| CODE |
MSS3001 |
|
| TITLE |
Teaching Science: A Biological Perspective |
|
| LEVEL |
03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course |
|
| ECTS CREDITS |
6 |
|
| DEPARTMENT |
Mathematics, Science and Technical Education |
|
| DESCRIPTION |
This study-unit will enable student teachers to familiarise themselves with new developments in science education and science curricula in the Maltese context. In this study-unit student teachers will be able to review curriculum content and plan and develop lesson materials and resources for sciences lessons with emphasis on the biological content of the science curriculum.
Study-unit Aims
The main aim of this study-unit is to encourage student teachers to familiarise themselves with Biology, including its historical development as a subject, and the topics related to the secondary school Biology syllabus. Through this study-unit students will be encourage to discuss and critique the methods and techniques used in the teaching of biology. The study-unit will allow the development of the awareness of the personal, social, environmental, economic, polical and technological interests related to Biology and the teaching of Biology.
Learning Outcomes
1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:
- Trace the historical development of biology as a school subject.
- Analyse the features that characterise biology teaching and the emphasis given to certain aspects of the syllabus
- Analyse biology related themes in the secondary school science syllabus to identify key and difficult concepts as well as probable sources of misconceptions.
- Investigate the ethical issues that arise during biology lessons and discuss ways of dealing with them.
2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:
- Design curriculum materials which they may use in teaching chemistry, including schemes of work, lesson plans, work sheets and other resources, and assessment materials.
- Identify the background required by secondary school students to understand biology related themes in the science syllabus.
- Propose appropriate teaching strategies that can be adopted to overcome student misconceptions.
- Prepare creative and innovative lessons in science.
- Plan, organise and evaluate practical sessions
- Plan and prepare extra curricular activities and organise field trips in relation to scientific contexts.
Main Text/s and any supplementary readings
Readings compiled by lecturers from articles of interest from the American Biology Teacher; the Journal of Biological Education; the School Science Review; and the InternationalJournal of Science Education. |
|
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE |
Lecture, Fieldwork and Seminar |
|
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
| Assessment Component/s |
Resit Availability |
Weighting |
| Project |
Yes |
100% |
|
|
| LECTURER/S |
Paul J. Pace
Konrad Pirotta
Desiree Scicluna Bugeja
|
|
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the study-unit description above applies to the academic year 2012/3, if study-unit is available during this academic year, and may be subject to change in subsequent years.
|
26 May 2013
http://www.um.edu.mt/educ/studyunit
