Insights on Science Education
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Perhaps, science curriculum is the most famous among all subjects that uses inquiry-based approach and lucky are both teachers and students because it doesn’t only let the learner to be an independent thinker but also let the teacher become an effective facilitator of learning. However, despite of the benefits it gives to the teaching-learning process, lack of resources and limited time interferes its successful implementation. If I were to address the said issues, I will come up with micro-ideas and collaborate these with my co-science teachers which, hopefully, will result into macro-effects with the help also of the those in positions of leadership and the people capable of helping. As to what Anderson (2002) mentioned in his study, teachers, as well as those in positions, should focus on establishing a climate of collaboration among teachers. With the blazing desire of a successful inquiry-based learning and instruction, I will propose ways on how to address such challenges like, for material resources, innovating alternative resources and materials to be used on simple experiments, asking for support from the government, private universities and other institutions that have the adequate funding and supply of resources especially on laboratory matters, coming up with fund-raising science programs or drives that incorporate inquiry so that students will not only learn from it but there will be sources of funds for resources in the end. For information resources, I will teach my students the skills necessary for the responsible use of the internet and other information resources for them to maximize their limited availability (Alberta Learning, 2004). For the issue of limited time, I think I will stick my instruction to what Grover (2007) mentioned in her study that a maximum of one-third of the class time must be the preferrable time of discussion. Maximizing the limited time that we have is the key factor for a successful inquiry-based science learning. With the innovation and formulation of different teaching strategies and techniques where inquiry is incorporated such as asking questions, inductive and deductive activities and problem solving (Chiappetta, 1997), considering a short period of time, inquiry will be successful. With all of these, students will be scaffolded to become active learners on their own and relate their learnings to real-life situations and eventually come up with ideas, solutions, and inferences that they will apply in their homes, community, and eventually in a much more broader settings in the future (Alberta Learning, 2004). Without these innovations, solutions, and techniques, there will be a detrimental effect on the learning of the students, and as science teachers, we do not want that to happen. Cheers for a successful science education!
