The Teaching Science with Alternative Instructional Methods
Princess T. Navarro
Teacher I, Alexis G. Santos National High School, Philippines
princess.navarro111@deped.gov.ph
Abstract
This paper presents alternative methods in
teaching science. It tries to determine what
constitutes effective teaching in science with
regards to students’ performance using
meta-analysis. According to a literature
reviewed, there are main principles of
effective teaching that could be identified.
The first is dealing with students' existing
ideas and conceptions. This is important for
teachers to help students construct their
own understanding and knowledge. For this
purpose, such teaching methods and
activities as question-and-answer,
discussions small group or whole class,
small group activities, practical work, and
using ICT facilities can be employed. The
second principle is encouraging students to
apply new concepts or skills into different
contexts. In order to do this, teachers can
use practical work, field trips, simulations,
writing activities and role-play. The third
principle identified is encouraging student
participation in lessons. Involvement may be
through a wide range of teaching and
learning activities such as inquiry-based
teaching, co-operative learning groups,
questioning, discussions, field trips, role
playing and so on. Encouraging student
inquiry; encouraging co-operative learning
among students; and offering continuous
assessment and providing feedback are
other principles identified from the
literature.
Keywords: Effective Teaching, Teaching
Methods, Science Teaching, Constructivism,
Students Performance
I. Introduction
Old curriculum in Science teaching
primarily required setting objectives for
students to memorize facts found in
textbooks and to verify known phenomena
through performing some experiments. The
theory and models were given to students,
and then teachers moved to textbook
exercises. Later, real-life applications of the
topic were explained (Seymour & Hewitt,
1997). Students were motivated to learn
these topics since they were informed that
the topics were important in the curriculum
or in their future career. However, the
failure to connect the content of the courses
to real life applications led students to lose
their interest in science (Kardash & Wallace,
2001; Seymour & Hewitt, 1997).
Opposed to the failure of this approach for
science teaching, the primary goal as
educating “a scientifically literate person
who is aware that science, mathematics, and
technology are interdependent human
enterprises with strengths and limitations;
understands key concepts and principles of
science; is familiar with the natural world
and recognizes both its diversity and unity;
uses scientific knowledge and scientific
ways of thinking for individuals and social
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purposes” (American Association for the Six years later, Dewey (1910) noted,
Advancement of Science [AAAS], 1989, p. “Science teaching has suffered because
4). The vision of science education has also science has been so frequently presented just
attracted attention in policy documents. For as so much ready-made knowledge, so much
this, The National Committee on Science subject-matter of fact and law, rather than as
Education Standards and Assessment the effective method of inquiry into any
(NCSESA, 1993) set some principles which subject-matter”.
emphasize the pedagogical shift from
By these, alternative teaching methods are
teacher-centered to student centered
used in teaching-learning process of Science
instructional paradigm by engaging students
subjects. The paradigm of teaching Science
in scientific inquiry applications where in
has shifted from traditional method to
students can learn by doing by means of
new/modern of method which caters 21st
hands-on activities, small group discussions,
century learners.
discovery approach and collaborative
learning. Ajaja (2013) identified the ‘method adopted
for teaching and learning science as one of
Science education aims to achieve two
the factors contributing to this low interest
significant goals. First, it aims to teach
in science and hence expressed the need for
students the main principles of scientific
a search for alternative instructional
thinking which activates Higher Order
strategies that could stimulate students’
Thinking Skills (HOTS), critical thinking
interest and enhance their achievement. The
skills, communication skills and
use of various teaching strategies/methods is
collaboration of students. The second goal
borne out of the fact that there are different
of is to teach students the knowledge and
topics to be taught and skills intended to be
application of one (or sometimes two or
developed. Many innovative strategies have
more) scientific disciplines. With these, the
been developed by educators with a view to
main goals of science education for more
involving learners more in the teaching
than a century are to equip students with the
learning process. This is considered very
ability to enhance the scientific literacy.
important and there is the need get these
John Dewey’s turn-of-the-20th-century calls strategies into the classrooms (Slavin, 2005;
for the use of experiential learning and Leikin & Zaslavsky, 1997).
inquiry practice were directed toward
For this to be done successfully, there is
enhancing the general scientific literacy of
need for teachers not only to be aware of
students. He argued that teaching theory
these strategies, but also to learn how to use
should be more closely associated with
these strategies appropriately in the
desired outcomes (1904), and that the best
classroom. The objective of this paper is to
way to get students to become more
determine some of the alternative methods
scientifically aware and informed is through
that can be used in teaching Science with
the processes of experiential learning—
regards to students’ performance. Some of
having students learn science by mimicking
the alternative methods in teaching Science
the work of scientists.
