Science education is a gateway to nurturing the innate curiosity of children, providing them with tools to explore the world around them. Contrary to the misconception that science is only for the academically gifted, it serves as a universal bridge, accessible to all learners regardless of their initial aptitude. The way science is taught profoundly shapes this accessibility with innovative teaching practices playing a pivotal role in engaging diverse learners. This article reviews the findings of my PhD research, and I hope will act as a starting point in empowering teachers to engage in science with curiosity alongside their students.
My research focused on energy literacy in elementary schools for Grades 6, 7, and 8 students. These grades were chosen because, across Canada, the core electricity unit occurs in Grade 6 and therefore, by the end of Grade 6, students should have been exposed to discussions including energy sources, electricity use and conservation, and a general understanding of energy in their lives. The study involved focus groups with 60 students from a Montessori private school in Ontario. Students explored elements of the curriculum in a discussion-based focus group, including energy forms, energy sources, electricity generation, and energy use and conservation. Students were audio-recorded anonymously, and their responses were considered collectively.
In addition to the focus groups with students, interviews with teachers from across Canada were conducted. These interviews focused on perceived self-efficacy in teaching science, curriculum use, teaching style, and classroom management. All teachers interviewed enjoyed science and teaching science, although they raised several concerns about teaching science and discussed difficulties that teachers face.
The findings of my research indicate that students are able to have discussions on energy and form opinions about energy without having a full knowledge or fact set. This supports the findings of previous research, which shows that context and values are an important aspect of learning (Showers & Shrigley, 1995). This finding also supports that to develop energy literacy, all three pillars are required. They are knowledge, values or attitudes, and behaviour or action (U.S. Department of Energy, 2017). Additionally, to engage in learning means to engage past facts, which requires the integration of multiple visions of science—that is not just the positivist approach (Vision 1) but also constructivist (Vision 2) and morality-centred (Vision 3) (Haglund & Hultén, 2017).
Children are naturally curious, and participating in exploration and discovery can increase engagement and interest. Research suggests that inquiry-based or project-based learning fosters higher engagement, however, only to the point where teachers are providing guidance and support as required (Kirschner, Sweller, & Clark, 2006). A significant challenge to implementing inquiry-based learning is the other requirements placed on teachers. Public school teachers who were interviewed expressed the ever-growing demands on teachers and that the need to meet standardized testing and literacy targets skewed teaching practices toward those elements if there was a need for prioritization. However, it is worth highlighting that science was also seen as a way to engage all students and that it is an important part of early education.
The findings of my research on science and energy literacy education can be summarized through two key themes: the importance of the learning environment as a place for children to engage in inquiry and the importance of the teacher in connecting the child to the environment. The classroom needs to provide opportunities for students to engage with new ideas, and to have hands-on learning experiences to develop their understanding of the world. Following this, students then need to apply this knowledge to their world including shaping their actions and influencing their beliefs. The teacher needs to be empowered through knowledge and professional development to feel confident in teaching beyond the facts, building context and helping children make connections among concepts and experiences. Several conclusions come from this research:
1. Science can be integrated across subjects so that students can engage and think about scientific concepts across a diversity of contexts. Science in elementary school is about students learning about the world around them, and, therefore, opportunities to build connections and develop morality around science in their lives is critical to science literacy.
2. The classroom, or prepared, environment goes hand in hand with learning. Students should be given opportunities to engage with materials and resources in groups and individually, for the amount of time they require and for as many times as they are interested. This ties into the need for more equitable funding for science and, more broadly, for scientific resources and equipment.
3. Curriculum changes are only effective when they are paired with professional development and access to quality resources. School boards should be identifying changes and offering opportunities for teachers to have professional development aligned with these changes. Some school boards have opted to have science consultants who act as a resource for teachers in science education.
Through this research, we found that students were able to engage in meaningful and sometimes complex discussions on energy, although many lacked some of the fundamental knowledge or facts about energy sources, energy use and conservation, and energy forms. We found that inquiry science can engage students in science and act as a way to empower students who may struggle in other areas of school. Our findings suggest that the ability for students to explore ideas with curiosity and in a learning environment where they have access to materials designed for exploration and hands-on learning promotes science literacy. An important conclusion coming out of the research is that sharing expertise between educational models may serve as a way forward in promoting energy and scientific literacy.
Related Links
Haglund, J., & Hultén, M. (2017). Tension Between Visions of Science Education: The Case of Energy Quality in Swedish Secondary Science Curricula. Science and Education, 26(3–4), 323–344. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-017-9895-1
Kirschner, P. A., Sweller, J., & Clark, R. E. (2006). Why minimal guidance during instruction does not work: An analysis of the failure of constructivist, discovery, problem-based, experiential, and inquiry-based teaching. Educational Psychologist, 41(2), 75–86. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep4102_1
Showers, D. E., & Shrigley, R. L. (1995). Effects of knowledge and persuasion on high- school students’ attitudes toward nuclear power plants. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 32(1), 29–43.
U.S. Department of Energy. (2017). Energy literacy – Essential principles and fundamental concepts for energy education. Energy Literacy – Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts for Energy Education, 1–20. Retrieved from https://www.energy.gov/eere/education/energy-literacy-essential-principles-and-fundamental-concepts-energy-education
Larkin Mosscrop
Larkin Mosscrop has taught science to over 5000 students on a variety of topics, including energy, climate change, and ecology. She has presented many community engagement and education sessions, reaching hundreds of participants about energy and environmental sustainability. She is currently working in the energy industry and is a PhD candidate at the University of Regina where her thesis is investigating energy literacy in elementary school classrooms.
This article is featured in Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Fall 2024 issue.