Speak Up Blog

Part 3 of 4: Inspiring the Next Generation of Innovators

The Speak Up 2007 Survey found that teachers’ most-used strategies for guiding science learning vary by grade level. Hands-on activities were the most frequently employed strategy among teachers of elementary (grades K-5) and middle school (grades 6-8) students. Elementary school teachers also frequently used inquiry-based investigations and kit-based materials. Lecturing was not among the top five strategies primarily used by elementary school teachers.

In contrast, middle school teachers’ second and third most-used strategies were lecturing and “making it relevant”. They also frequently employed inquiry-based investigations and demonstration lessons. High school teachers most frequently lectured, and then employed hands-on activities and “making science relevant”.

This begs the question: Does STEM learning get “less fun” for students as they age?

The most essential feature of an “ultimate science classroom” among students in grades K-2 and in grades 9-12 was “teachers excited about science.” “Excited teachers” was also the factor K-12 parents indicated would have the greatest impact on improving their children’s science education. “Working with other students on projects” was the second most important feature for middle and high school students (53 percent).

“Lecturing” and “excitement” aren’t necessarily at odds, but if we take their first and second preferences together then students might be suggesting they want to participate more in their ongoing STEM learning.

Students of Dan Meyer, a high school math teacher from Santa Cruz, California, are not experiencing a decline of inquiry—and it appears be a whole lot of fun for teachers and students alike. Meyer authors the highly followed dy/dan blog. There he publishes the group inquiry-based learning sessions he plans and tests in his own classroom. Meyer arranges and structures his lessons from digital material he “curates” from places far more fascinating than textbooks. Click and check out some examples of lessons Meyer has created (sometimes in collaboration with his readers) from TV shows, photos Meyer finds, photos Meyer takes, video Meyer captures, iPhone applications, current events, commercials. Students take on the challenges, learning the math they’ll come to use as science tools, and Meyer participates as a facilitator.

Meyer reports that this is time-consuming and challenging work. He can’t just “find” the curriculum he wants in tidy kits. Instead, he has to develop it. He’s made a habit of bringing the world into his classroom, using technology and experience and his own “messy questions”. The result is that his students have fun while they gain experience confronting and solving problems. They’re not expected to “listen and repeat” the knowledge science has produced. Instead, they’re practicing the art of applying conceptual knowledge in a large number of situations.

Students need this kind of solution-finding practice. Globally speaking, we have a lot of problems to tackle in the 21st century. If STEM learning-made-fun will help motivate students to understand the content and techniques to solve these problems, perhaps we ought to put more Meyer-like effort into developing STEM lessons for teachers to use.

Comment below, or join our Facebook discussion: Would teachers be more likely to use hands-on learning if there were wider availability of digital content arranged and structured it to facilitate group, inquiry-based learning? Or is lesson arranging best left to individual teachers?