The Science Department is committed to helping every student develop as an inquirer who has the lifelong interest in learning Science through a standards-based curriculum that includes inquiry, investigation, experimentation and reflective thinking.
It is important to our department that students develop an understanding of how science impacts their daily lives.
The Science curriculum at EGPS adopts the pedagogy of inquiry-based learning (IBL) and reflective thinking. The premise is that students should participate actively in learning and to constantly reflect on their learning. Through active learning, students learn better, as their questions and reflections help them comprehend and synthesize knowledge.
Inquiry-based Learning (IBL)
The (IBL) is a student-centered learning process based on John Dewey’s learning theory of constructivism where hands-on activities are used to develop concepts through creative problem solving, decision-making and investigation processes.
In our day-to-day teaching of inquiry-based Science, our teachers focus on asking questions as well as encouraging students to ask relevant questions. Questioning strategy allows for a high degree of pupil participation as a good mix of low and high level cognitive questions are used. The use of Object-Based Inquiry (OBI) and the modified thinking routine of See-Think-Wonder, tapped on students’ natural curiosity that promote the cycle of inquiry which allows students to construct meaning from their interactions with objects and phenomena in and out of the classroom through observation, developing inferences and generating their own questions.
To provide an appealing and non-threatening way to represent abstract concepts and ideas. concept cartoons which are “cartoon-style” drawings presenting characters with different viewpoints around a particular situation are used at different stages of a lesson – as a trigger to get students to tune in, as an activity to elicit students’ responses and generate discussion, as a means to clear misconceptions or as a means of summarizing the topic at the end. Science lessons thus becomes more interactive and student-centred as students are actively involved in their learning: verbalize their ideas and thoughts. Participating in such discussion also lets students hone their communication skills and in the process allows teachers to gain important insights into their students’ understanding.
Reflective Thinking Routine
Reflective thinking helps learners develop higher-order thinking skills by prompting learners to relate new knowledge to prior understanding, think in both abstract and conceptual terms, apply specific strategies in novel tasks, and understand their own thinking and learning strategies. The use of thinking routine ‘I used to think...but now I think” strategy helps students to reflect on their thinking about a topic or issue and explore how and why that thinking has changed. It is useful in consolidating new learning as students identify their new understandings, opinions, and beliefs. By examining and explaining how and why their thinking has changed, students are developing their reasoning abilities and recognizing cause and effect relationships.
Mapping Across Curriculum (MAC)
MAC allows teachers to use personal, local or global events to stimulate students’ exploration and questions. Students are provided with the opportunities to apply concepts in varied contexts through authentic learning, use of ICT, self-directed as well as collaborative learning experiences that promote students’ scientific literacy and make science learning more meaningful. It is also aim to inculcate the skills, ethics and attitudes of the 21st Century Competencies, such as Civic Literacy, Global Awareness and Cross-cultural Skills, Critical and Inventive Thinking, and Communication, Collaboration and Information Skills in order to realize our vision of seeing our students growing up to become confident people, self-directed learners, concerned citizens, and active contributors to the nation.