New Perspectives in Science Education

Primary science teachers in Singapore generally do not have a science degree. As part of their professional development, they regularly attend in-service courses to enhance their science teaching competencies. An important way to promote their scientific understanding is to get them to fabricate prototypes based on scientific principles. In the work reported here the teachers (N=28) were shown a thought-provoking demonstration whereby the instructor pours water into a metallic cup, covers it with a cardboard, inverts the set-up and removes the cardboard – yet the water does not come out! The secret behind the demonstration is then revealed – the metallic cup has a false bottom, also made of metal, which can move to cover the rim of the cup. Principles of density and pressure are involved in its operation. The teachers then need to come up with variations of the prototype using recyclable materials and employing simple DIY tools – about 5 hours were spent on this over a period of a week. They then need to present their prototypes to their peers as well as submit a written report, including their reflections.  A 15-item survey instrument was used to gauge the effectiveness of the activity, and qualitative analyses of their written reports were used to better understand their thinking about this activity. At least 15 different prototypes were evident. Overall, the results show that the teachers demonstrated good understanding of a number of science concepts that underpinned the prototype they fabricated – for example, properties of materials, density, and pressure. The findings suggest that when teachers are given opportunities to design and build prototypes that demonstrate scientific principles, their overall understanding and interest levels in science can be enhanced.