LESSON 1

FOUNDATION OF SCIENCE TEACHING AND LEARNING

Overview:
This lesson focuses on the nature and foundations of science teaching. It
gives emphasis to the “what’s”, “why’s” and “how’s” of science teaching.

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, students can:
1. discuss the nature of science teaching;
2. discuss the relevance of knowing the students’ characteristics to effective
science teaching; and
3. identify the learning styles of the students.
Materials Needed:
1. Module (printed/softcopy)
2. Internet connections
3. Moddle, FB Group page, Google Meet, Google form and YouTube videos
Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Learning Content:
SCIENCE TEACHING
 Is a complex endeavor. It may bring frustrations and disappointments.
However, it can also bring satisfaction and successes that may outweigh
the difficulties.
 To give you confidence, you must be prepared. Being prepared means
not only having adequate knowledge of the scientific discipline but also
sufficient knowledge of the nature of your pupils/students and what it
takes to teach science. It is important to bear in mind that what you
choose to teach in science and how you teach it will be influenced by
your views of both science and the children.
WHAT TO TEACH
 It is a discipline of thinking about rational solutions to problems after
establishing the basic facts derived from observations.
 It is hypothesizing from what is known to what might be and then
attempting to test the hypothesis-logical thinking must come first; the facts
can come later.
 In the light of this definition, we can say that science teaching has three
interacting facets, namely: knowledge, process skills and attitudes.

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THE LEARNERS: A SECOND LOOK
 To make science meaningful to your students, you need to know their
characteristics. Knowing them will give your ideas on how best they can
learn. In your pre-service education, you have studied these
characteristics.
 The succeeding discussion will focus on the characteristics of learners
which are relevant to science teaching.
1. Learners learn and develop as a whole person
 The learners’ cognitive, affective, physical, social and
emotional areas are intricately intertwined. Learners cannot
grow in one area without affecting the other areas. As a
teacher, bear in mind that you are responsible for the
development of the whole individual, not just one or two
particular areas of his/her development.
2. Learners grow through the same predictable stages but at
different rates
 This means that children of the same age group may not
exhibit uniform characteristics. Some may be more
intellectually or socially advanced than the others in the
same age group. You, as the teacher, should make
allowances or provisions for the differences that may be
found among your students.
3. Learners learn best through active involvement with concrete
experiences
 Research studies show that the use of hands-on activities
can result in significant improvements in academic
performance and attitude of students towards science.
Hands-on approaches to teaching science is consistent with
the philosophy of learning and instruction called
constructivism.
 According to the constructivist’s point of view, learners are
not passive recipients of knowledge; rather, they are active
constructors and re-constructors of their own understanding.
Constructivists view learning as creating new knowledge
and deriving meanings by combining incoming information
with what they already know.

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 4. Learners are curious and eager to learn
 When the teacher fits the learning environment to learners’
interests, needs and their levels of maturity, they become
highly motivated. Their curiosity and desire to learn are
enhanced.
 Learners learn best what is meaningful to them. They learn
best in an environment that is natural, relaxed and free of
competitive elements rather than in settings that are highly
structured and tightly organized.
5. Learners have different learning styles
 Learning styles are preferred ways that different individuals
have for processing and responding to environmental
stimulus (Kuchuck and Eggen, 1997). Learning styles are
also referred to as cognitive styles. Each student has
his/her own learning style. Some of your students may
learn best through visual mode, others are primarily aural,
tactile or kinesthetic learners.
 Some like to work alone rather than with others; some like
to be given tasks that are structured for them rather than to
be asked to develop their own structures. To have an idea
of the learning styles of your students. You may use the
Perceptual Strength Inventory devised by Dunn and Dunn
(1987). You may try it on yourself first.

Based on the Perceptual Strength Inventory that you have

accomplished, what is your learning style? Administering the inventory to your
students will give you an idea of their preferred learning modalities. While some
students may have two or more preferred learning modalities, each has a
distinct perceptual strength. Table 1.1 gives the characteristics of learners
according to each type of learning modalities espoused by Dunn and Dunn.

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 Table 1.1 Characteristics of Learners According to Dunn and Dunn’s
Learning Style Inventory

Type of Learner Characteristics

Looks at all study materials
Visual Uses charts, maps, filmstrips, notes and flashcards
Practices visualizing or picturing words/concepts in their
head
Writes everything for frequent and quick review
Uses tapes
Finds it easy to learn by listening
Fills gaps in notes with taped lectures
Auditory Listens and takes notes
Reviews notes frequently
Sits in lecture hall or classroom where he/she could hear
well
Summarizes and recites aloud after reading something
Traces words as he/she reads text
Writes facts to be learned several times
Keeps a supply of scratch paper for writing facts Likes
being active and involved
Learn while in motion
Kinesthetic/Tactile Plays with objects while learning Highlights pertinent
information
Often takes down notes either during a lecture or when
reading new or difficult text
Doodles or folds a paper, plays with a pencil or ball pen
while learning

Implications to Teaching
With the characteristics of learners in mind, your teaching will be more
effective if you do the following:
 Present science as a way of finding out rather than as a body of facts to
be memorized.
Allowing learners to discover and to organize the information equip them
with problem-solving and decision-making skills. It also results in knowledge
that is more easily remembered and recalled than rote learning.
 Emphasize learning by doing

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 A number of researches show that learners learn better when they are
personally involved in physical or hands-on activities. The science process
skills, for example, can only be taught through experiencing science. These
skills are not developed by reading, listening to lectures, watching
demonstrations, videos or movies or working with the computer. The thrill of
science can only be fully realized through direct involvement of the learner.

 Encourage interactions among learners

Give opportunities for students to work together in groups. Students who
work together learn more from each other. They also develop their social and
communication skills in the process.

 Adapt science experiences to the learners’ developmental levels

Learners differ on how they operate mentally. Therefore, you must
arrange experiences that fit what they can do. Providing experiences that are
appropriate to your students’ developmental level will result in better learning
and achievement. It will also give students a feeling of success.

 Use a variety of approaches in teaching science

As discussed earlier, students have different learning styles. To be more
effective, you must be aware of their learning styles and you must consider
them in choosing which teaching methods to use. According to Dr. Rita
Dunn, Director, International Learning Styles Network, “Students can learn
any subject matter when they are taught with methods and approaches
responsive to their learning styles.”
This implies that for your teaching to be more effective, you should be
sensitive to your students’ learning styles. How you deliver your lesson
relates proportionally to how your students store, process and retrieve
information. Better performance will result when you match your teaching
styles to the learning styles of your students.

