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Teaching the process of science: faculty perceptions and an effective methodology.
David Coil1, Mary Pat Wenderoth, Matthew Cunningham
1Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195, USA.
CBE Life Sciences Education
|December 3, 2010
Summary
Explicitly teaching science process skills early in college improves student understanding and retention in STEM fields. Faculty support these skills but prioritize content coverage, necessitating curriculum reform for better science literacy.
Area of Science:
- Life Science Education
- Undergraduate Science Pedagogy
Background:
- Scientific endeavors rely on fundamental science process skills (SPS).
- Most college science programs lack formal SPS curricula for undergraduates.
- Explicitly teaching SPS early can enhance science content comprehension.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide pedagogical strategies for teaching SPS to freshman life science majors.
- To address faculty's perceived conflict between teaching SPS and covering content.
- To demonstrate student learning gains and perspectives in an SPS-focused course.
Main Methods:
- Developed and implemented pedagogical philosophies, methods, and materials for teaching SPS.
- Focused course instruction on the process of science rather than solely on content.
- Assessed student learning gains in primary literature comprehension and scientific writing.
Main Results:
- Documented student learning gains in reading primary literature and scientific writing.
- Collected student perspectives on a course prioritizing science process.
- Identified faculty support for teaching SPS but challenges in implementation due to content coverage pressures.
Conclusions:
- Recommends wider implementation of early undergraduate courses focused on SPS.
- Aims to improve student success and retention in science disciplines.
- Seeks to enhance overall science literacy among students.
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