Full Description
Worried about teaching natural selection, submicroscopic particle models or circuits? Keith S. Taber explores a range of issues faced in secondary science teaching and discusses strategies for teaching the nature of scientific knowledge, making practical work effective and challenging gifted young scientists.
MasterClass in Science Education shows how to become a master science teacher by developing and adopting the habits and mind-set of a teacher-as-scientist. The author introduces the three pillars of this approach: subject knowledge, pedagogic knowledge, and classroom research. The body of subject knowledge in the sciences is both vast and constantly evolving as it is challenged, updated and developed, and this text supports you to understand the dynamic nature of knowledge and the implications this has for your teaching.
Taber shows how to use a knowledge-in-action approach, enacting knowledge in the complex and dynamic classroom environment. He supports you to critically examine classroom experiences, drawing on a wide-range of research-informed perspectives that offer insights into facilitating effective student learning. He also guides you to understand how to use recommendations from published research studies as components of a toolkit to improve your teaching and learning.
Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Preface
Part I: Introduction
1. Enquiring Into Science Teaching
Part II: Perspectives on Science Teaching
2. Critiquing the Science Curriculum: Perspectives on Why We Should Teach the Sciences
3. Reflecting the Nature of Scientific Knowledge in Science Education
4. Teacher Subject Knowledge: A Key Focus for Continuing Professional Development
5. Identifying and Sequencing Learning Quanta
6. The Nature of Students' Scientific Knowledge: What Does Research Suggest?
7. Recognising Productive Lesson Activities
8. Seeking Evidence of Significant Learning
Part III: Issues in Teaching Science Subjects
9. A 21st-Century Notion of Scientific Knowledge
10. The Value of Not Believing In Science
11. A Challenge in Teaching Biology: Natural Selection
12. A Challenge in Teaching Chemistry: Submicroscopic Particle Models
13. A Challenge in Teaching Physics: Electrical Circuits in the Lower Secondary School
14. Teaching Science as Enquiry and Supporting 'Minds-On' Practical Work
15. Challenging the Gifted Young Scientist (and Other Young Scientists)
References
Index