Management Tips
One of the major concerns of new science teachers is the management of
science classes to ensure that optimum learning takes place in the classroom.
Here are some tips which you might find useful.
1. Decide whether the students will work individually or in groups ahead
of time.
2. When students are working in groups, make certain that no member is

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 5

 excluded in the activity.

3. Rotate responsibility so that each member of the

group has equal opportunity.

4. Circulate among the groups as they work and discuss;

listen to the students’ contributions and assess their
thinking skills as well as their ability to work cooperatively.

5. Require the students to keep their noise to a minimum as

they work. Absolute silence, on the other hand, will
hamper their learning.

6. After giving instructions, watch to see that students begin

their work. If they appear not to understand what is
expected of them, ask all students to stop working so you
may give additional instructions.

7. If instructions are somewhat complex, give them in short

segments. Write the steps on the board or on a
transparency on an OHP so students can refer to them as
they work.

8. Always give time for questions from the students.

9. Be prepared to provide additional activity for those who
finish early to keep them occupied.

10. Plan ahead for each lesson to have the materials on

hand and ready for distribution when needed.

Learning Activities

Directions: Use the following the following codes to answer this activity.
N- Never (1) O-Occasionally (3) A-Always (5)
R-Rarely (2) F-Frequently (4)

Read each of the sentences carefully. Under column A, write N for never
if the statement does not reflect your style, A for always if the statements
reflects your style , and so on. Under Column B, give the numeric value for each
choice.
Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

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 A B
_________ ________ 1. I like to listen to verbal instructions.
_________ ________ 2. I learn best by seeing, reading and watching.
_________ ________ 3. Using my hands - feeling or touching - is my style.
_________ ________ 1. I form the sounds of words to recall them.
_________ ________ 2. I need to construct and use strong visual image
associations to learn.
_________ ________ 3. I like to play with objects while learning.
_________ ________ 1. I remember information by hearing myself say the
words
_________ ________ 2. I need to create a picture on paper or in my mind
to remember it.
_________ ________ 3. I learn by taking notes while listening.
_________ ________ 1. I read aloud instead of silently talking to myself.
_________ ________ 2. I like to create pictures to match with the words.
_________ ________ 3. I underline ideas while listening.
_________ ________ 1. I memorize information or associate my memories
with songs.
_________ ________ 2. I need to see the words rather than the images.
_________ ________ 3. I need to highlight pertinent information.
_________ ________ 1. I take active part in discussions.
_________ ________ 2. I daydream to imagine what things look like.
_________ ________ 3. I doodle, fold a paper, play with a pencil a ball pen
or paper clip while learning.

B. Once you have completed your preferences in Column A, and have written the
values for each of your responses in Column B, get the sum of all the values
assigned for each answer and write the score on the summary.

Score Learning Style

Sum of 1’s Auditory= _____
Sum of 2’s Visual= _______
Sum of 3’s Tactile/ Kinesthetic= ______
The biggest sum indicates your preferred learning style.

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Learning Evaluation
I. Multiple Choice
Directions: Encircle the letter of the option that best answers each of the
following questions.

1. Carlos is a grade 6 pupil. He loves to draw and learns better if the printed
material he reads is accompanied with pictures or illustrations. He
frequently writes what has been read. What is Carlos’ learning style?

a. Auditory

b. Visual

c. Tactile/Kinesthetic

d. Cannot be identified using the given data

2. Omar prefers to sit in front. He takes notes every time he listens to a
lecture. He usually recites aloud after reading something. What is Omar’s
learning style?

a. Tactile /Kinesthetic

b. Visual

c. Auditory

d. Aesthetic

3. Your student is a kinesthetic learner. Which activity would you give him/her?
a. Watch a debate.
b. Perform an experiment on air pressure.
c. Listen to a radio program “Ating Alamin”.
d. React verbally to a hypothetical item about height and air pressure.

4. Your students are mostly visual learners. Which of the following class
activities is most appropriate to use in teaching the concept of food chain?

a. Play a cassette tape about a food chain in a forest park.

b. Bring them to the park and identify existing food chains in

different areas of the park.

c. Let them write a journal about food chain in a forest park.

d. Let them do a rap about food chain in a forest park.

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II. Essay
Directions: Answer the following questions.

1. What is the nature of science teaching? Briefly discuss it.

2. How does knowing the students’ characteristics related to
effective science teaching?
3. Enumerate the learning styles of students. Discuss each.
4. How are you going to manage science classes effectively?

References:
Ediger, M., Rao, D (2007). ‘Teaching Science Successfully, Discovery
Publishing House, New Delhi.
Rajendran, K., et. al., (2015). “Teaching of Science” Bharathidasan University
Tiruchirappalli – 620 024. Centre For Distance Education. Retrieved from
[Link]
%[Link].
Das, R.,(2007) ‘Science Teaching in Schools', Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd.,
New Delhi.

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 9

 LESSON 2
TEACHING STRATEGIES
Overview:
This lesson presents a repertoire of strategies and
techniques that you can use in teaching science effectively.
These lessons are anchored on the fact that students learn
science concepts most effectively through a balance of hands-
on activities and solid content knowledge.

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, students can:
1. describe constructivist learning in science;
2. discuss constructivist strategies in teaching;
3. prepare lesson guides using some of the constructivist strategies in teaching
science; and
4. demo teach the lesson guide.

Materials Needed:
1. Module (printed/softcopy)
2. Internet connections
3. Moddle, FB Group page, Google Meet, Google form and YouTube videos
Duration: 3 hours
Learning Content:

CONSTRUCTIVIST LEARNING: A CLOSER LOOK

 Contemporary science instruction has become highly constructive in

nature. It has shifted from an emphasis on acquiring content knowledge
to the process of constructing scientific understanding. As previously
discussed, the major theoretical point of this learning theory is that
learners generate their own understanding. Learners come to school not
as a blank slate but as beings with preconceptions or prior knowledge
about the natural world. Let us see how constructivism works by
illustrating its theoretical underpinning.
Principle # 1: Learning is a search for meaning which starts with issues
around which students actively try to construct meaning.
Here are two examples of issues/situations around
which students may construct meanings.

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 a. A newly opened cold bottle of soft drink is more pleasant tasting than
one that has been opened before storage in the refrigerator.
b. A newly opened cold bottle of soft drink is more pleasant tasting than a
newly opened bottle of soft drink at room temperature.
If you ask your students who have not learned about
Henry’s Law and Claysius Clayperon’s Equation to explain the
above situations, you will probably get answers such as:
“ A newly opened cold bottle of soft drink has spirit”

“ A newly opened soft drink at room temperature has no spirit”

Principle # 2: Meaning requires understanding wholes as well as parts.

