A Course in Scientific Analysis for Prospective Elementary School Teachers

根据现行的国家标准，好的小学科学教师不仅要掌握所教的科学内容，还要能带领学生进行科学探究。后一种要求直接源于这样一种信念，即儿童在探究的基础上学习科学最好。不幸的是，未来的教师显然没有学习所需的分析技能，以探究为基础的科学，只是有过程中模仿他们在自己的课程工作。为了进行自己的科学探索，他们需要明确的分析技能的指导。本项目利用科学教育和认知心理学的研究方法，为未来的小学教师开发科学分析单元。学生学习综合过程技能，如识别和控制变量，设计实验和解决问题，以及与这些努力相关的元认知技能。成功完成这些单元的学生预计将具备从事科学探究所需的技能，并有能力领导他人进行探究。正在开发的书面和记录的材料是一般性的和广泛的，足以让教师在其他机构的顺序，这些单位内或之后，他们已经存在的内容课程，或者他们可能会联合收割机这些单位与跨学科的科学课程，正在提供以及。

According to the national standards now in place, good elementary school science teachers not only need to have a firm grasp of the science content they teach, but they also must be able to lead their students in scientific inquiry. This latter requirement proceeds directly from the belief that children learn science best when it is inquiry-based. Unfortunately, prospective teachers apparently do not learn the analytical skills needed for inquiry-based science simply by having the process modeled to them in their own course work. They need explicit instruction in these analysis skills in order to carry out their own scientific explorations.This project is utilizing methods derived from research in science education and cognitive psychology to develop units in scientific analysis for prospective elementary school teachers. Students learn integrated process skills such as identifying and controlling variables, designing experiments, and problem solving, and the metacognitive skills related to these endeavors. Students successfully completing these units are expected to have the skills needed to engage in scientific inquiry and the ability to lead others in inquiry as well. The written and recorded materials being developed are general and extensive enough to allow faculty at other institutions to sequence these units within or after their already existing content courses, or they may combine these units with an interdisciplinary science course that is being made available as well.