GED 101 – Unit 3

“Theories, Principles and Approaches in Teaching

Biology and Chemistry”

Overview
This lesson explains multiple theories, principles, and approaches relevant to
teaching Biology and Chemistry. It aims to capacitate pre-service teachers with various
educational theories, principles, and approaches that are practical in teaching Science in
primary grades.

Objectives
1. Explain the educational theories in which the teaching of Physics, Earth and Space
Science is anchored and cite their implications;
2. Reflect on the different principles in principles in teaching Physics, Earth and Space
Science;
3. Describe the different approaches in teaching Physics, Earth and Space Science for
elementary pupils; and
4. Explain by examples the application of approaches in teaching Physics, Earth and
Space Science for elementary pupils.

Engage:
Virtual Background (individual activity)
Direction:
1. Using Canva, MS Paint, PPT, Word, or any virtual platform where you can
edit/customize images, create your own virtual background.
2. Choose three (3) words/phrases that will describe how you envision your future
science class would be.
3. In your virtual background, display these three (3) words/phrases and each must be
contained inside a word/speech balloon (make sure to place them right above your
head as you apply it as virtual background).
4. Prepare this image (you may produce a still picture or a motion picture) and use it as
your virtual background during our synchronous class.
5. Submit your virtual background in our VLE/Google classroom.

Attached below is an example:

 Explore:
Direction: Conduct a short research about the words/phrases/concepts that you
used in your virtual background to describe your envisioned science class. Look for
related literatures that can explain and support these concepts. Then, using Word,
present your findings in a brief and concise written manner. Convert your Word file into
PDF and submit your final output in our VLE/Google classroom

Explain:
Theories, Principles and Approaches in Teaching Physics, Earth
and Space Science

A. Educational Theories:
1. Constructivism – An educational theory that defines “knowing” and how
and individual “comes to know”. It is a self-regulatory learning process
where learners maintain a cycle of constructing and reconstructing novel
representations of the world around them.1 Constructivism in teaching
Science allows teachers to view knowledge as a process of cognitive
construction that allows our learners to make meaning of their natural
environment.2

The main constructivist theorists are:

 John Dewey (Philosophical founder)
 Jean Piaget (Cognitive Constructivist)
 Jerome Bruner (Cognitive Constructivist)
 Lev Vygotsky (Social Constructivist)

1
Fosnot, C.T. (2013). Constructivism: Theory, Perspectives and Practice. Teachers College Press
2Duit, R. (1996). The Constructivist View In Science Education – What It Has to Offer and What Should Not Be Expected
From It. Investigações em Ensino de Ciências – V1, pp. 41
 According to constructivism theory of teaching, learners should be the
makers of meaning and knowledge. It posits that effective learning only
occurs if the learners get actively involved rather than merely receiving
information. The following are the characteristics of constructivist
teaching:3
a. Uses authentic activities, environment, and assessment
- learning environment, activities, knowledge, and skills are
relevant and realistic to fully represent features of the real world;
raw and chief sources of data must be used to guarantee
authenticity; entwined and authentic assessment must follow; and
learners must be exposed to apprenticeship to develop KSVA.
b. Promotes diversity of perspectives and interpretations
- considers the learners’ differing perceptions about the reality to
promote metacognition.
c. Follows wholism and integration
- constructivist teaching endorses integration and
interconnectedness of knowledge from various concepts and
disciplines.
d. Guides and build self-directed learners
- situates learners at the center of the learning process; develops
the exploratory skills of the learners; scaffolds learners to achieve
beyond the limit of their potential; and permit a two-way negotiation
between learners and teacher pertaining to the identification of the
goals and objectives to be met.
e. Creates meaningful learning:
- constructs knowledge and avoids the sheer reproduction of it;
benchmarks on the learners’ prior knowledge; accounts errors as
opportunities to reflect on learners’ previous knowledge
construction practices.

2. Social Cognition – Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) initially started as

Social Learning Theory (SLT). SCT focuses on how social elements (i.e.
persons, environment, and behavior) influence learning. It discusses how
an individual acquire and maintain learning by taking into consideration

3
Corpuz, B.B., & Salandanan, G. G. (2015). Principles of Teaching 2. Lorimar Publishing Inc. Quezon City, Philippines
 the social context and the environment in which they delve into.4 This
theory was popularizes by Albert Bandura by proposing the vitality of
observing, modelling, and imitating behaviours and attitudes from another
individual which consequently influences human learning and behavior.