Parts are understood in the context of wholes. Meaning
requires understanding wholes as well as parts; parts can be
understood in the context of wholes.
Thus, when you take up topics on gases, your students
will learn some principles about them. Eventually, they would
use specific principles about gases to explain the pleasant taste
of a newly opened cold bottle of soft drink.

Principle # 3: In order to teach effectively, teachers must

understand the mental models used by students to
perceive the world and the assumptions they make to
support those models.
The prior mental model of the students regarding the
pleasant taste of a newly opened bottle of cold soft drink is that
it has ‘spirit’. From their knowledge about gases and soft drinks,
the students would learn that
1. soft drinks are carbonated beverages;
2. carbon dioxide is added to the mixture at high pressure;
3. some gases are polar while others are non-polar;
4. polar gases dissolve easily in water;
5. some non-polar gases with low molecular mass such as carbon dioxide
dissolve and react with water;
6. the product of this reaction is acid. This is the acid that makes soft drink
pleasant in taste; and
7. pressure and temperature affect solubility of these gases in water.

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 So, do not get offended by the answer “spirit”. Using
constructivist approaches will help students reconstruct their
prior knowledge based on their new experiences and thus,
make their own meaning. You can be sure that they will not say
“spirit” next time.
Principle # 4: The purpose of learning is for an individual to construct
his/her own meaning. Thus, learning must be measured.
Owing to this fact, assessment should be made part of
the learning process to provide information on the quality of the
students’ learning.
Going back to our example on soft drinks, you can ask
this question after the lesson to find out if your students have
reconstructed their ideas.
Which of the containers filled with water has more oxygen?
Explain your answer
a. Bottle of water at 15° C
b. Bottle of water at 20° C
c. Bottle of water at 45° C
If they have reconstructed their idea, they would choose
letter a. Their explanation could be: Bottle with water at 15 °C
has the lowest temperature. The lower the temperature, the
more oxygen dissolves in water (Clasius-Clayperon Equation).

CONSTRUCTIVIST STRATEGIES
There are several strategies that can be used to probe,
reconstruct and assess the learner’s understanding of science
concepts, principles, laws and theories. The following
discussion will focus on some of these strategies.

The Discovery Approach by Jerome Bruner

You can increase the motivation of pupils to learn
science if they are to experience something different from their
day-to-day activities. In using discovery approach, the teacher
decides, in advance, the concept, process, law or piece of
scientific knowledge which is to be “discovered” or un-covered
by the pupils. The lesson proceeds through a hierarchy of
stages which may be associated with Bruner’s levels of
thought. These stages are the following:

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 a) Enactive level
At this stage, the students perform hands-on activities directly related to
what is to be discovered. The sample activity in Box 1 illustrates the
enactive level.

Box 1 .

Get an empty bottle or an Erlenmeyer flask. Attach a balloon to the

bottle and secure it with a rubber band. Apply heat as shown in the illustration.

Observe what happens to the balloon record your observations.

b) Ikonic level

After the students have done the hands-on activity and gain some
experiences, the teacher directs the thinking of the students using experiential
situations to the mental images or models of the objects used upon which the
discovery is to be based. Box 2 gives an option you can do after an activity or
experiment.

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 Box 2

1. Let the students organize the data and present them to the class

2. Conduct post-laboratory discussion with the students to make the abstract science
concepts concrete to the students. You may ask questions such as

2.1 Describe what happened to the balloon when the bottle was heated.

2.2 Why did this happen?

2.3 Given the illustrations below, how will you explain the difference in the size of the
balloons?

Heated at 30 °C 40 °C 50 °C

Explain the size of the balloon under different specified temperature.

Expected Answer:

The biggest balloon is at 50 o C, because the air inside it has expanded more than the air

in the other two balloons.

a) Symbolic level

At this point, the students are guided to replace mental

images with symbols to increase generality and abstraction
which eventually results in the discovery planned by the
teacher in advance. Box 3 shows how you can do this.

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Box 3

In the experiment about the balloon, there are two important variables
involved - volume of gas inside the balloon and temperature.

You can conduct further discussions on the effect of temperature on volume of

gases. You can use graphs and other related examples which will help
you lead the students to the mathematical equation showing the relation between
V
volume of gas and temperature, T = K. This means that volume of gas is
directly proportional to temperature.

After the mathematical formula had been derived or established, you can
give sample problems, exercises and homework.

Inquiry Approach
This approach teaches students to handle situations they
meet in the physical world. To use the inquiry approach in the
teaching of science, you need to prepare activities that will
allow students to develop the following skills:
a. recognizing problems;
b. asking questions;
c. applying laboratory procedures; and
d. providing consistent descriptions, predictions and explanations.
There are many strategies for the inquiry approach in the
classroom. All inquiry strategies share common features.
These are the following:
a. Students do hands-on activities such as experiments.

b. Students are focused on learning some analytical skills and applying the
skills gained in the hands-on activities in another situation.
c. The students understand scientific constructs or concepts being
developed during the hands-on activities.
We shall demonstrate the two ways of using inquiry as a
tool for constructivist learning - the 5-E Learning Cycle and the
Discrepant Event as springboard.

A. The 5-E Learning Cycle

The 5-E Learning Cycle is a model that promotes
scientific inquiry. Each “E” represents part of the process of

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 helping students sequence their learning experiences to
develop a connection between prior knowledge and new
concepts. The teacher serves as a facilitator as students
construct new knowledge based on thoughtful inquiry and
decision making. The 5-E’s are as follows:
1. Engage

The students engage in a task to make connections

between the past and present learning experiences.
2. Explore

The students perform a task to get directly involved with

key concepts through guided exploration of scientific,
geographic, economic, and other data set.
3. Explain
The students give details about the science concepts
being developed in the task. Through readings and
discussions, the students develop
understanding of the major science concepts and verify answers to questions or
problems posed in the engage stage.
4. Elaborate
The students simplify the science concept/s in the lesson,
e.g. stating the concepts in their own words, and applying new
found knowledge to a different situation.
5. Evaluate
The students take a test, quiz, or any authentic
assessment instrument to determine how much they benefited
from the lesson or activity.

B. Discrepant Event as Springboard for Inquiry Learning

Have you seen or heard of an iceberg in Manila Bay?
An iceberg in Manila Bay is a discrepant event. Why? Manila,
Philippines is close to the equator and the temperature never
reaches the freezing point.
What is a discrepant event? Why use it to teach science?
A discrepant event is an unexpected, surprising, or paradoxical
event (FriedI, 1997). It creates a strong feeling in the student
e.g., feeling of wanting to know. This feeling creates a condition

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 Examples of Discrepant Events
Dancing salt Making ice disappear
The appearing coin Changing liquid to gas to liquid
The four seasons Melting ice below freezing point

favorable for inquiry learning. Its use in science capitalizes on

the curiosity of students and it leads them to better
understanding of science
There are three steps to follow when using the discrepant event strategy.
They are as follows:
1. Set up a discrepant event.
Present the event to gain attention, increase motivation,
and encourage the students to seek ways of solving the
unexpected. Some examples of discrepant events are shown
below.

