Experiential Science as a Means for Building Science Literacy
In an era defined by the rapid spread of information - and misinformation - the role of science education transcends the traditional boundaries of simply imparting knowledge. Instead, science education is crucial in instilling the scientific principles of critical investigation and the value of evidence based decision making. By focusing on teaching students investigative skills and integrating hands-on, experiential learning, educators can equip students with the tools needed to critically consume information and make informed decisions. This post will dissect the importance of these strategies in fostering a scientifically literate society.
The power of investigation
Investigative methods are at the core of scientific inquiry. Inquiry based teaching allows students to not just accept information at face value but rather to question information, analyze it, and derive evidence based conclusions. This approach is valuable in a lab setting but also outside the walls of your classroom where students are regularly engaging with misinformation that can easily be mistaken for truth. When you empower students with investigative skills, they can more easily assess the credibility of a source and differentiate between opinion and fact when scrolling social media.
Experiential science as a means to investigate
Experiential science takes learning out of the textbook and into the real world. With hands-on experiences and authentic experiments and problem solving, students are not only more engaged but they are also demonstrating the application of the investigative processes. This is especially true when students are given an opportunity to ask their own questions and form their own hypotheses. Many science classrooms can get stuck in a cycle of pre-determined labs where students follow a recipe and see a specific outcome. While those have value for demonstrating a phenomenon, they don’t give students an opportunity to use their investigative skills. Instead, consider showing students a phenomenon or giving them a piece of information first and then allow them to come up with questions and form their own hypotheses and processes to test that hypothesis.
Combating distrust in science
More often than not, distrust in science comes from a lack of understanding and fear of the unknown. By demystifying science, we can break down those walls and bridge the gap between scientific communities and the public. Already we’ve seen the growth of a new type of science professional, the science communicator, who does the hard work of explaining difficult scientific concepts to a general audience. Through teaching investigative methods and giving students opportunities to test those skills in an inquiry based and authentic experiment or project, lead by the students themselves, we give students the ability to understand the methods used by scientists in the field to reach their conclusions. In doing so, students leave your classroom without the lack of understanding and fear of the unknown that creates so much division between scientists and communities.
Your role, as an educator
As the linchpin in this endeavor, your role as educator is to move beyond teaching facts but instead promote a community of inquiry, discovery, and investigation in your classroom. By fostering an environment of curiosity and critical thinking through student lead experiential learning, you are inspiring a life-long appreciation and understanding of science and the scientific process. The fight against misinformation and distrust in science starts in your classrooms and your labs. Teaching investigative methods and practicing them with experiential learning will cultivate a generation that critically consumes information, forms evidence based conclusions, and considers the scientific process a process of trust. This approach will not only enhance scientific literacy but also ensure that society is equipped to make informed decisions based on evidence rather than fear or misinformation. As we look towards the future, let's invest in science education that empowers, enlightens, and inspires.
Resources
Check out these resources for some ideas on how to promote an inquiry based learning environment that encourages investigation:
Here’s a lab report template I created and used in my classroom that encouraged students to form their own questions about a piece of information or a demonstrated phenomenon and then design an experiment to help answer that question.
Question Formation Technique from The Right Question Institute
At Trophic Education, we design educational programming alongside scientists, non profits, and others that gives you opportunities to share experiential and authentic science activities with your students. If you’re interested in working with Trophic Education or would like more information, please visit www.trophiced.org
Let Your Students Experience Science as a Verb, not a Noun.
Given opportunities to experience science through authentic and hands on learning, students develop their scientific skills while becoming more deeply engaged in the content.
Science education has never been more important. Developing an understanding of our ecological place in the world, finding ways to clean up our emissions and pollution, and solving some of the world’s largest problems around food, water, and health are all vital to our growth as a species. The landscape of science is constantly evolving and so are the skills required for a successful career in Science. Traditional teaching methods typically fall short in preparing students for the dynamic nature of modern scientific work. This post will share some of the benefits of hands-on, experiential, and authentic education and give an example of how I set up my science classroom for students to experience Science as a verb, not a noun.
The Drawbacks of Traditional Teaching Methods
Traditional science education follows a textbook, relies on lecture, and asks students to memorize a diverse range of information without an understanding of how that information all connects. While some foundational knowledge is important, traditional teaching methods don’t give students an opportunity to explore the action of science and don't allow them to practice asking their own questions, developing their own hypotheses, and using critical thinking skills.
Hands On and Authentic Learning
Providing students with opportunities to get their hands dirty and to experience science first hand gives them a chance to engage deeply in the science they’re learning while promoting the skills required for a career in science. Not only is it more fun on the most basic level, but it makes learning dynamic and encourages curiosity, collaboration, and the application of theoretical knowledge to real-world problems. Making those opportunities authentic by connecting directly to the real world, preferably your school’s neighborhood, campus, or community, shows students that the science they’re studying has a direct connection to their everyday lives. For example, having students collect data on the temperature gradient of their neighborhood and comparing it to the amount of trees planted nearby can give them a direct connection and deeper understanding of how neighborhood planning can impact the effects of rising temperatures.
Evolving From Students to Scientists
In my Science classroom, creating a space where students could be active and engaged scientists was vital to their growth and understanding. While there were still times that called for traditional education methods in order to distill some foundational knowledge, for the most part my Science lab was a place of constant activity. Instead of handing over a list of ingredients and step by step directions for students to follow for a class period, my labs and projects lasted multiple days and followed these steps:
Question Development - After observing a phenomena or learning something new about a subject, students developed their own research questions that allowed them to explore the subject more deeply and more tailored and specific to their own interest in the subject.
Experiment or Research Planning - With a research question considered, students worked to design their own plan for experimentation or research in an effort to answer that research question. At this point, they would present their plan to me in order to receive feedback and to check on safety, feasibility, and timing.
Carry out Experiment or Research - After approval, students carried out their experiment or began their research, collecting data along the way that helped them to confirm or challenge their hypothesis.
Analysis and Conclusions - After collecting data, students analyzed their findings, created representative data sets, and wrote a conclusion based on what they found as well as a full report of their process
The outcome? Students were far more deeply engaged in the topic at hand because they had full ownership over the process. Not only did they specifically develop their skills in generating questions from observation, predicting outcomes, designing experiments, data collection and analysis, and scientific communication, but they also came away with a stronger understanding of the topic at hand.
Develop Scientists in Your Classroom
The shift from a traditional science classroom to an active, experiential, and authentic learning environment made a dramatic difference in our Middle School science program. Students came away much more prepared for the challenges ahead in High School and many developed a new love for Science that they didn’t have before. I encourage you to consider your students as scientists, move on from the traditional cookbook science labs, and give your kids a chance to explore their curiosity, design their own experiments, and engage deeply in the skills they need to become successful scientists.
Even better, show them how the skills they’re learning in your classroom are applied in science occupations by introducing them to scientists that use those skills every day. Reach out to scientists in your community, connect them with your students, and help develop the next generation of scientists that will solve our biggest problems.
Resources
Check out these resources for more information and ideas to incorporate into your classroom:
Authentic STEM research, practices of science, and interest development in an informal science education program by Bobby Habig and Preeti Gupta
At Trophic Education, we design educational programming that allows students to experience science as a verb. If your organization is interested in expanding your outreach opportunities, please reach out or find out more by visiting www.trophiced.org