According to Bandura, apart from inciting learning and behaviour through

reinforcements and punishments, there are two (2) other influential
factors which are: 5
a. Observational Learning – learners observe models around them
and learn from these observations by reproducing the same
behaviors which will then be met by either reinforcement or
punishment.
b. Mediational Process – learners does not directly imitate. There is
some thought (mental factors) prior to their imitation that mediates
whether the learners will imitate what they have observed or not.

3. Cognitive Development Theory – A learning theory proposed by Jean

Piaget which suggests that a learner develops cognitive patterns of
understanding and physical approach to experiences. As a biologist,
Piaget was engrossed in how organisms adapt to its environment as part
of its intelligence. He popularized the term schema to represent the
mental organization that an individual utilizes to organize knowledge and
interpret and understand the world around them.6 Schema is also
famously known as the building blocks of knowledge and according to
Paiget learners continuously organize and reorganize schema via
adaptation processes which are:7
a. Equilibrium – occurs when a learner approach a relevant yet more
complex information which drives development among learners.
Equilibrium strikes a balance between assimilation and
accommodation and these two concepts happen in a cyclic
manner. A learner attains equilibrium if he/she faces familiar
information and disequilibrium when faced with new knowledge.
b. Assimilation – occurs when the information faced by the learner
successfully links and can be easily added/assimilated into his/her
pre-existing knowledge or common theme of the schema.
Therefore, the knowledge presented to the learners is not
dissimilar and adds up to what the learner already knew.

4
Bandura, A. (1989). Human Agency In Social Cognitive Theory. American Psychologist, 44(9), 1175–1184.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.44.9.1175
5
Mcleod, S. (2016). Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory. Simply Psychology.
https://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html
6
Huitt, W. & Hummel, J. (2003). Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta,
Georgia
7
Lefa, B. (2014). The Piaget Theory of Cognitive Development: An Educational Implication.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265916960
 c. Accommodation – occurs when a new and incoming information is
introduced to the schema of the learner and possesses conflicting
or unfamiliar concepts compared to his/her pre-existing
knowledge. Therefore, the learner will need to
accept/accommodate changes in his/her old schemata in order to
receive new information.8

Piaget’s also introduced four

(4) Stages of Cognitive
Development to explain how
learners construct a mental
model of how they perceive
and interpret the world they are
in. He strongly opposes the
conventional notion that
intelligence was a fixed trait,
instead, using the stages of
cognitive development, he
accounts cognitive
development as a process that
happens due to biological
maturation of an individual and
his/her interaction with the
environment.

In Science Education, Piaget’s suggests that Science teachers should

take into consideration of the individual differences of the learners from a
cognitive development angle to avoid expecting more than what the
learners can do.9

4. Learning Styles – In teaching primary science, various learning styles

and learning style models have been presented from around the globe to
cater the individuality of the learners through differentiated methods.

Learning styles refer to how an individual gains inclination to a certain or

a group of learning preferences which he/she use to approach a learning
situation. These learning styles are believed to induce impacts on the
performance and attainment of learning outcomes by every learner.10

8
Bormanaki, H.B. & Khoshhal, Y. (2017). The Role of Equilibration in Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development and Its
Implication for Receptive Skills: A Theoretical Study. Journal of Language Teaching and Research. Rasht, Iran
9 Ulu, E. & Kiraz, A. (2013). Science Education and Cognitive Development. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 136

( 2014 ) 438 – 451. Nicosia, Cyprus

10
Cassidy, S. (2010). Learning Styles: An Overview of Theories, Models, and Measures. Educational Psychology, 24:4, 419-
444, DOI: 10.1080/0144341042000228834
 One of the most well-known approaches to learning style ever proposed
is the design of Rita and Kenneth Dunn (Dunn and Dunn Model).
According to their model, learning styles differ into various preferences
which are: (1) environmental; (2) emotional; (3) sociological; (4)
physiological; and (5) psychological.11

