[Physltest] [Phys-L] Re: "Effective" teaching methods

[John Clement <clement@HAL-PC.ORG>]

I would refer to the latest JRST Nov 2004 which has a very interesting
article about why and how teachers use reformed pedagogy, "An Investigation
of Experinece Secondary Science Teacher' Beliefs About Inquiry: An
examination of Competing Belief Sets", C. Wallace, N. Kang, JRST 41 (9) pp
936-960.  The important idea is that teachers implement inquiry according to
their paradigm of education, and that often they call things inquiry even
when it is not.  Essentially it is not possible to get educators to change
their paradigm by just telling them it is not working.  A few rare
individuals will do it, but the majority will not without extensive
experience with the new paradigm.

In addition there are powerful institutional pressures that prevent changes.
I would suggest that what will work for the conventional educator will just
be more of the same, and that to implement reformed pedagogy they also need
to reform their paradigm.  The doctors who rejected the paradigm of
cleanliness often never changed.  They just retired and the newer doctors
with the new paradigm took over.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX
> Not to mention that many of these 15-yr cycles include repackaged and/or
> renamed 'new and improved' teaching methods we did 30 years ago. Many of
> these packages are the same ole thing with new bells and whistles to
> impress
> the newbees.
>
> We all need to find a 'method' that works for us. Key words there "FOR
> US".
> If what you are doing ain't working, improve or change. If it IS working,
> improve.
>
>
> Daryl L. Taylor, Fizzix Guy
> Greenwich HS, CT
> PAEMST '96
> International Internet Educator of the Year '03
> NASA SEU Educator Ambassador
> www.DarylScience.com
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