Research Questions
When it comes to teaching, many teachers still prefer to use a direct instruction approach to help their students learn. This seems to hold true especially in subjects like science, where the teacher may not feel comfortable with what they must teach simply due to lack of experience or knowledge. This leads to either ignoring Science completely or not allowing students to ask questions or deeply explore topics that interest them. However, due to the many variations in learning styles of children, direct instruction is not always the best approach. For this reason, I plan to investigate how to teach science to children through hands-on learning. I aim to answer the following questions:
How can hands-on learning experiences be implemented in elementary school Science lessons?
Does implementing hands-on learning experiences in Science increase student engagement and understanding?
Methods with Anticipated Participants
This project is based on the benefits of teaching Science through hands-on learning experiences. In my research, I will find a variety of ways to intertwine hands-on learning with the required curriculum. These hands-on learning activities will stem from research-based strategies that engage students and provide unique learning opportunities. The provided lessons will be aligned with the New York State Science Learning Standards for Second Grade.
Anticipated Results
The anticipated results of this project should prove to not only be beneficial to student learning, but include teachers being able to see the benefits of these experiences. Throughout the project, students can delve deeper into the understanding of Science topics, thereby creating more engagement and understanding in Science learning. Additionally, teachers should come away from this project with knowledge of how to use hands-on learning not only in Science, but how it can be adapted to fit other curriculum and subjects. As a result, teachers can feel more confident in teaching Science in new ways, and students can feel confident learning through doing.
Ways to Use the Master’s Research Curriculum Project
At the conclusion, this project should serve to prove that students can become more engaged in their own learning through hands-on experiences. This study is also aimed at teachers, with the hopes that they understand hands-on learning is not as difficult as it may originally seem. The lessons in this project can serve as templates for hands-on learning experiences in all grades and subjects in the future.
Conclusion
Overall, hands-on learning is a great way to teach students the required curriculum while engaging them and creating important physical-mental connections. Science can be a difficult topic to teach, especially when it involves direct instruction and rote learning. Therefore, Science is generally taught on a surface level basis or not at all. However, with the implementation of hands-on experiences, hopefully teachers and students will gain a deeper appreciation for Science.
Teaching Science Through Hands-On Learning 