2. Students investigate the event to solve the discrepancy.

Give students the minimum materials as well as simple procedures to start
the investigation. The students can go beyond your instruction. However, they
should be advised to present their procedure for your approval first.

3. Students solve the discrepancy.

After the students have resolved the discrepancy, evaluate the students.
You can do this by asking the students to do the following:
a. Prepare a summary of the lesson.
b. Relate the concept to a similar situation.
c. Cite applications of the concept in the real world.

Reflective Teaching
In 1930, John Dewey defined reflection as a proactive,
on-going examination of beliefs and practices, their origin and
impact. The practitioners of reflection engage in a cycle of
observation and self-evaluation in order to understand their own
actions and the reactions they prompt on themselves and
learners. Reflection can be seen as consciously thinking about
analyzing what has been done and what one has done or is
doing (Salandanan, 2000).
Reflecting on how you developed a science concept a
week or two days ago is important to the improvement of the
next teaching session. It makes you a better facilitator of

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 science learning. In turn, students acquire meaningful
experience of forthcoming science lessons.
How are your students benefited by reflective teaching?
Reflective practice helps students do the following:
 frame a problem, detach from it and analyze it critically;
 bridge the gap between theory and practice;
 understand and influence their own thinking;
 recognize the depth and range of transferable skills learned; and
 become life-long learners.
Reflective teaching can be carried out in several ways.
Salandanan (2000) suggested four strategies--journal writing,
portfolio, self analysis, and on-the-spot observation of students’
response.

1. Journal writing
 Allows the students to reflect or process their thoughts about science
concepts. Journals may be in the form of workbooks, diaries, logs,or
progress profiles.
 Journals make students look back over their recent learning. In doing
so, they can identify their strengths, weaknesses, new levels of
understanding about the lesson at hand, and review their attitude towards
the latest science concepts learned. The journal entry includes a
description of the learning event, outcomes of the event, worthiness of
outcome and causes of failure or success.
2. The portfolio
 A personal record which includes honest to goodness account of
experiences - thoughts, behavior and reactions. This record gives insights
to students’ learning for a particular science topic.
 Portfolios may contain a collection of students’ work such as homework,
projects, written pieces, graphic organizers, tests, reflections, and other
artifacts.
3. Self-analysis
 A record of incidents, problems and issues that transpired while
doing a science task/lesson. If the student did right, he would say “I
should remember to do this in another situation”. If he failed, he
could ask “What went wrong”, “I could have done this”, and “There
is room for improvement” or “Better luck next time”.
4. The fourth strategy for reflective teaching is on the spot observation of the

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 students’ responses. As a teacher, ask yourself the following questions so
that you can reflect on the lessons just conducted:
 Were the students motivated to participate in the activity?
 Did the students take part in the discussion?
 Did the students share their views animatedly?
 Were the students given equal opportunity during the
recitation/discussion?
 Was the topic related to the world of the students?
 Would the students be able to apply the science concepts
discussed to their everyday life?

Integrative Teaching
This is a teaching strategy which puts together the parts
of a whole in order to arrive at a holistic, complete and more
accurate view of reality (Corpus and Salandanan, 2003). It is
infused by the multiple intelligences, the varied learning styles
and the daily experiences of the learners. It empowers learners
to become life- long learners and active makers of meaning.
Integrative teaching is a three-level strategy – the facts
level, the concept level and the values level. Students pick
up fragmented terms or facts at facts level. Here, the students
move to the concept level when they view and organize the
isolated, fragmented and meaningless facts into concepts.
Then, the knowledge acquired is applied to the learners’ life at
the values level.
Integrative teaching involves the practice of recognizing
and articulating relationships among subject matters and
applying learning from one context to another. It also involves
building bridges between the academe and the wider world,
between public issues and personal experience.
Integrative teaching relies on connections built between
academic setting on campus and other settings in the business
community, farms, government, churches and host of other
partners.
Advantages of Integrative Teaching
 makes content more meaningful because the content is presented the
way it is in the real world
 is student-centered, involves active learning with the teacher acting as

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 19

 facilitator of learning
 allows learners to form their own representations of complex topics and
issues
 offers multiple ways for learners to demonstrate the knowledge, skills
and attitudes learned
 gives opportunities for students to work in a context where
interdependence and cooperation are crucial for getting things done
 helps learners develops a variety of skills.

Cooperative Learning
Cooperative learning is “the instructional use of small
groups through which students work together to maximize
their own and each other’s learning.” Cooperative groups
are not the same as students working cooperatively in groups.
In cooperative groups, each member has a valued role in the
learning process and everyone is responsible for each other’s
learning. Students take time to reflect on their personal
contributions to the group, on how members perform, and on
how the group may improve.

There are four basic components of cooperative

learning. They are as follows:
 Positive interdependence
This principle emphasizes that the success or failure of the
group depends on the success or failure of each member.
Thus, each member of the group learns to share and work
together to attain the shared goal.
 Individual accountability
This implies that each member of the group is not only
responsible for their own learning but also in helping their
fellow students to learn.
 Equal participation
This means that each member has his/her own role, work
or load to achieve the goal of the group. No member should be
allowed to dominate anybody in the group either socially or
academically.

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  Simultaneous interaction.
This means that students share and openly express their
views and suggestions in a group.
Here are some tips that will help you implement
cooperative learning successfully.
 Be sure to monitor the group and their activities, taking care to ensure
that the groups are functioning as groups and that one student is not
dominating the work.
 Give credit to the teams for their collective work, not the work of one
individual.
 Rotate the roles among the members of the group.
 Create a new group every now and then.
Learning Activity:
Directions: Prepare a lesson plan guide using constructivist strategies,
choose a topic of your own interest. Demo teach the prepared lesson guide.
Learning Evaluation:
Directions: Answer the following questions briefly.
1. What are the constructivist strategies? Discuss each strategy.
2. Describe the three levels of integrative teaching?
3. How will students benefit from the use of integrative teaching?
4. Can you consider all students working cooperatively in groups as
cooperative groups? Explain your answer.
5. Cite some advantages of using cooperative learning.

