Inquiry Based Science Instruction Using Science Fair Projects

• Martin reveals cultural stereotyping are at a point that women are considered unequal in science. Marina Pavlova reiterates this topic by showing research and studies in the subject.

As per research ‘gender’ provides a perspective from which one could examine the biases that exist in the larger society. Some believe that to arrive at a more eloquent understanding of the problems of women in science , one should begin by asking what is the nature of science space that leads to under-representation and marginalisation of women rather than questioning the situation of a woman’s life that makes it difficult for her to pursue science.

The process skills approach to teaching is defined as the educator helping children develop science skills and processes to confidently undertake their own investigations (Campbell, 2012). These skills are developed through: communicating, science language, asking questions, making sense of phenomena, predicting, modelling, conducting investigations, planning, testing, observing, reasoning, and drawing conclusions of science concepts (Campbell, 2012). When the educator assist children’s learning, it is important to put the emphasis on the nature of science and scientific concepts. Guided discovery approach to teaching requires the educator to ask effective questions that encourage children to explore and extend their investigations throughout science learning (Campbell, 2012). This can be developed through play experiences as children explore their world around them. An interactive approach to teaching children is based on questions that lead explorations and the educators to provide essential resources to guide these explorations (Campbell, 2012). It is the educators’ responsibility to support children’s development, ideas, questions, ways of thinking, and develop scientific thinking. Furthermore, an inquiry approach to teaching relates to children investigating the answers to their own

According to my class presentation about racism, teachers play a big role in how race is seen and handled in schools. It’s important that, in their classrooms especially, teachers allow all races of students feel included, and that they teach students about the world beyond their classroom. One way to do this is by making sure that their posters, pictures, books, and dolls are made up of different races. Also, everyone knows that children are curious. When a child asks a question related to racism or differences in a race, their teacher should answer the question directly and honestly, instead of pushing it the side or changing the

Module 5 - Assignment 1 Analyzing a Model of Inquiry Rima Garg The Office of Talent Development Prince George’s County Public Schools The Chinese Proverb, “Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand”, applies to the 21st century skills that students need to have to meet the global challenges. Inquiry is a process of active learning that is driven by questioning and critical thinking. The understandings that students develop through inquiry are deeper and longer lasting than any pre-packaged knowledge delivered by teachers to students. Inquiry-based learning follows a process that progresses through phases, but is recursive and reflective throughout (Library of Congress n.d). Furthermore,

There have been few studies focusing on the impact that reading comprehension has in the science curriculum on students ' science comprehension. Random students were selected to participate in either inquiry-based science only or inquiry-based science plus reading conditions. The results showed that students that performed in an inquiry-science based plus reading significantly outperformed the inquiry-based science only students. In the state of Georgia students must pass the state

A Return to Principles The United States is shaped by its cultural myths. Cultural myths are widespread views or notions that are held and propagated by a nation to enforce its values. Among the great American cultural myths is the cultural myth of “educational empowerment” (Mann 110). It

Furthermore the questions that guide this study are: “(1) how and why teachers participate in practices and policies that may undermine minority students’ academic achievement, (2) how elementary students respond to these practices and policies, and (3) the implications of

Research has been conducted and the study showed that, "Latino students perceived that teachers' actions escalated disciplinary problems and believed that administrators used unfair and discriminatory practices"(90). Educators will never be able to teach students if the students perceive them as being racist. The degree to which education for cultural diversity is realized depends on the teacher's attitudes, knowledge, and behavior. They make the mistake of mismatching their own life experiences and professional training. Le Roux realizes that an increasing diverse school population encounters a mostly middle-class teaching force that is inadequately prepared to manage the reality of diversity in schools, and that is due to lack of knowledge of diversity (46). He also states that some teachers make the mistake of generalizing about particular ethnic groups and cultural groups, as a result of being exposed during training to information about culture; that is very dangerous in itself. Educators also focus mostly on general characteristics of a group instead in a single individual, and this is wrong because each individual is unique and should not be generalized by culture (Le Roux 46).

       Public schools have discovered the importance of critical thinking, many people are trying to teach children how to do it. The problem is that very few teachers know how to do. Robert Sternberg, an early advocate of critical thinking in teaching,

Therefore, teachers’ negative attitudes find also support in “one-size-fits-all” act over ELLs. Orosco and O’Connor (2014) pointed out that teachers have no option when they consider that one direct strategy can accommodate all students including ELLs. ELLs tend to resist to some research-based instructions because they do not embed their lives experiences (Orosco & O’Connor, 2014). However, Costes et al. (2014) claimed that the teachers’ negative beliefs are also implicit in the so-called racial neutrality. Teachers have lower expectations when her students are from African Americans and Latino groups and that increase teachers’ favoritism. Teachers’ beliefs may affect ELLs learning process and even a well-intended teacher delimits ELLs’

As teachers, we operate in a world of assumptions about the communities that we work in, the students that we serve, and ourselves. Most of us live in a world where the assumptions remain a hidden subtext in our lives, as something that dictates how we interact with others but

For example, teachers suspend students daily for events that go on in the classroom. Acting like the referees in a sports game, teachers often have to make lightning-quick decisions. They are constantly interacting with their students and have a special way of seeing things and handling situations. Educators need to determine if someone or something poses an immediate danger to others in the classroom; needless to say, being fair is not often on their minds. However, recent studies have shown that teachers are more likely to suspend kids of color than white students. As the nation continues to grow, there is diversity among students but not teachers; for instance, most teachers in America are Caucasian. An overwhelming mix of cultures can make it difficult for

As teachers we should focus on the importance of creating supportive learning environments which instil the notion of inclusivity of all students, with or without disabilities. As students enter the classroom they bring a mixture of cultural, academic and behavioural diversity with them (Watkins, 2005). As teachers we need to

Science is, by its nature, inquiry based and science knowledge is built through processes in which discoveries of the natural world are made (Abruscato, 2000). It utilizes discovery and scientific thinking process to explore and learn knowledge and skills. Learning by doing is the new efficient method in teaching science. For kindergarten, this method leads to better understanding of science concepts and builds skills that children will use in future life .What a child can do with assistance now, they can later do on their own (Vygotsky, 1978). John Dewey (1916) stated that children must be engaged in an active quest for learning and new ideas. Inquiry is important in educating kindergarteners because it not only keeps them interested in lessons but also helps them retain more information when performing exploration and investigation. Children are naturally motivated to learn and actively seek out information to help their understanding (Piaget, 1950).The success of students who participate in hands- on inquiry activities suggests that if students have first hands experience with science, concepts are easier to understand and apply and students are generally more favorable to science and have better understanding of the nature of science .Within a conceptual framework, inquiry learning and active learner involvement can lead to important outcomes in the classroom. In kindergarten, students who are actively making observations, collecting results and drawing