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are the following: Combination of Learning, fall under individualized instruction and four
Cooperative Learning, Individualized (n= 4) studies on problem-based learning.
Instruction, Inquiry-Based Learning, The least studied type of teaching methods
Manipulative, Model and Multiple include project-based learning (n = 3),
Representations, Problem-Based Learning, combination learning (n = 2) and
Project-Based Learning and Technology- multicultural education (n = 1). The
aided Instruction. presented results imply that in science,
inquiry learning considered a constructivist
approach is the commonly studied teaching
II. Procedure intervention with regards to academic
performance. It can also be accounted that
researchers engaged in the following
Methods used are meta-analysis, examining methods: the use of models, symbols
available studies (published and (abstract) and various representations, in
unpublished). Secondary data were used by small teams (groupings) and integrating
the researcher for it is more readily available technology, as to explore their effectiveness
due to the rising of pandemic crisis caused on secondary students. In addition, the very
by corona virus disease 2019. Moreover, few quantity of multicultural education and
this study employed a combination of combination learning presented in this study
qualitative and quantitative approaches to would be an enlightening for practitioners
determine the different types of alternativel and researchers to pursue more of such
methods in teaching science. teaching methods in promoting high quality
learning in science. In such case,
multicultural education has only one study
III. Results and Discussion involved which denotes as weak and
unreliable result, which in turn, not included
in accounting for the meta-analysis as
The meta-analysis results from secondary presented in succeeding part.
data for the studies determining the effects
In the meta-analysis, all innovative teaching
of treatment category tailored to students’
methods (Combination of Learning,
academic performance. As summarized,
Cooperative Learning, Individualized
inquiry-based learning (n = 11),
Instruction, Inquiry-Based Learning,
manipulative, models and multiple
Manipulative, Model and
representations occupy the top teaching
methods being studied on academic
performance in science. It was followed by
cooperative learning and technology-aided
instruction with nine (n = 9) and six (n = 6) Multiple Representations, Problem-Based
qualified studies, respectively. There were Learning, Project-Based Learning and
only five (5) primary studies qualified that Technology-aided Instruction) exhibited a

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significant positive influence (p < 0.05) in
terms of their mean effect size on student
performance. The weighted mean effect size
of the treatment categories ranges from 0.50
to 1.80. Using the random-effect model, the
inquiry-based learning (d = 1.783) has the
largest mean effect size, followed by
problem-based learning (d = 1.276) and
cooperative learning (d = 1.268) which are
close in effect values. Nearly of the same
effect values shared by MMMR
(manipulative, model and multiple
representation) (d = 1.072), project-based
learning (d = 1.035) and technology-aided
instruction (1.017), then individualized
instruction that still have positive effect
level (d = 0.933). Combination learning
showed to have moderate positive effect on
the performance of students. Within the
collection of teaching methodology, the
inquiry-based learning method such that
focus on inquiry questioning, facilitated
inquiry activities, guided discoveries and
inductive laboratory exercises seem to have
the greatest impact on students’ academic
performance in science. As emphasized by
Maxwell, Lambeth and Cox (2015),
activities in science classrooms could
involve observations, questioning,
investigating, predicting, explaining and
communicating results. Memorizing facts
would not increase skills in students, but on
having the freedom to explore and
investigate through inquiry learning.
Conventional teaching promotes rote
memorization that does not develop or
supports the development of students’
problem solving and critical thinking skills.
IV. Conclusions
As a result of this study, it has been
determined that teaching methodologies
included in the meta-analysis exhibited an
over-all large effect size (d = 0.982) on
student’s performance. Constructivist
teaching approach (inquiry-based and
problem-based learning) and cooperative
learning were among the studied teaching
method categories that exhibited a
significant strong impact on students’
academic performance as compared to the
conventional teaching. In terms of student
characteristics, cooperative learning
displayed significant effect size on both
variables; attitude and motivation.
V. References
Alberts, B. (2009). Redefining science
education. Science (New York, NY), 323
(5913), p. 437- 437.
Katukula Mubiana (2018). Teaching
Methods in Science Education in Finland
and Namibia. Stellenbosch University
(Finland). Retrieved from:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/32
9191625
Sugano et al. (2019). Journal Of Physics :
Review Studies on the Effectiveness of
Science Teaching Methods in Students in
Students Transformation. IOP Publishing.
Tayşir Eyüp Aygün. (2010). An Alternative
Method for Teaching the Concept of Theory
in Research Methodology. Marmara
University.
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https://www.researchgate.net/publication/33
6037764
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Celal Akdeniz S. Instructional Process and
Concepts in Theory and Practice Improving
the Teaching Process Demirel University
(Turkey)
Retrieved from:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/33
6037764