References:
Ediger, M., Rao, D (2007). ‘Teaching Science Successfully, Discovery
Publishing House, New Delhi.
Rajendran, K., et. al., (2015). “Teaching of Science” Bharathidasan University
Tiruchirappalli – 620 024. Centre For Distance Education. Retrieved from
[Link]
%[Link].
Das, R.,(2007) ‘Science Teaching in Schools', Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New
Delhi.
Anjali Khirwadkar, “Teaching of Chemistry - Modern Methods” Sarup & Sons, New
Delhi.

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 21

 LESSON 3
OTHER TEACHING STRATEGIES

Overview
This lesson focuses on other teaching strategies in
science like lecture and student recitation, role playing and
simulation, field trips and concept mapping. This lesson will
enlighten the learners on the right strategies to use in teaching
science.

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, students can:
1. determine other teaching strategies;

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 22

 2. describe teaching strategies used in science;
3. illustrate some of the concept mapping; and
4. explain the importance using other teaching strategies.
Materials Needed:
1. Module (printed/softcopy)
2. Internet connections
3. Moddle, FB Group page, Google Meet, Google form and YouTube videos

Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Learning Content:

LECTURE AND STUDENT RECITATION

 Use the lecture method to explain, demonstrate, and present information

on the topic to be taken up.
 It is not necessary for the teacher to do the lecturing all the time. For
example, if your lesson is on diversity, you may invite an expert on
biodiversity from the National Museum, Department. of Environment and
Natural Resources or from a nearby university.
 Lectures may vary in form.

Table 3.1 Different Forms of Lectures

Learning/teaching What it is How to use it
strategies
Teacher explains, Teacher uses direct delivery to help
Lecture and student demonstrates, students acquire information; asks
recitation presents, asks questions to elicit responses from
questions and student students. Students give responses
answers that provide basis for judging how
much the students learn.

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 23

 It is similar to lecture butTeacher demonstrates an action or skill
allows students to before the students do the action
observe real things themselves. Demonstration by the
Demonstration and how they work. teacher or a student provides model
of action and establishes expectations.
This strategy is used when the activity
is dangerous or when the materials
are limited.

It goes over the This is done to consolidate, clarify

instructional material, and emphasize what the students
process or skills just learned.
learned. Drill involves
repeating the
Practice or drill information until it
becomes permanent
memory.

This is re-learning or This is done in the form of summary at

re-teaching and it is the end of the lesson, quizzes, games,
intended to reinforce outlines, discussions, and questioning
Review what was previously sessions.
learned.

ROLE PLAYING AND SIMULATION

 Role playing can be used to dramatize the situations.
 Majority of the class members observe and analyze the components of
enactment. After the role play, discussion follows.
 An alternative to this is a simulation wherein students are placed in a
situation that models a real-life phenomenon. For example, Barangay
A has a population of ten thousand ((10,000). One pressing problem of
the barangay is a buildup of mountains of garbage. If a person produces
three (3) kilograms of garbage everyday how soon can a barangay
accumulate a mountain of garbage with a bulk of 20,000,000 kilograms
of garbage?

FIELD TRIPS
 A vehicle by which science can be learned and taught. Krepel and Duvall

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 24

 (1981) defined field trip as "a trip arranged by the school and
undertaken for educational purposes, in which the students go to places
where the materials of instruction may be observed and studied directly in
their functional setting” (Michie, M., 1998).
 Biology teachers and students could observe organisms in their native
habitat to describe behavior and other biological functions of living
organisms.
 Chemistry teachers can bring their students to industries to observe or
experience actual processes which are simulated or discussed in
classrooms.
 Physics teachers can bring their students to theme parks like Enchanted
Kingdom to discuss physics in the playgrounds. Science teachers can also
carry out field work which indicates formal exercises to be conducted in
the field. It is a subset of field trip.
 An example of formal exercises to be conducted in the field is the relation
between dissolved oxygen and the depth and water temperature of a lake,
river, or ocean. Another is the distribution of planktons at different times of
the year. Field trips are valuable for cognitive and affective development
of the students.
 There are many places where you can take your students for a field
trip. Some of these places are the science museum, science centers, zoos
(Manila Zoo, Malabon Zoo, Avilon Zoo, Island Cove Animal Santuary in
Cavite) aquariums, planetariums, field study or nature centers, farms
(hydroponics in Tagaytay City), and universities with special facilities such
as seed banks and gene banks at the University of the Philippines in Los
Banos, Laguna,
 Field trips provide the opportunity for hands-on, real-world experiences,
improved quality of education, motivation and development of positive
attitude towards the subject, improvement of the socialization between
students as well as development of rapport between teachers and
students.
Planning a Fieldtrip
The following are the steps that you should take when planning a field trip:
1. Look at the course syllabus.
2. Match topic with facility to be visited.
3. List the objectives of the field trip.
4. Prepare activities.
5. List places to be visited.

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 25

 6. Inquire through the phone, e-mail, or visit the place.
7. Make arrangements with the chosen venues.
8. Give formal notice to the school administrators. Present the following
papers to the department head, principal, dean, director, guidance counselor,
president and other school officials concerned:
a. three places for them to decide on
b. safety measures
c. expenditures
d. transport
e. food arrangement
9. Send letters to parents which include parent’s permit forms and
fieldtrip rules. Both forms are to be signed and returned to teachers on or
before a specified date. Without them, the students should not be
allowed to join even if they have paid for the fieldtrip expenses.
10. A week before the fieldtrip, conduct an orientation. During the
orientation, the students must be informed about what to bring and what
to wear. If students have medical problems, clearance from the doctor is
important. Without such clearance, the teacher has to prepare alternative
activities for these students.
11. If the fieldtrip involves field work, then students must bring with
them procedures of activities.
12. Pack the laboratory equipment and chemical reagents needed in
the field activities a day or two before the scheduled trip.
13. Prepare the itinerary of travel and distribute it to students a day
before the scheduled trip.
CONCEPT MAPPING
A concept map is a special form of a web diagram for
exploring knowledge and gathering and sharing information.
Concept mapping is employed to develop connections among
concepts in the unit. A concept map consists of nodes or cells
and links. The nodes contain the concepts and are usually
enclosed in a box or circle. The links are represented by
arrows. The labels in the links explain the relationship
between the nodes. The arrow describes the direction of the
relationship and is read like a sentence.
A concept map may be used to:
 develop an understanding of a body of knowledge;
 explore new information and relationships;

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 26

  access prior knowledge;
 gather new knowledge and information;
 share knowledge and information generated; and
 organize structures or processes such as written documents,
constructions, web sites, web search multimedia presentations.
How would you help students make a concept map?
Here are some tips.
1. Identify major and minor concepts of the topic under study.
2. Organize the concepts from most important to less important.
3. Tell them to write the major idea at the center of the paper.
4. Write the next major ideas as the next layer. Connect these ideas to the
major idea with lines and proper linking words.
As an assessment tool, the concept map will give you
information on how the student relates the identified concepts
from the lesson. This way, you can be sure that students
understand the lesson. A concept map about matter is shown
below.

