Teaching of Biology -Approaches and Methods of Teaching (B.Ed. Campus Year - 1 )

 UNIT 2-  APPROACHES AND METHODS OF TEACHING SCIENCE

Structure 

2.1 Introduction 

2.2 Objectives 

2.3 Enquiry Approach 

2.3.1 How to Use this Approach? 

2.3.2 Some Examples 

2.3.3 When to Use this Approach and Why? 

2.3.4 Advantages and Disadvantages 

2.4 Problem Solving Approach 

2.4.1 How to Use this Approach? 

2.4.2 When to Use this Approach and Why? 

2.4.3 Advantages and Disadvantages 

2.4.4 How it Differs from the Enquiry Approach?

2.4.5 Teacher Centered Approach and Child Centred Approach 

2.5 Demonstration Method rC 2.5.1 How to Use this Method? 

2.5.2 Advantages and Disadvantages 

2.6 Lecture-Cum-Demonstration Method 

2.6.1 How to Use this Method? 

2.6.2 Advantages and Disadvantages 

2.6.3 How is it Different from Enquiry Approach and Problem Solving Approach 

2.6.4 How to Use this Method and Why? 

2.7 Laboratory Method 

2.7.1 How to Use this Method? 

2.7.2 Advantages and Disadvantages 

2.7.3 How is it Dityerent from Enquiry Approach, Problem Solving Approach and LectureCum- Demonstration Method 

2.7.4 When to Use this Method and Why? 

2.8 Project Method 

2.8.1 How to Use this Method? 

2.8.2 Advantages and Disadvantages 

2.8.3 How is it Different from Other Methods? 

2.8.4 When to Use this Method and Why? 

2.9 Let Us Sum Up 

2.10 Unit-end Exercises 

2.1 1 Answers to Check Your Progress 

2.12 Suggested Readings 

2.1 INTRODUCTION

In Unit I, you have learned about 'Nature of Science', 'Objectives ofTeaching Science' and 'Science Curriculum'.

Nature of Science: What is Science, and why should we teach science? We live in a scientific and technological age, and no citizen can survive in a developed society without basic scientific literacy and certain elementary skills. We depend upon scientific knowledge and understanding for economic and material advancement. Science is fundamentally concerned \~ith exp!oring and interpreti,:&ih: physical w.hkci tl~rob~li I~ILC ~u~lddiil~irki~ areas of Physics, Chemistry and Biology. One has to be trained to use it. This training comes from teaching. Which helps in developing power ofthinking and reaso~iing, curiosity. open-mindness, and ultimately to develop scientific temper.  

Objective of Teaching Science: There are many objectives for teaching of science. According to NPE-1986, science education should be strengthened so as to develop in to? child, well defined abilities and values such as the spirit of enquiry creativity, objectivity, the courage to question, and aesthetic sensibilities. Science education programmes will be designed to enable to learner to acquire problem solving and decision-making skills and to discover the relatio~iship of science with health, agriculture, industry and other aspects of daily life. Every effort will be made to extend science education to the vast numbers who have remained outside the preview of formal education. 

Science Curriculum: Science has two basic components, viz. content and processes. In Science texts, you can very easily find out, 'What is content?' and 'What are processes?'. 'Law, Theories, Principles, Hypotheses. Equations and concepts can be categorized, as content. Skills such as 'Observing, Classifying, Using numbers, Measuring, Using space- time relationships, Communicating, Predicting, Inferring, Defining operationally, Formulating hypotheses, Communicating, Predicting, Inferring, Defining operationally, Formulating hypotheses, Interpreting date, Controlling variables and Experimenting' comprise processes. 

                                                           Teaching a particular content and process has to be compatible with the 'Nature and Objective of Science' with the cognitive level of child and existing classroom conditions. In this unit, we will discuss various Approaches/Methods of teaching science which helps in matching the objectives and cognitive level of child. You must have frequently come across the terms, 'Approach' and 'Method', they are not same but have a fine line of difference between them.

Ail approach may be explained as a comprehensive way of dealing with a particular problem. It is a general plan ofaction, on the basis ofwhich, various methods and models have e\-olved. However, a method is an orderly and logical arrangement of ideas based on a particular approach. It is a procedural illustration of systematic and clearly defined steps of accomplishing particular objectives. An approach, hence can be called as a premise or precilrsor on which a method is designed.

There are a variety of approaches and methods for teaching science. We will discuss the following :

- Enquiry Approach 

- Problem Solving Approach 

- Lecture-Cum-Demonstration Method 

- Laboratory Method

- Scientific Method, and 

- Project'Method 

2.2 OBJECTIVES

After completing this unit, the trainees will be able to: 

• describe and use the vario.us approaches/methods of teaching Science, 
• elaborate the advantages and disadvantages of each approach/method, 
• identify when to use a certain approach/method, with reasons, 
• differentiate various approaches/methods from one another.  

2.3 ENQUIRY APPROACH

If you want to develop in the child the spirit of enquiry, use 'Enquiry Approach' while teaching science. Enquiry Approach begins with a puzzling event like 'blowing out of an electric bulb in the class'. Children enquire when there are explanations to be given/ obtained. After the puzzling event (problem) is presented to the children, they may ask the teacher (you) soine questions. You should not give the children the readymade answers. Let them enquire. You may answer the children's question with a 'yes' or 'no'. Each question may be in the form of a small hypotheses. Such teacher-student interaction may continue till the children begin to formulate hypotheses about what happened in the puzzling event. Then, the children verify these hypotheses after searching tluough reference material, and doing little experiments:

2.3.1 How to Use this Approach? 

                                                       Select a topic, say 'construction of an electric bulb'. Think of some event regarding the topic, which may puzzle the children, like 'blowing up the electric bulb'. Children will I enquire when they get puzzled, and will ask you some question. Answer the childrens' question in 'Yes' or 'No'. Continue this interaction between you and the children till the children begin to forinulate hypotheses about what happened when the electric bulb blew up. Encourage and motivate children to verify their hypotheses. Let them search through soine reference material and let them do little experiments.