Why is it important to know about models of teaching? The models that are described in this chapter are like the scaffolding for a building. Scientists use models to help them understand natural systems like rivers, atoms and cells. They are used to describe a pattern or a phenomenon. Models are also like the scaffolding of a building. It holds the building up, and gives the building its shape and integrity. A model of teaching lays the foundation for the actions and interactions between students and teachers. For example, a teacher centered model of teaching would imply a set of actions and interactions different than a student centered model of teaching. In the teacher centered model, teachers would make most of the decisions about curriculum and learning, whereas in a student centered model, students would be more involved in these decisions. What are some other differences you could name?
Models of teaching are designed to help students learn, and as you will see they are prescriptive. Each model of teaching has its set of propositions and directions enabling you to implement them in classrooms, or in tutorial situations.
Bruce Joyce and Marsha Weil (1986) describe twenty models of teaching in their book Models of Teaching, and they point out that the many models of teaching that are used in the schools are designed to give students the tools to grow. The models that are described in this chapter are designed to help the beginning science teacher get started in the classroom, as well as provide the tools to help secondary students learn science.
Several models of science teaching are presented, as mentioned above. There is no intention on my part to claim that one model is better than another. Rather, each model has its inherent qualities and purposes for helping students learn. Many teachers use a combination of these models, integrating them into a personal model of teaching, while other teachers focus on one of these models, and build their teaching repertoire around this favored approach.
There is a substantial body of research supporting the models of teaching selected for inclusion in this chapter. Naturally, science educators make a strong claim on the inquiry approach to teaching, and rightfully so. Inquiry certainly is an integral aspect of the nature of science, as was discussed in Chapter 1. But as science teachers, we must go beyond a singular view of teaching and incorporate a variety of models of teaching. Recent research, and trends in practice support an integrative view for formulating instructional plans. For example, most of the recent curriculum development projects at the elementary and middle school level have described models of teaching to include not only inquiry (with hands-on activities), but cooperative learning as well. A further examination of these projects also reveals that direct/interactive teaching strategies (especially teacher directed activities, and heavy reliance on teacher questioning) is an integral aspect of the approach.
What models should we explore? Using the learning theories presented in Chapter 2 as a conceptual rationale, eight models of teaching are described in this chapter (Figure 7.1), thereby presenting a kaleidoscope for the science teacher. The first model---direct/interactive teaching---is based on behavioral psychology. It is a teacher-centered model emphasizing the teaching of specific information in as a direct a manner as possible. Cognitive psychology claims several models of teaching including inquiry teaching, conceptual change teaching (the learning cycle), and synectics. Finally, two models are derived from social and humanistic psychology, namely, cooperative learning and person-centered learning.
Learning
Theory Category Model
of Teaching Behavioral
Psychology Direct/Interactive
Teaching Model Cognitive
Psychology Inquiry Teaching
Model Learning Cycle
Model Synectics Imagineering Integrative Social
and Humanistic Psychology Cooperative
Learning Person-centered