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 27

 Notice that the concepts are linked by lines and there are
link words between concepts to show the relationship. A
concept map can be a group work or an individual activity.
GAMES
Children love to play games. Games can teach children
to work together as a well-coordinated team. It develops
coordination skills which are necessary to perform delicate jobs.
Basketball can be used to teach motion in physics. Billiards can
be used to develop functional understanding about momentum.
Tug-of-war is a good analogy for developing concepts about
balanced or unbalanced forces either in physics or chemistry.
Puzzles, cartoons, humor, magic, and jokes can also be
used in the science classrooms. They make science learning
fun and enjoyable for learners.
Learning Activities:
Activity 1
Directions: Briefly describe each of the following teaching strategies.
1. Lecture and Recitation
2. Field trips
3. Role playing and Simulation
4. Concept mapping
Activity 2
Directions: illustrate and identify some of the concept mapping.
Learning Evaluation:
Directions: Answer the following questions.
1. How important it is to use other teaching strategies?
2. Before conducting a field trip, the teacher should orient the students.
What

should you include in the orientation?

3. Enumerate other learning learning/ strategies? Explain what it is and how

it should be used.

References:
Ediger, M., Rao, D (2007). ‘Teaching Science Successfully, Discovery
Publishing House, New Delhi.
Rajendran, K., et. al., (2015). “Teaching of Science” Bharathidasan
University Tiruchirappalli – 620 024. Centre For Distance
Education. Retrieved from

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 28

 [Link]
teaching%20of%[Link].

Lamorena, M. (2010). Curriculum and Instruction: The Teaching

of Science. Retrieved from
[Link]
LESSON 4
INCORPORATING RESEARCH IN THE CLASSROOM

Overview:
This lesson focuses on how you can assist students in
conducting science investigative projects. This lesson is based
on the belief that a working knowledge of how to solve
problems scientifically will enable our students to become better
critical thinkers and wise decision- makers in the future.

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, students can:
1. describe how to incorporate research in the classroom;
2. discuss steps in scientific method;
3. list science topics where scientific research is incorporated; and
4. explain the concepts and importance of incorporating research in the
classroom; and
5. decide for a particular situation.
Materials Needed:
1. Module (printed/softcopy)
2. Internet connections
3. Moddle, FB Group page, Google Meet, Google form and YouTube videos
Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Learning Content
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
 The concern of science is the natural world. Its goal is to discover the
underlying patterns in it and then use this knowledge to make predictions
about what should or should not be expected to happen given certain facts
or circumstances.
 How does one discover patterns in the natural world or develop new
scientific facts? There is no simple way to do it. However, there are

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 29

 guidelines one can use. We shall take a look at these steps through
the discovery of Lyme disease, a disease first observed in Lyme,
Connecticut, U.S.A.
Step 1. Look for and accumulate facts like a detective
 Several decades ago, a scientist by the name of Allen C. Steere noticed
that some people were suffering from a non-contagious disease. He noted
that the affected adults and children were diagnosed to be suffering from
rare rheumatoid arthritis. It is rare for children to get the disease. So, he
collected more facts. Some facts collected about the disease were:
1. Most victims lived in heavily wooded area.
2. The disease was not contagious.
3. The symptoms appeared in summer.
4. Victims remembered a strange bull’s eye rash occurring several
weeks before the symptoms appeared.
Step 2. Develop a working tentative answer to explain the collected facts
 From the facts collected, Allen C. Steere thought that the disease was
caused by a microbe mostly transmitted by the bite of an insect or tick.
What he stated was just a tentative explanation. This tentative explanation
to the problem is called hypothesis.
 It guides you in planning what experiment to conduct or what facts to
collect. Steere used inductive reasoning because he collected facts to
formulate the tentative explanation. However, you can also use deductive
reasoning to formulate hypothesis by starting from a general idea to
specific ideas/facts.
Step 3. Design an experiment to test the tentative explanation.
 Steere tested his hypothesis by getting blood samples from victims. He
was not able to find the microbe that could have been transmitted by the
tick. In 1977, a victim saved the tick, Ixodes dammini that bit him.
 The tick was submitted to tick- borne diseases expert, Willy Burgdorferi.
The expert isolated a spirochete (a bacterium) from the tick. The same
bacterium was isolated from the blood of victim. The new spirochete was
named Borrelia burgdorferi.
Step 4. Accept, modify or reject hypothesis on the basis of
extensive testing.
 The data collected by Burgdorferi supported the hypothesis that the tick-
borne disease is due to a microbe transmitted by tick. The rare rheumatoid
arthritis is called Lyme disease, after the place where it first occurred.
 The hypothesis about the Lyme disease became a scientific theory. A

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 30

 scientific theory is a well-tested and widely accepted view that scientists
agree on because it explains certain observable facts.
 Some concepts in science are formulated into scientific law. A scientific
law is a generalization about the behavior and nature from which there is
no known deviation after observation or experiment.
 It is narrower in scope than a theory and it can be expressed
mathematically. Some examples of laws are Newton Laws of Motion,
Charles’ Law, and the Universal Law of Gravitation.
 The process just described is called the scientific method. The scientific
method is not a standard recipe for studying the natural world. This is an
investigative strategy wherein the students learn to apply theories they
learned in science classes. It is also a strategy which develops the ability
of students to work independently and creatively.

Learning Activity:

Directions: List down at least 5 topics in science where you

can incorporate scientific research.
Learning Evaluation:
Essay
Directions: Answer the following questions.
1. A student wants to conduct an investigative project that has something to
do with a rice field. If you were the teacher of the student, how will you
help this student?
2. Following the steps discussed in the module, write the steps that you are
going to follow to help the said student in conducting an investigative
project.

3. Advising students how to conduct an investigative project will require

extra effort and time from you. Are you willing to be a science project
adviser? Explain your answer.

References:
Ediger, M., Rao, D (2007). ‘Teaching Science Successfully, Discovery
Publishing House, New Delhi.
Rajendran, K., et. al., (2015). “Teaching of Science” Bharathidasan
University Tiruchirappalli – 620 024. Centre For Distance
Education. Retrieved from

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 31

 [Link]
teaching%20of%[Link].
Lamorena, M. (2010). Curriculum and Instruction: The Teaching
of Science. Retrieved from
[Link]

LESSON 5
CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT

Overview:
This lesson presents several assessment tools you can
use to guide you in your teaching and in determining the quality
of learning that has taken place.

