Teacher Empowerment and Learning Enhancement through Process Oriented Interactive Strategy (POIS) of Science Teaching Dr. Dibakar Sarangi

The Problem O bligations of Science Education least achieved!  Predominant emphasis on content Sc process least emphasized Socio-Cultural Significance alienated. Curiosity & Inquiry least stimulated.  Activity Centered & Interactive approaches to Classroom Transaction least reflected  Learning disorganized with abundant idiosyncrasies  Poor performance in H.S.C. Exam  Tribal & rural children even after 10 yrs of Sc. Learning relapses to illiterate parental position.

Underlying research Questions  What troubles scientific thinking, organized learning & content achievement among students?  How to ensure the obligations of Science Education?

Objectives 1.To explore the potential teacher factor which make a teacher disabled in steering teaching-learning activities to foster scientific thinking and organized learning among children. 2.To explore learner related factors that reap disorganized learning and low content achievement in science 3. To devise and develop a strategic approach for promoting scientific thinking, organized learning and better content achievement in science among the rural and the tribal children. 4. To examine the empirical effectiveness of the innovative strategy by actual field implementation.

Methodology Project was carried out in 3 Phases: 1.Exploring the problems roots 2.Devising & developing an Innovative Strategy for Promoting Scientific thinking, Organized learning & better content achievements. 3.Field testing empirical effectiveness of the Innovating strategy.

Phase 1: Exploring the Problem roots  Used a case study approach to the problem. To Examine: 1.Teachers’ understanding of ‘science’ 2.Teachers’ understanding of the Learning tasks in science 3.Teachers’ planning, & design of a teaching Learning discourse for science classes. 4.The teaching-Learning in classroom situation. 5.Learners’ pre-instructional and post-instructional understanding of selected science topics

. Samples:  School Teachers (15) and pupil-teachers (40)  Students of class 6,7,8,9; one section for each class of a practicing schools. Tools & Data Analysis i)Informal and Structured interaction, Brain storming sessions (Obj. no. 1 & 2) ii)Classroom Observation, personal Interviews, Questioning & Discussion (Obj. no. 3,4,&5) iii)Investigator’s own experience as a Teacher Educator and as an Ex-Secondary school teacher Qualitative inductive analyses were carried out and were triangulated to yield conclusions.

Findings: Why Science Education failed to fulfill essential obligations? 1. Teachers’ limited knowledge of science. 2. Teachers’ task blindness 3. Learners’ pre-instructional anomalous knowledge 4. Improper teaching-learning discourse. 5. Little emphasis to science process.

Phase 2 Intervention : Development of POIS POIS is characterized with the following features Content analysis by teacher science process elements in focus Treats science class as Activity Centered Interactive Discourse leading to knowledge construction Unveils & corrects students’ anomalous knowledge Utilizes Cognitive Conflict to cultivate inquisitiveness & inquiry Utilizes lesson configuration to facilitate information processing and cognitive mapping

1. Science as Process ProductTo make trainees conscious about the nature & structure of science To know the various processes and product, 2. Anomalous knowledge its influence on science learning Science learning as change of anomalous knowledge Realize one’s anomalous knowledge 3. Initiating & sustaining Inquisitiveness/Inquiry in Science learning Cognitive Conflict in Science learning Understand inquiry & inquisitiveness process Initiating & managing cognitive conflict 4. Learning outcomes in scienceUnderstand the various learning behaviours and their specification Teachers' Training on POIS The Intervention Package: (Theoretical Component

The Intervention Package: (Cont..) 5. Concept mapping & lesson configuration Understand concept mapping & preparing lesson configuration 6. Sc. Class as activity centred interactive discourse; Problem/issue based activities; Develops proficiency in designing process based & issues based calss room activities. 7. Content analysis of text bookProficiency in Identifying major & minor teaching learning items & outcomes; Science process & possibilities of misconceptions 8. Lesson plan for process oriented Interactive strategy of science teaching Proficiency in POIS based Lesson plans

Intervention Package: (cont..) Practicum  Observation of model demonstration lesson on POIS  Simulated teaching practice & small Group peer feedback (Three each trainees)  Criticism lessons, peer observation & feedback, Group discussion (Actual Classroom)  Classroom practice (15 lesson). Every lesson observed & rated by three peer trainees who provided feedback.

Phase – 3:Testing Functionality & Effectiveness of POIS To asses functional effectiveness and operational feasibility of POIS in terms of teachers’ perception. To study teacher competence in process emphasis To compare the performance of the experimental group & control group. To compare the learning performance of students of experimental and control group. To study pupils performance in terms of pupil’s participation, questioning by pupil’s social distance between pupils & teacher during the course of POIS implementation.

Research Design The 47 teacher trainees divided into two groups Pre-test Post-test control group design School & class randomly assigned to teachers Only 8 pairs of classes had the same content unit to be taught, & used for comparison of achievement. Sample of students being incidental, the sample size was self determined, their number was as that on the day of pre-test & post-test days. Peer observer cum rater were randomly allotted. Pre-test to post-test gain scores used for comparison of achievement

Data Collection and Analysis ObjectiveData gathering tool & TechniqueTechnique of data analysis 1A 5 point rating scaleFrequency & % analysis 2Observation schedule cum rating scale on 3 point continuum Mean, frequency & % analysis 3Investigators own observations, opinion of supervising teacher educators and science teachers of practicing schools. Qualitative inductive analysis 4Teacher made achievement testMean, t-test 5Observation & note taking by investigator, POIS teachers’ note books, informal talks to POIS student Qualitative inductive analysis

RESULT: Functional Effectiveness & Feasibility All implementing teachers perceived POIS as highly functional and practically feasible in terms of specified parameters barring a few. More than 87% felt POIS comfortable to implement. More than 75 % reported POIS helpful in effective lesson planning. Teacher competence in process emphasis, redressing anomalous knowledge, stimulating inquisitiveness and inquiry was achieved to more than average level Curiosity and questioning by students gradually improved Content achievement of the experimental group was much higher than the traditional learning group POIS is put into regular use in teacher training