University of the Aegean Department of Elementary Education Summer School 2011 The Experiment in Teaching: Planning and Carrying out throughout the Session By Konstantinos Karampelas

Driver & Oldham teaching model Orientation Stage: With simple questions, images and other techniques, the teacher tries to introduce the topic of the session and stimulate the learners interest. Elicitation Stage: Through dialogue, interaction or other ways, learners present their previous knowledge, misconceptions, ideas and experience on the topic. Reconstruction stage: By participating actively in activities, learners reach the “socio-cognitive conflict” where they rethink of what they believed and adopt new ideas (reconstruct knowledge).

Driver & Oldham Teaching Model Application stage: the learners apply the new knowledge they have just constructed in every day situations. This way they can understand better the necessity and importance of the topic. Review stage: the learners benchmark the ideas they had about the topic in the beginning, the ideas they have now and how these ideas changed throughout the session. This way they develop and apply post-cognitive skills (Driver et al, 1999).

Education Tools Questions. Socratic Dialogues. Analogies and similies. Problem solving. Conceptual maps. Theatre play (Driver et al, 1999).

An easy-to-learn and effective session has to be: 1)Relevant 2)Stimulating 3)Well organized. All these need good planning. Planning can be achieved in many ways, each one has advantages and disadvantages. Selection of the appropriate organizing approach should be combined with: 1)Appropriate organizing of the classroom and the equipment. 2)Appropriate activities for the learners. 3)Appropriate assessment.

Planning 1 st issue: What ideas and skills are the learners expected to develop? Criteria & Limitations: 1) Appropriate equipment. 2) Available time. 3) Prior knowledge of the learners.

Planning Whole class organization planning should include: 1)Presentation of the session for the whole classroom. 2)Activities for the whole classroom. 3)Reading, analysis, evaluation of books and resources. 4)Experiments and demonstrations for the whole classroom. 5)Collective participation for the accomplishment of the learning process.

Planning Planning activities for groups of learners, can be done through different ways: 1)Different groups carrying out different activities. 2)«Circles» or «Circuits» of different activities. 3)One group carrying out an activity while others observe.

Planning As soon as the appropriate organizing approach is selected, the teacher has to clarify: 1)How will the session become relevant and stimulating? 2)What kind of preparation is required? What should be done prior to the session? 3)What equipment is there that can be used? 4)How can the session be organized? 5)What prior knowledge, experience or misconceptions do the learners have, that is relevant to the session topic? 6)How much time is available? 7)How will the learners be assessed? 8)What will the teacher do during the session?

Whole classroom activity organizing- Orientation: 1)Whole classroom activities make it easier for the teachers to observe and control the classroom. 2)The first part of the session should aim to stimulate the interest of the learners. The session topic is placed in the context of the learners every day experience. This will help them understand the importance of the session. 3)Learners must understand the aims of the session and every activity. 4)Open ended questions are required. This will help the learners express their experience on the topic. It is recommended that all learners should provide answers and express ideas.

Whole classroom activities organizing Orientation: Advantages: 1)It is easier for the teacher to manage the classroom and the session. 2)Exchange of ideas, dialogue and interaction can become easier. Disadvantages: 1)It is very difficult to focus on individual learners and check each learners’ progress. 2)Particular difficulties or trends and talents that learners may have or develop cannot be easily understood by the teacher.

Whole classroom activities organizing- Elicitation-Reconstruction: 1)Whole classroom activities give learners the chance to work and cooperate. 2)The activities should stimulate the learners’ interest. 3)When all learners carry out the same activity the teacher can easily observe and assess (even comparatively). Moreover, classroom organizing and lesson planning are facilitated. 4)It is in this part of the lesson that learners should develop experimental and testing skills (observing, describing, calculating). 5)Learners must know how to work in order to test, exchange ideas draw conclusions. HOWEVER: What does the teacher do if there are not enough materials for all the learners to work? Or if there are many topics to discuss?

Planning Activities for “Learners’ Groups” 1)Learners can work in groups. At the end of the session the learners of each group will present their work and conclusions, to the others. 2)Group forming must be done in relation to the aims of the session and the experience of learners in group activities. 3)Each activity requires different preparation. It would be really ideal if the classroom is ready for all activities before the session begins, which means desks organized as expected, materials on the desks, ready to use etc.

Planning Activities for “Learners’ Groups” 4)At the beginning of the session, each group will learn which activity it will carry out. Learners must be allocated and placed there where they are expected to work. 5)It is important for learners to have clear instructions on what to do. 6)The learners interest should always be focused on the session.

Planning Activities for “Learners’ Groups” 7)When the various activities begin, the teacher should move around the classroom to give explanations and further instructions when necessary. 8)At the same time the teacher should provide extra work for learners who complete their task fast. 9)As all learners are occupied with different activities, the teacher should plan after how much time it would be good for the session to stop, so that each group will present its work and conclusions to the others. HOWEVER: What happens if all learners have to carry out all activities (but the amount of materials is not enough)?

Planning Activities for the Learners in “Circuits” 1)Groups are formed. Each group will carry out an activity. As soon as this group finishes, it will undertake another activity (which was carried out by another group before). By continuing like that all groups will have carried out all activities by the end of the session. 2)This process has many challenges. The greatest problem is time, bearing in mind that the teacher should explain in each group what to do. 3)The teacher should move around the classroom and supervise or help the learners, as well as to provide further work to those learners who finish their job quickly. 4)Moving from one activity to another should be done easily, without disruption.

Planning Activities for Individual Learners 1)“Group circuits” are difficult for the teacher to plan and manage. An easy alternative is to plan activities for individual learners. 2)Choosing the learner or the group of learners needs attention. What learners will be selected? What problems may come up? 3)Demonstration from the teacher might be useful. 4)The important question is what the other will learners do. Will they observe? Will they do something else, such as to read? 5)Assessing activities in relation to what they did, learn should be done in combination with the presentation of the work to the whole classroom.

Conclusions: 1)Each organizing approach has advantages and disadvantages. : 2)It is highly recommended to use different approaches depending on what is to be taught. 3)Planning the lesson should follow some important criteria:  What are the learners expected to learn?  What experience, prior knowledge is there about the session topic?  What time limit, materials and equipment are available?

Conclusion: As soon as the appropriate lesson organizing approach is selected, it is important to point out: What should the teacher prepare? What kind of data or evidence should the teacher gather for the learners? How will the session begin? What will the learners do throughout the session? How will the supervision and evaluation of the learning process be done? How will the learners who face barriers be helped? How will the session end?

Resources Driver R., Squires A., Rushworth P., Wood-Robinson V. (1994), Making Sense of Secondary Science: Research into Children's Ideas. London: Routledge. Driver, R., Guesne, E., Tibergien, A. (1993). Childrens’ Ideas in Science. Milton Keynes, Philadelphia : Open University Press. Gribbin, J., (2002). Science: A History ( ). London: The Allen Lane, Penguin Press. Harlen, Wynne & Elstgeest, Jos. Unesco. Διδασκαλία και alι Μάθηση των Φυσικών Επιστημών στην Πρωτοβάθμια Εκπαίδευση. Εκδ Τυπωθητω-Γιωργος Δαρδανος Hewitt, P.G., (2005). Οι έννοιες της Φυσικής. Μετάφραση: Σηφάκη, Ε. & Παπαδόγγονας, Ι. Ηράκλειο: Πανεπιστημιακές Εκδόσεις Κρήτης. Science Education – Classroom Organisation [Accessed 1 July 2011]