Are special methods required for teaching Let’s Think through science!?

By now you will have realised that teaching for the stimulation of thinking may require different teaching methods from those employed in your normal curriculum work.

Shifting your philosophy

During the Let’s Think through Science! activities you often need something of a shift in philosophy from being a ‘leading’ teacher, anxious to ensure that pupils receive all the help they need, to one who sets difficult problems and gives pupils more responsibility for finding their own solutions. This does not mean that you simply sit back and watch them struggle. Your role becomes that of a ‘mediator’, asking open questions that progress pupils’ thinking without providing them with answers. Your modelling of this role of mediation encourages pupils to begin to adopt it themselves in order to help other members of their group. Also you are trying to ensure that all pupils experience some cognitive conflict while listening and contributing to the search for a combined solution. This is challenging work.

Characteristics of the ‘listening’ teacher

During group work, your role is mainly to listen — so as to retain important ideas, explanations and questions that the pupils are discussing. When it comes to the class discussion, you will then be able to ask specific questions of particular groups, so that the main points emerge. As you listen, it is useful if you do not repeat what individual pupils say for the benefit of others; it is important that all the members of the class learn to listen carefully to their peers.

Here are some other characteristics of the teacher who is helping pupils to develop their thinking skills. He or she will:

• suspend judgement, leaving pupils to make up their own minds;
• encourage pupils to listen to one another with respect;
• understand ‘mistakes’ as opportunities to learn;
• help groups learn to share their thinking with the class;
• accept inconclusive endings or uncertain conclusions: it is the thinking along the way that matters;
• rarely ‘tell’; frequently ask and always respect;
• test ideas with pupils, working towards a consensus but accepting differences;
• allow time for reflection on ‘how we got to this point’.

Just two final points. First, this is a special kind of teaching for intellectual stimulation. It would not be practicable to use this mode of teaching all the time, but it does provide an extra set of skills to add to your pedagogical armoury. Secondly, it takes time to develop these skills: you can expect to get worse before you get better. So persevere through the ‘implementation dip’, and give yourself time to develop your practice.

When should I start using the programme?

You can begin using Let’s Think through Science! at any time. It does not matter if you do not start at the beginning of the school year. Simply choose from the list on page 9 a topic that corresponds to the subject area you are currently working on in science lessons.

How do I start?

• Divide your class into groups of four pupils, bearing in mind the suggestions above.
• Depending on your class and how much experience the pupils already have of group work, you may need to allow some time for discussion as to how a group can best operate successfully. Having established the ground rules, you are ready to begin.
• Read through Activity A: Money Matters and then work through it with your class. Observe whether the pupils work well together in their groups and check that the groups are well balanced in terms of different personality types, gender balance, etc.
• Make any necessary changes to the groupings and, at your convenience, work through Activity B: Painted Doors. Using these introductory activities gives the pupils a chance to practise following the guidelines for effective group work.
• Finalise your Let’s Think through Science! groupings, and avoid changing them for the rest of the school year.
• Choose from the list on page 9 a topic that corresponds to the subject area you are currently working on in science lessons. If you are not starting with Activity 1.1 then you will need to refer to the Concrete preparation for group working on page 22, before you start your chosen topic. Work through each activity provided, allowing a one-hour lesson for each. Questions, instructions and prompts that you may find useful in the classroom are displayed in bold text.
• Continue in this way throughout the school year, choosing topics as you wish.