Another learning style model includes Felder-Silverman model which

classifies learning styles into four (4) dimensions, each dimension
containing more specified learning preference.12 (see diagram below)

11
Dunn, R. (2000). Learning styles: Theory, Research, and Practice. National Forum of Applied Educational Research
Journal, 13 (1), 3-22
12 Graf, S., Viola,S. R., Leo, T., & Kinshuk (2007). In-Depth Analysis of the Felder-Silverman Learning

Style Dimensions. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 40(1), 79–93

 VAK/VARK model, proposed by Neil Fleming, also differentiates learning
styles into multiple categories which are Visual, Auditory/Aural,
Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic. Moreover, its categories in the VARK
model are interconnected to emphasize the ability of an individual to be
attributed with more than one learning style.13

5. Brain-Based Learning Theory – Brain-based learning theory revolves

around the engagement of strategies from principles about our
understanding of the brain. It focuses on providing an education that is
anchored on how the brain is naturally designed to learn. Also, it is
founded on solid researches from brain-related disciplines (e.g.
psychology, neurology, genetics, biology, etc.).14 In teaching primary
Science, brain-based learning can be easily integrated in the planning,
implementation, and evaluation of the teaching-learning process.

Brain-based learning, also known as naturalistic learning, emphasizes

what is natural to our brain. It also deals with the conditions and
experiences that impact our brain and its learning processes. With this,
teachers, especially Science educators, may organize classroom
instructions based on the needs of our brain by following the
B.R.A.I.N.B.A.S.E.D strategies that include:15

13
Othman, N. & Amiruddin, M. H. (2010). Different Perspectives of Learning Styles from VARK Model. Procedia Social
and Behavioral Sciences 7(C) (2010) 652–660, Malaysia
14
Jensen, E. (2008). Brain-Based Learning: The New Paradigm of Teaching. Corwin Press: A SAGE Company. Thousand
Oaks, California
15 Hilemans, S. (2006). Motivating Students Using Brain-based Teaching Strategies. The Agricultural Education Magazine,

78(4), 18-20)
B – Brain’s time clock - Our brains run on a 90-120 minute cycle
called Ultradian rhythms. This affects our rest-activity cycle and
influences our focus, cognition, energy, and stress level. To
accommodate these cycles, we must incorporate varying instructional
activities and avoid having focused attention on a passive learning for
more than 12 to 15 minutes. You may also opt to follow Pomodorro
technique especially when teaching intermediate grade levels.

R – Repetition - Repetition strengthens brain connection. Knowledge and

skills are best learned when they are repeated multiple times in multiple
ways. You may do so by providing multimedia or activities before, during,
and after the conduct of the lesson.

A – Active Learning – Active learning prevents the conventional teaching

perspective of keeping the learners as passive recipients of information.
Also, the more physical movements there are, the more neurons
(cerebellum) get activated and the more oxygen enters the learners’ brain
which enhances their performance and eliminates their drowsiness and
restlessness. Activities such as role-playing, presentations,
demonstrations, experimentations, and many more can be integrated in
the lessons.

I – Images – Images (visual elements) comprises 80-90% of all the

information absorbed by our brain. Visuals contribute in making meaning
out of content. It also directs attention which consequently increases the
possibilities of learners’ heightened retention. The use of multimedia,
models, posters, bulletin boards, and many more can help develop
learning.
 N – Novelty – Novelty refers to the brain’s natural tendency to learn from
contrasting, unfamiliar, or new/novel information or experiences. These
novelties, changes, or improvements do not have to be limited around the
content as they can be changes in seating arrangement, lighting,
classroom decorations, and many more.

B – Be Colorful – Color memory is the strongest memory compared to

word and object memories. Each color affects our brain in a different
manner. Yellow and pink are said to improve memory while green and
blue are linked to relaxation increased concentration. On the other hand,
the color red produces adrenaline which might cause restlessness while
blue or black over a white background enhances comprehension and
retention. As a science teacher, we can use colored handouts, colorful
posters, and etc. to utilize the effects of colors in the brains of our
learners.

