Alternative perspectives of effective science teaching

Abstract

“Hoskin Named Teacher of the Year by Science Group”. So read the headline of the local newspaper. The members of our research team were attracted to the banner headline and the photograph of a teacher in a familiar pose, his right hand poised at the blackboard as he explained some aspect of science to one of his five science classes at Rural County High. We were pleased at the recognition that had been given to a hard working teacher we had come to know and respect over a period of six weeks of intensive observation and interviews. At the same time we were perplexed. What we had seen in Mr. Hoskin’s class was not always what you would associate with exemplary teaching. As we scanned the columns of the newspaper, we read that Mr. Hoskin was a popular choice for the award, and had been the recipient of similar awards during the past six years. Convincing evidence was provided to support his claims to the award; his teaching was held in the highest regard by his students, his colleagues and professional educators throughout the state. This “discrepant event” induced a state of conflict in the minds of the research team. Why would one set of educators regard Mr. Hoskin’s teaching as exemplary, and another set of educators have serious concerns about the quality of science education in his classes? Was it that our research team had been too long in the “ivory tower” and had lost touch with the practical realities of classroom life? Many would claim this to be the case, yet each member of the research team had extensive high school science teaching experience, and two had been classroom teachers within the past two years.