louisville, KY
October 25, 2002
Why Inquiry?
• Integral part of the nature of science
• Gives students an experiential base
for understanding concepts
• Develops better reasoning skills and
richer conceptual understanding in
students
Why Inquiry?
• Provides meaningful
opportunities for
cooperation and
collaboration with
peers
• Students report that
they feel excited and
more confident when
they “discover” for
themselves
Why Inquiry for Pre-Service
Teachers?
• National Science Education
Teaching Standard A: Teachers
of science plan an inquiry-based
science program for their
students
Why Inquiry for Pre-Service
Teachers?
• National Science Education
Professional Development Standard
A: Professional Development for
teachers of science requires
learning essential science content
through the perspectives and
methods of inquiry.
Why Inquiry for Pre-Service
Teachers?
• National Council for Accreditation of
Teacher Education (NCATE)
Standard: Candidates know,
understand, and use the fundamental
concepts in subject matter of
science…and the inquiry processes
used in the discovery of new
knowledge to build a base for
scientific literacy.
How?
• Start with a question, problem or discrepant
•
•
event that addresses the concepts to be
covered rather than teaching the concept
through lecture
Have students engage in an guided-inquiry
activity based on those concepts
Give explanations when students have
finished exploring or along the way as needed
Inquiry Courses at PGCC
• PSC 120 Exploring Chemistry and
Physics Concepts…4 credits…5 contact
hours/week
• PSC 121 Exploring Earth and Space
Science Concepts…4 credits…5 contact
hours/week
• BIO 101 General Biology…4 credits…6
contact hours/week
PSC 120 Chemistry/Physics
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Nature of science
Measurement
Motion
Simple machines
Heat/temperature
Sound
Light and color
Refraction and
reflection
Magnetism
Currents and circuits
Insulators and
conductors
• Electrical nature of
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
atoms
Static electricity
Characteristics of
matter
Types of matter
Density
Physical separations
Chemical changes
Physical states of
matter
Changes in state
Acids and bases
PSC 121 Earth/Space
• Nature of science and
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
inquiry
Rocks and minerals
Weathering and erosion
Simple hydrology
Landform mapping
Comparative surface
planetology
Coordinate systems
Topographic maps
Watersheds
Rock record
• Plate tectonics
• Fossils and geologic time
• Earth-Moon-Sun system
•
•
•
•
•
(seasons, phases, tides)
Basic spectroscopy and
star colors
Star charts and
planetaria
Our atmosphere
Weather and prediction
Ocean and coastal
systems
Support Materials
• Guided-Inquiry Activity Manuals
•
•
written by PGCC faculty (all three
courses)
Conceptual Physical Science (PSC
120-121) as a textbook
Lab materials that are easily
purchased, and inexpensive
whenever possible
Assessment
• Quizzes/exams on
•
•
content which emphasize
understanding rather
than rote memory
Performance tasks which
require solution of
problem using lab
materials
Portfolio with journals,
activities, projects,
concept maps
Final Exam for PSC 121
Students will be going on a trip
lasting several days. The trip
involves camping and hiking not too
far from a coastal area.
During the course of this trip (exam)
they will be asked to do a number of
tasks or determine specific
information.
• Determine best routes for travel and sleeping (using
•
•
•
•
•
a topographic map)
Predict weather for several days (based on previous
weather maps)
Determine what stars/constellations will be visible
(using star charts or a planetarium)
Identify rock types picked up along the way (from
actual samples) and comment on
processes/environment that formed the rock
Determine tidal information and lunar information for
a coastal visit (using tide graphs)
Explain the tectonic history of an
area (given some information about
the area)
Associate of Arts in Teaching
(Elementary Level) at the
Maryland Community Colleges
• ~25% of future teachers begin at
community colleges
• During 1999, Statewide Teacher
Education Articulation Committee
(TEAC) established to facilitate
transfer of teacher education students
from two to four year institutions in
Maryland
Associate of Arts in Teaching at
the Maryland Community Colleges
• TEAC established sub-committees to
develop a set of outcomes and an
outcomes document for the first 60
credits in a teacher education degree
program. Document specifies outcomes,
not courses, so institutions have
significant freedom in deciding which
courses cover specific outcomes.
Associate of Arts in Teaching at
the Maryland Community Colleges
• Since PGCC had science and math classes
•
that match all standards in place before this
process, theses courses have been
considered as models.
PGCC received an NSF grant to work with all
community colleges in Maryland to assist in
establishing science and math courses for an
AAT based on the outcomes document.
Associate of Arts in Teaching at
the Maryland Community Colleges
• 13 of 16 community colleges in
•
Maryland have AAT programs approved
and are accepting degree students
First AAT students from PGCC made a
smooth transition to Towson University
in Fall 2002 with the PSC courses on
their transcripts!
Information/Questions
PSC 120 or PSC 121:
Barbara A. Gage
bgage@pgcc.edu
academic.pg.cc.md.us/~bgage
A.A.T. in Education
Patricia A. Basili
pbasili@pgcc.edu