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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science
Learning and Teaching, Volume 4, Issue 2, Article 12 (Dec., 2003) Man-Tak CHAN and Ping-Wai KWOK Facilitating active learning through a thematic science curriculum
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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science
Learning and Teaching, Volume 4, Issue 2, Article 12 (Dec., 2003) Man-Tak CHAN and Ping-Wai KWOK Facilitating active learning through a thematic science curriculum
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Results
The Science-technology-society (STS) approach
According to Solomon (1993), STS education emphasizes students' understanding of the environmental threats to the quality of life and the economic and industrial aspects of technology. Such a STS approach was identified in the teaching of the "Clean Water" theme. Students were required to conduct a group project about the problem of water pollution in the areas around their homes or the school. The first-hand experience of exploring the polluted sites helped students cultivate positive attitudes towards the issue of environmental protection. During the presentation of students' projects, most students reported that they had a better understanding about the urgency of the pollution problem in Hong Kong. Some students expressed their shock about the severity of problems on the sites they visited even though they had already had some ideas about the pollution problem in Hong Kong. They said that the impressions gained from field visits were far more striking than they imagined. Besides, the project provided good opportunities for students to work in groups. The teachers interviewed expressed that the team spirit, communication skills, organization skills and leaderships were generally improved among most of the students in the class.
Role-play is a popular teaching mode suggested for STS education. In the episode of the lessons about the phase changes of water taking place in our natural environment, students in groups acted as water molecules under some situations such as, what happened to water vapour when it came into a freezer, what happened to the water in a kettle being heated on fire, etc. In addition to acting water particles under a variety of temperature situations, students also described and explained the processes and directions of heat energy transferred between water and its surroundings during phase transitions. Teachers reported that this role-play activity could help students to develop their understanding of phase transitions of matters and their generic skills, such as, communication skills, collaboration skills, and creativity.
Copyright (C) 2003 HKIEd APFSLT. Volume 4, Issue 2, Article 12 (Dec., 2003). All Rights Reserved.