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, students can:
1. describe assessment, measurement, and evaluation;
2. differentiate formative assessment from summative assessment;
3. distinguish traditional and authentic assessment;
4. discuss the different forms of authentic assessment; and
5. explain the merits of authentic assessment.
Materials Needed:
1. Module (printed/softcopy)
2. Internet connections
3. Moddle, FB Group page, Google Meet, Google form and YouTube videos
Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Learning Content

Assessment may be formative or summative in nature.

You do formative assessment when you ask questions while
discussion is going on. You do summative assessment when
you give a test at the end of the topic. If you want to know the
prior knowledge of the students about the topic as well as
their strengths and weaknesses, then you can administer a
diagnostic test to determine where to start your instruction.

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 32

 Assessment has two components – measurement and
evaluation.

Measurement includes all Evaluation refers to the decision

information the teacher gathers teachers make on the basis of
concerning student measurement. Assigning grades is
performance. the most common form of evaluation.

What are the sources of

assessment?
information?

Authentic assessment (Kleinheider, 1996)

 Performance-based Assessment
Traditional Assessment  Portfolio
 Fill-in-the blanks  Concept Mapping
 Matching type  Creative Assessment
 True or false type  Journals and Oral Interviews
 Multiple choice type  Problem Tests
 Short –answer question  Diagrams or Picture Types of Tests
type  Practical Assessment
 Self-evaluation

Traditional Assessment versus Authentic Assessment

Traditional assessment has the following characteristics.

 It focuses on knowledge and recall of information.
 It tends to reveal only whether the student can recognize, recall or
"plug in" what was learned out of context (Grant, 2003).
 It provides little insights into the way learners think.
 It relies on indirect or proxy 'items'--efficient, simplistic substitutes from
which we think valid inferences can be made about the student's
performance (Atherton, 2003).
 It is usually limited to paper-and-pencil, one- answer questions.
 It asks the student to select or write correct responses, but does not
provide reasons for their choice.

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 33

  It does not assess student’s ability to apply their understanding to real
world problems (Kauchak & Eggen, 2001).
 It provides rare opportunity to plan, revise and substantiate responses
even when there are open-ended questions.
 It standardizes objective "items”; hence, it has one right answer.
 It is easy for teachers to check.

 One commonly used traditional assessment tool is the multiple choice

test. A multiple-choice test item consists of a stem and options. The
student has to choose from a number of options. In most forms, one of the
options is the correct answer and the others are distractors.
 This test is effective for testing knowledge and memory and for problem-
solving in convergent subject areas. It is easy to administer to large
number of students. However, have in mind that a good multiple choice
question is difficult to prepare. Knowledge of a topic that is to be assessed
by multiple–choice test may encourage students to memorize discrete
items of information, rather than develop an overall understanding of the
topic (Atherton, 2003).
 Traditional assessment is not the only way to gauge the achievement of
the students. There are many classroom situations in which you may need
to use non- paper-and-pencil tests to gather information about your pupils’
achievement.
 Some of these are the development of different science process skills,
manipulating a microscope, measuring, and social skills such as
cooperation, courtesy and leadership. To gather appropriate information
about such performances, you need to observe and judge each of your
pupil’s/student’s actual performance or products.
 Assessment in which pupils/students create an answer or a product that
demonstrate their knowledge and skills are called performance-based
assessment. This kind of assessment is a form of authentic
assessment.
 Performance-based assessment is concerned primarily with the student’s
ability to translate knowledge into observable performance or products. It
has the following characteristics:

 is concerned primarily with the pupil’s/student’s ability to

translate knowledge into observable performance or
products;

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 34

  requires pupils/students to manipulate equipment, to solve a
problem, or make analysis;
 gives insights of pupil’s/student’s conceptual and procedural
knowledge;

 can be used to chart the progress of each member of the class;

 provides rich evidence of the level of performance skills; and

 is time-consuming to construct and administer but produces

rating forms that can be repeatedly used with the same or
new pupils/students.
 Performance comes in many forms – oral contribution in a class, laboratory
work, event task, and extended task. The latter forms of performance tasks
are described below.
 In event task, students are given a set of materials with minimal instruction.
The students are told to make predictions first before they perform the
activity. An extended task is an activity that allows students to connect the
science concepts learned in the classroom to the home environment. The
situations on the next page demonstrate the difference between an event
task and an extended task.

Event Task Extended Task

You just learned that compounds are If you eat a lot of green mangoes, you
either acids, bases or salts. Many of experience stomach indigestion.
these substances are present in food.
Which of the following substances is
the probable remedy?
The tongue contains taste buds.
Draw the tongue.
a. coffee
Predict which part of the tongue is b. milk
sensitive to acidic, basic and salty c. tea
food. d. antacid Explain

Taste the acidic, basic and salty food. your answer.

Note the part of tongue that senses these
foods. What is the scientific basis of your
answer?
Does your prediction agree with the
results of the activity? Submit the results Present your work through a poster,
of the activity in journal form. flow chart, or a narrative report.

Your assessment may be based on observations of

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 35

 student’s performance or samples of various performances
done by the student (Atherton, 2003). How can you obtain
observations about your students’ performance? You have
several options. These include:
1. Systematic observations
These are observations obtained when you make notes
describing learner’s performance according to preset criteria
(Eggen, 2001). Box 5.1 shows a typical systematic observation
to determine if the student has developed the skill in using a
balance.

Box 5.1 Example of systematic observation

Teacher observes how the student uses the balance using the following
indicators:

1. Holds the balance with both hands.

2. Holds the balance with one hand and swings it.

3. Places the balance on the table with a bang.

4. Places the balance on top of the table carefully, 3 cm from the edge of table.

5. Calibrates the balance.

6. Places a piece of paper on top of the pan of the balance and gets its mass.
7. Puts the object to be weighed on top of the paper and gets the total mass of the
object and the paper.
8. To get the mass of the object, subtracts the mass of the paper from the total
mass of the paper and object.

Note: Observing 2 and 3 manifest bad practice. It may deduct to overall rating.

