Science

In the PYP, science is viewed as the exploration of the behaviours of, and the interrelationships among, the natural, physical and material worlds. Our understanding of science is constantly changing and evolving. The inclusion of science within the curriculum leads learners to an appreciation and awareness of the world as it is viewed from a scientific perspective. It encourages curiosity, develops an understanding of the world, and enables the individual to develop a sense of responsibility regarding the impact of their actions on themselves, others and their world.

Inquiry is central to scientific investigation and understanding. Students actively construct and challenge their understanding of the world around them by combining scientific knowledge with reasoning and thinking skills. Scientific knowledge is made relevant through its innumerable applications in the real world. The science process, by encouraging hands-on experience and inquiry, enables the individual to make informed and responsible decisions, not only in science but also in other areas of life.

In the PYP, the importance of science in an international curriculum is recognized as universal and transcends the boundaries of gender, cultural, linguistic and national biases. The inclusion of science within the curriculum develops an understanding of, and competence in using, the facilities of a rapidly changing scientific and technological world, while gaining a positive image of science and its contribution to the quality of life today. It also involves the development of an appreciation for the scientific contributions of people from various cultures and backgrounds.

The IB learner profile is integral to teaching and learning science in the PYP because it represents the qualities of effective learners and internationally minded students. The learner profile, together with the five essential elements of the programme—knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes and action—informs planning, teaching and assessing in science.

Good science practice

Science can be used to provide explanations and models of behaviour for phenomena and objects around us. It can also be used to investigate the interrelationships between the natural, physical and material worlds. The science component of the curriculum is considered to be driven by concepts and skills rather than by content. Science should be viewed as a way of thinking and a process that strives for balance between the construction of meaning and the acquisition of knowledge and skills.

The sample activities described in the Science and technology scope and sequence (2003) document are provided as a suggested way of including the transdisciplinary concepts and skills required. Teachers should regard these as prompts for developing suitable activities to address the central ideas of their units of inquiry. There is no single right way to plan scientific inquiry. Teachers should provide a range of opportunities and situations for students to investigate, and then guide them to make their investigations more effectual. These opportunities and situations should include a variety of external resources and settings as well as classroom-based work.

Structured, purposeful inquiry is the way in which students learn best, and the starting point should always be students’ prior and current understanding. Students should be invited to investigate science by formulating their own questions, looking at the various means available to answer these questions, and proceeding with research, experimentation, observation and other means that will lead them to their own responses to the issues. The starting point has to be students’ current understanding, and the goal is the active construction of meaning by building connections between students’ experience and information and processes derived from the inquiry into new content.

It is suggested that the teacher’s role in this process is to create an educational environment that encourages students to take responsibility, to the greatest possible extent, for their own science learning. This means that resources must be provided for each student to become involved in self-initiated inquiry. Commercially available resources for teaching science are carefully evaluated to ensure that they meet the requirements of the teacher, the students and the curriculum.

In the PYP classroom, the teacher facilitates the process of students becoming initiators rather than followers by asking carefully thought out, open-ended questions, and by encouraging students to ask questions of each other as well as of the teacher. It goes without saying that the teacher must also model and value inquiry.

Teachers can use the eight key concepts and related questions (presented later in this section) to guide their own inquiry. By engaging in inquiry themselves, teachers will not only achieve a deeper understanding of the scientific issues involved, but will also be a model for their students by assuming the role of “teacher as learner”.

A PYP teacher’s personal knowledge of science is of key importance. What teachers themselves understand shapes which resources they choose, what learning experiences they design and how effectively they teach. The teacher’s own interest in, and development of, the discipline is maintained through regular professional development, reading of professional journals and, especially, through regular contact with colleagues who share their commitment to teaching science through inquiry.

The role of science in the programme of inquiry

As science is relevant to all the transdisciplinary themes, all planned science learning should take place within the transdisciplinary units of the programme of inquiry. The fact that the science component of the curriculum is defined by the transdisciplinary themes means that schools often find that the subject-specific content in science will be reduced. Transdisciplinary learning that includes important science concepts will be increased. Examples of how this might be done can be found in the PYP sample programme of inquiry with sample planners (2005) and Science and technology scope and sequence (2003) document, both available on the OCC.

There may also be occasions that present themselves for student-initiated spontaneous inquiries that are not directly related to any planned science teaching.

Schools that have local and/or national curriculum requirements in science should articulate how best this predetermined knowledge (or skills) can be incorporated into their programme of inquiry to the fullest possible extent. They will need to plan how students can be encouraged to think scientifically, and promote this way of working throughout the curriculum and not just in the programme of inquiry. If successful learning in science has taken place, students should be able to select key ideas and significant understanding from the data acquired for a unit of inquiry. They should be able to frame genuine, open-ended questions worthy of sustained research. As they conduct their inquiries, they should be able to provide accurate information and valid explanations. They should be able to identify possible causes of an issue, choose a solution and determine appropriate action to be taken. A willingness and ability to take action demonstrates evidence of learning. Through these processes, students should develop the habits and attitudes of successful lifelong learners.

Information on this page was taken in part from : "Making the PYP Happen" 2007
For further information, please visit: www.ibo.org