A – Automatic Learning – Automatic learning occurs by the time you, as a

teacher, approaches the learners; from your appearance to the color of
their peers’ shirt down to your rapport and credibility. Non-verbal
communication is of vital importance in learning. Therefore, as a teacher,
we must model positive attitude and environment, mastery of learning,
and lasting rapport to our learners.

S – Social Brain – Humans are inherently social creatures which makes

learning more productive and effective in a high-quality collaborative
setting. Our brains are designed to be social in nature that is why working
together greatly enhances learning.

E – Elicit Emotions - Emotions are essential part of improving one’s

attention, perception, memory, and problem solving. Prior to the
absorption of new knowledge, learners must understand and connect
emotionally to it first. More intense emotions provides better retention of
the event or experience. Activities such as public speaking, community
immersions, debates, public performances, and many more can vastly
contribute to learning.

D – Develop Thinking Skills – Developing the learners thinking skills is

best facilitated through the use of real-world problems and authentic
experiences. Activities such as decision-making, organizing projects,
gathering information, solving problems, and many more elicits their
higher order thinking skills.16

16Hilemans, S. (2006). Motivating Students Using Brain-based Teaching Strategies. The Agricultural Education Magazine,
78(4), 18-20)
 B. Principles of Teaching Science (Chemistry and Biology):
1. Constructivist Principle
- Extract ideas from the learners’ prior knowledge and ideas and take them
into account as part of your teaching. Construct knowledge using these
ideas under a contextual setting to arouse the learners’ motivation and
curiosity.
2. Discovery Principle
- Allow learners to learn by doing. Avoid spoon-feeding mere facts and
directly giving answers to their questions. Let the learners learn Science
by doing it themselves, not by you explaining all of it. Facilitate and guide
learners as they discover answers to learner-generated questions.
Promote hands-on-heads-on-hearts-on activities.
3. Brain-based Principle
- Provide teaching that is meaningful and be a teacher who teaches for
meaning. Create a learning space where learners are challenged, not
threatened. Inculcate emotions to your content and integrate science
concepts from across science disciplines. These can produce learners
who constantly achieve and develop.
4. Make Students Work Together
- Support high-quality collaborative learning. A collaboration that is
effective, well-planned, and healthy.
5. Consider Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles
- Offer multiple and varied learning opportunities. Differentiate methods
where you can foster balance between collaborative group works and
individual tasks. These contributes to the attainment of holistic
development among learners.17
6. Understand Science from Historical Context
- Understand historical evolutions of scientific theories to better serve
solutions for present problems. Trace historical development of Science
concepts such as the discoveries of elements which developed
thousands of years ago and is still continuously studied until the present.
Present these historical processes to the learners to help you reconstruct
their prior knowledge about this certain Science concept (structure of
elements).
7. Identify Scientific Theories as Incommensurable and Non-falsifiable
- Scientific theories are incommensurable (incomparable) and non-
falsifiable (not testable), however learners can test scientific theories
either to confirm or deny them given that the teachers provide
tests/experiments that are coherent and competent.
8. Nurture Learners’ Freedom in Thinking about Science

17 Corpuz, B. B. & Salandanan, G. G. (2015). Principles of learning 2. Lorimar Publishing Inc. Quezon City, Philippines
 - Emphasize to the learners that there is no one-fits-all or universal method
in learning and understanding science. Through this, the learners are
given a chance to think liberally and retell present knowledge in relation
to prior principles.
9. Deliver Conceptual Teaching, not Formulaic Teaching
- Let the children understand scientific formula and concepts rather than
memorize them. Use conceptual teaching to link science contents to the
everyday lives of the learners. Avoid rote learning and memorization of
science terminologies when teaching science.18