2. Checklist
The use of a checklist enables you to describe the
dimensions that must be present in an acceptable performance
and extend systematic observation. A checklist is useful for
observing behaviors. An example of a checklist is shown Box 5.2.
Box 5.2 A sample checklis

Tick the skill exhibited by the student in using the balance

1. Holds the balance with both hands.

2. Places the balance on top of the table carefully, 3 cm

from the edge of table

3. CalibratesAthe
Course Module for Teaching of Science
balance
36

4. Places a piece of paper on top of the pan of the balance and

 3. Rating Scale
This observation instrument can be used to gather
observations just like a checklist. However, rating scales are
better to use since there are written descriptions or dimensions
and scales of values on which each dimension is rated.
Box 5.3 Example of a Rating Scale

Tick Column 3 if you feel the student has done it very well, 2 if the student
has done it well and 1 if the student has done it haphazardly or not well
Rating Scale
Observable Skills of students 3 2 1
1. Holds the balance with both hands.
2. Places the balance on top of the table carefully, 3 cm
from the edge of table
3. Calibrates the balance
4. Places a piece of paper on top of the pan of the
balance and gets its mass
5. Records the mass of the paper
6. Puts the object to be weighed on top of the paper
and gets the total mass of the paper and object
7. Records the total mass of the paper and object

Portfolio
A portfolio is another assessment tool that you can use
to gather information about your students. Students put
together the materials they have produced about a science
concept, e.g. heat transfer in a student portfolio. The student
portfolio includes products such as worksheets, pictures,
assignments completed, data sheets, written conclusions,
experiment reports, maps, stories, plans, tapes, videos, and
other written materials related to the work completed for a unit
or course. The portfolio is highly individualized and students
can use it to evaluate themselves and gain a realistic picture of
what they have accomplished in a unit, quarter, semester or
year.
According to Atherton (2003), the portfolio
 can be used for other types of assessment such as interview with student
and conference with parents;

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 37

  illustrates specific requirements for grade completion;
 can be used as a means of summative evaluation of the student's
learning;
 reflects the nature of the curriculum and the student's success; and
 enhances social skills of the pupils/students.

Anecdotal Records
These are written accounts of significant individual
student events and behaviors that the teacher has observed. It
provides information about the learner, the date of observation,
name of the teacher observing, and a factual description of the
event. These records can provide you with quick, written
refresher of the progress, problems, and activities of students.
Learning Activities:

Activity 1
Directions: Differentiate formative and summative assessment
using a Venn diagram.

Activity 2
Directions: Discuss how traditional assessment differ to
authentic assessment using the diagram below.

ASSESSMENT

Traditional Assessment Authentic Assessment

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 38

Learning Evaluation:
Essay
Directions: Answer the following questions.
1. What is your understanding on assessment, measurement and
evaluation? Discuss its differences.
2. What are the different forms of authentic assessment? Briefly discuss
each.
3. Explain the merits of authentic assessment.

References:
Ediger, M., Rao, D (2007). ‘Teaching Science Successfully, Discovery
Publishing House, New Delhi.
Rajendran, K., et. al., (2015). “Teaching of Science” Bharathidasan
University Tiruchirappalli – 620 024. Centre For Distance
Education. Retrieved from
[Link]
teaching%20of%[Link].

Lamorena, M. (2010). Curriculum and Instruction: The Teaching

of Science. Retrieved from
[Link]

LESSON 6
SCORING AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT THROUGH RUBRICS

Overview
This lesson introduces one of the several assessment
tools which is the scoring rubrics. The concepts to be followed
in creating scoring authentic assessment tools through rubrics
will be presented in this lesson.

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 39

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, students can:
1. give criteria to be used in preparing rubric;
2. differentiate the different forms of rubrics; and
3. make your own rubric.
Materials Needed:
1. Module (printed/softcopy)
2. Internet connections
3. Moddle, FB Group page, Google Meet, Google form and YouTube videos
Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Learning Content:
SCORING RUBRICS
A scoring rubric has several components. It includes one
or more dimensions on which the work of the students is rated,
as well as definitions and examples to clarify the meaning of
each trait or dimension. The scoring rubric rating scales may
be numerical, qualitative or a combination of the two.
Qualitative rubrics may have scale points with labels such as:
 Not yet, developing, achieving
 Emerging, developing, achieving
 Novice, apprentice, proficient, distinguished
 No evidence, minimal evidence, partial evidence, complete evidence

A rubric has a uniform set of precisely defined criteria or

guidelines that will be used to judge student work. Examples of
criteria are:
1. has knowledge of places where to collect rocks
2. knows what tools to bring for rock sampling
3. identifies rocks through physical and chemical properties
There are many forms of rubric. A rubric with two or more
separate scales is called an analytic rubric. If a rubric uses only
a single scale, it is a holistic rubric. Table 6.1 is an example of a
holistic rubric. You can find an example of an analytic rubric in
Appendix G.

Holistic Rubric by Barbara Schaner

([Link]/~mstnrhx/457/[Link])
The student's project has a hypothesis, a procedure, collected

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 40

Proficient-3points data, and analyzed results. The project is thorough and the
findings are in agreement with the data collected. There are
minor inaccuracies that do not affect the quality of the project.
The student's project may have a hypothesis, a procedure, col\
lected data, and analyzed results. The project is not as
Adequate-2points thorough as it could be; there are a few overlooked areas. The
project has a few inaccuracies that affect the quality of the
project.
The student's project may have a hypothesis, a procedure,
Limited - 1 point collected data, and analyzed results. The project has several
inaccuracies that affect the quality of the project.

Table 6.2. Holistic Scoring rubric for acid/base

experiment
Score Accomplishment
3 pts Understands the procedure before coming to the laboratory. Notes the
color of the unknown solutions and indicator Transfer a specific
volume of the solution to a test tube with the use of pipette.
Introduce indicator drop by drop until the solution changes color.
Reads the pH of the solution by matching color change with the
accompanying color chart of pH paper. Records observation in
tabulated form. Draws appropriate generalizationr
2 pts Reads the procedure of the activity before borrowing glasswares from
the resource center. Does not use the glasswares properly. Makes
correct observation. Draw appropriate generalization with guidance
from the teacher.
1 pt Does not read the procedure. Has little idea about the experiment.
Depends on classmates on what to do next. Can collect correct
observation but unable to draw conclusion without help from teacher
or classmates.

Learning Activity:
Directions: Create your own rubric on a certain science topic
you’re interested with, and include the criteria to be considered.

Learning Evaluation:

A Course Module for Teaching of Science 41

 Directions: Answer the following questions.
1. What is a rubric?

2. What are the advantages of using rubric for assessment?

References:
Ediger, M., Rao, D (2007). ‘Teaching Science Successfully, Discovery
Publishing House, New Delhi.
Rajendran, K., et. al., (2015). “Teaching of Science” Bharathidasan
University Tiruchirappalli – 620 024. Centre For Distance
Education. Retrieved from
[Link]
teaching%20of%[Link].

Lamorena, M. (2010). Curriculum and Instruction: The Teaching

of Science. Retrieved from
[Link]

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