Synthesizing Process and Pedagogy in the Development of a Field Marine Science Course for K-8 Teachers

Abstract

MAR-380: The Learning and Teaching of Marine Science, is a science course specifically designed to integrate scientific content and pedagogical practice. This course, developed at Rider University, bridges the gap between the learning of science and the teaching of science through a seamless integration of science content and science pedagogy. The course emphasizes an inquiry-based approach, with students examining four different coastal environments through field exercises on the New Jersey shore. Before each trip, students learn about each environment through lecture and discussion, and develop their own questions about potential interactions between physical and biological processes. Students complete assigned readings of exemplary science lessons pertinent to the field site and answer relevant review questions prior to the trip. Students then collaboratively design field procedures to collect appropriate data to answer their questions. Samples are collected and data recorded in the field, analyzed in the lab, and subsequently integrated into site-specific reports. In the culminating activity for the course, students design age-appropriate learning experiences for K-8 students, based on the new science content they have learned. Pre- and post-survey results indicate a general increase in both students' attitudes toward the importance of science and in their perceived ability to do science.