C. Approaches in Teaching Biology and Chemistry for Elementary Pupils

1. Integrated/Integrative – Integration can be intradisciplinary, interdisciplinary,
or transdisciplinary.
A. Intradisciplinary integration – integrating macro skills within
language subjects (i.e. Filipino, Mother Tongue, English)
B. Interdisciplinary integration – integrating measuring skills in
mathematics to Science experiments
C. Transdisciplinary integration – integrating lessons beyond the
corners of the classroom. You may indigenize, localize,
contextualize, and apply learning to the real-world.19
2. Interdisciplinary – This refers to the interconnectedness, interrelationships,
and interaction among various disciplines.20 Its main feature lies within the
transfer and adaptation of methods, knowledge, and skills from one discipline
to another to establish a stronger integration.21 This can be observed when a
Science teacher and a Social Studies teacher provides opportunities for the
children to apply the scientific method in solving social problems.
3. Multidisciplinary – An approach that displays connection and relation of
multiple disciplines. This approach utilizes contents and perspectives from
two or more subject area into a lesson.22 According to IBE-UNESCO (2016),
multidisciplinary approach in curriculum focuses on the use of diverse
perspectives which can be used to illustrate and elaborate a topic based on
the viewpoints of different disciplines.23 For instance, Science and Health
contents and viewpoints can be related together when teaching about
environmental protection.

18
Bazghandi, P. & Hamrah, S. Z. (2011). The Principles of Teaching Science Based on the ideas of Feyerabend Rregarding
the Nature of Science and the Manner of its Expansion. Tarbiat Moallem University, Faculty of Education and Psychology,
Department of Philosophy of Education, N0. 49, Tehran,15719-14911, Iran
19 Corpuz, B.B., & Salandanan, G. G. (2015). Principles of Teaching 2. Lorimar Publishing Inc. Quezon City, Philippines
20 Bilbao, P.P., Jusayan, S.R., Morano, L.N., & Tiongson, L.C.(2019). Teaching Science in the Elementary Grades. Volume

1. Chemistry and Biology. Lorimar Publishing Inc. Quezon City, Philippines

21 Besselaar, P. & Heimeriks, G. (2001). Disciplinary, Multidisciplinary, Interdisciplinary: Concepts and Indicators. Social

Science Informatics Program, University of Amsterdam Roetersstraat 15, NL-1018 WB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
22
Bilbao, P.P., Jusayan, S.R., Morano, L.N., & Tiongson, L.C.(2019). Teaching Science in the Elementary Grades. Volume
1. Chemistry and Biology. Lorimar Publishing Inc. Quezon City, Philippines
23
IBE-UNESCO (2016). Multidisciplinary Approach. IBE-UNESCO, http://www.ibe.unesco.org/en/glossary-curriculum-
terminology/m/multidisciplinary-approach
 4. Disciplinary – Disciplinary approach, also known as subject or traditional
approach, can be observed when each subject (discipline) is being taught
separately to pave the way for an in-depth understanding and specialization
on a certain discipline.24 However, too much dependence on disciplinary
approach may limit the scope of specialization and lessen exploration among
learners.

5. Spiral Progression – An approach where similar set of concepts are taught

across grade levels with an increasing level of complexity. The idea is to
increase mastery of learning by revisiting the same concepts in every grade
level to consequently develop learners’ in-depth understanding of the
contents.25 It avoids compartmentalizing topics in each grade level (e.g. in
old curriculum, we teach integrated science in 1st year, Biology in 2nd year,
Chemistry in 3rd year, Physics in 4th Year), thus promoting continuity and
progression.26

(K-12 Science Curriculum in Spiral Progression Approach)

24 Tsetse, D. (2011). Responding to Pollution Problems: Conceptual Analysis of Disciplinary Approaches. United Nations
Children’s Fund, Sudan
25 Corpuz, B.B., & Salandanan, G. G. (2015). Principles of Teaching 2. Lorimar Publishing Inc. Quezon City, Philippines
26 Dunton, J. B. & Co, W. S. (2019). Spiral Progression Approach in Teaching Science and the Performance of Learners in

District I, Capiz. Capiz Natioal High School, Roxas City, Philippines

 6. Science-Technology-Society – An approach to teaching science that
accentuates the learners’ appreciation of Science by relating it to societal
factors and technological developments and vice versa.27 In teaching science
under STS approach:
a. teachers must enable learners to discuss societal issues pertaining to
science and technology;
b. teachers must engage learners in problem-solving activities;
c. teachers must facilitate learning around problems and questions
related to their daily living and the environment around them; and
d. teachers must emphasize that the scientific and technological issues
in the society is the organizer of learning.28

7. Contextualized – An approach to teaching science that highlights lesson by

putting it into context. Contextualized teaching provides more meaning in
teaching as it moves over and beyond the four corners of the classroom; it
reaches local, national, and global setting.29 For instance, in teaching primary
science about living things and their environment in Grade 3, a teacher may
use local plants and animals as examples. In Grade 4, we may use plants
and animals that can be found all around the country as examples. In Grade
5-6, we may use plants and animals from all around the globe as examples.

8. Problem-Issue Based Learning – An approach to teaching science where

learners encounter relevant problems, issues, or tasks. It encourages a
student-centered learning environment where learners are able to self-direct
their learning and achieve independence as well as interdependence through
collaborative problem-solving groups. It also allows learners to understand
how they will learn and identify what they will learn.30

9. Inquiry Based – An approach to teaching science that revolves around

seeking for knowledge and understanding through questions; more efficiently
student-generated questions. It does not solely focus on finding correct
answers but rather on finding holistic solutions. Furthermore, this approach
improves higher order thinking skills and inquiry skills among learners. 31 As a
science teacher, inquiry-based approach also puts your teaching efficacy into
test because one facet of success in teaching science is when learners learn
to formulate questions.32 If your learners are merely passively receiving

27 Corpuz, B.B., & Salandanan, G. G. (2015). Principles of Teaching 2. Lorimar Publishing Inc. Quezon City, Philippines
28
Primastuti, M. & Atun, S (2018). Science Technology Society (STS) Learning Approach: An Effort to Improve Students’
Learning Outcomes. IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 1097 (2018) 012062
29 Corpuz, B.B., & Salandanan, G. G. (2015). Principles of Teaching 2. Lorimar Publishing Inc. Quezon City, Philippines
30 Bilbao, P.P., Jusayan, S.R., Morano, L.N., & Tiongson, L.C.(2019). Teaching Science in the Elementary Grades. Volume

1. Chemistry and Biology. Lorimar Publishing Inc. Quezon City, Philippines

31 Bilbao, P.P., Jusayan, S.R., Morano, L.N., & Tiongson, L.C.(2019). Teaching Science in the Elementary Grades. Volume

1. Chemistry and Biology. Lorimar Publishing Inc. Quezon City, Philippines

32 Corpuz, B.B., & Salandanan, G. G. (2015). Principles of Teaching 2. Lorimar Publishing Inc. Quezon City, Philippines
 information and avoid asking or formulating questions, you might need to
revisit your Science teaching skills.

10. Practical Work – An approach to teaching science that involves action and
reflection. Science deals with the material world; a world that is observable
via physical senses, therefore teaching science must be laden with
observation and manipulation of objects, materials, and instruments in the
real world. According to Piaget, constructing knowledge becomes
increasingly potent if we act on our understanding of the world. Practical
work does not delimit its concept through showing and manipulating objects,
but it also underscores the essence of telling and interpreting your
observations or experimentations.33 Practical work serves as a bridge
between the observable physical world and the learned scientific ideas.

11. Literature-Based – An approach to teaching science with the use of literature

such as textbooks, nonfiction books, magazines, newspapers, and
researches which contains in-depth science concepts that are contributory to
inquiry and discovery learning. Literature-based approach is not a stand-
alone approach. Just like any approach, it needs compatibility and
coordination with other approaches that are hands-on and exploratory.
Science literatures may range from biographies of renowned scientists,
scientific discoveries, up to latest Science researches and beyond.34 The use
of literature in teaching science increases conceptual knowledge and
understanding among primary science learners.

33
Millar, R. (2004). The Role Of Practical Work In The Teaching And Learning Of Science. High School Science
Laboratories: Role and Vision, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC
34 Cox, C. (2012). Literature Based Teaching in the Content Areas. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
 Elaborate:
Podcast (group activity)
Direction:
1. The class will be divided into four (4) groups.
2. Each group will produce a 5-8-minute podcast to discuss topics about theories,
principles, and approaches in teaching primary science.
3. Each group must assign podcast host/s and podcast speakers/guests.
4. Each group may opt to incorporate relevant scientific
advertisements/commercials, intermissions, and etc. in between parts of their
podcast.
5. The group leader/representative will submit the final podcast to our VLE/Google
classroom.