1. Philosophy on Science Teaching
I believe scientific teaching means establishing core knowledge in students by using the
scientific method in the classroom to encourage discovery of key concepts. The “traditional”
teaching method of lecturing facts to the students has proven to be ineffective because students
are passively involved with the material. Instead, a course should utilize interactive methods
such as: problem solving activities, group work, actual scientific experiments, data analysis etc.
so that the students are actively involved in thinking through the logistics of concepts (Knight
and Wood 2005). The goal of a course should be for the students to learn subject material, but in
a manner that develops the intellect of the student. This means establishing a rational
understanding of why essential concepts are accepted instead of testing students’ ability to
memorize facts. I believe that students need to exhibit metacognition, or the ability to reflect on
their own learning, in order to be successful. However, the critical role of the teacher is to create
a curriculum that will engage the interests and learning styles of all students. It is essential to
recognize diversity and create a welcoming, comfortable and safe learning environment.
Instructors need to be cognizant and respectful of all cultures, beliefs and identities such that
students are able to focus on learning.
Students learn by incorporating new ideas with their current knowledge. However, if their
past and present ideas are conflicting, students will often dismiss the new material. Learning with
understanding requires integration of new ideas with your current knowledge and being able to
analyze the legitimacy of those new ideas. Scientific teaching should involve self-discovery of
concepts wherever possible through active learning activities, group discussions and in-class
self-reflecting questions (i.e the use of clickers). Active learning strategies demand that the
student engages and actively participates in the learning process. This environment supports a
more well-rounded learning progression and encourages active self reflection on their
advancement of knowledge through-out the course. Active learning techniques provide
immediate feedback of the students’ understanding and can often provide incentive for the
student to improve (Freeman et al. 2014).
I believe motivation plays an essential role in student learning. In order for a student to
obtain information that sustains long term, they must be motivated and engaged in the material.
The self-determination theory is the idea that one must use their own will to engage in activities
(How People Learn, 2000). Students have power over their own learning and self-motivation in
academics. Instructors, therefore, need to give students the perception of control. It is the
students’ choice of whether or not to complete an assignment, study for an exam etc. Commonly,
instructors rely on the extrinsic motivation of students by using grades to provide incentive. I
believe, however, a good instructor encourages intrinsic motivation by creating activities that are
interesting, engaging and put into a “real-world” context. These activities need to demand the
attention and investment of the students in such a way that creates a genuine curiosity for the
material. This requires the instructor to design and implement activities that are tailored and
specific to the student population. If an instructor demonstrates authentic enthusiasm for what

2. they are teaching, that can often transfer to the students. Importantly, instructors should directly
emphasize that students are in control over their own learning and have the resources to succeed
by encouraging participation.
I believe that courses should be designed with as much interactive activities and
cooperative learning groups as possible. Students that are asked to work cooperatively need to
understand the material at a level where they are able to explain it to their peers. By developing
solutions with classmates and working together to reach a common purpose (completing a
project), this promotes social and cognitive reasoning skills (Johnson 1991). In the active
learning course, Animal Physiology at ASU, students had smaller weekly recitation sections
where they were asked to work in groups to analyze and interpret relevant data, evaluate case
studies, solve novel problems and apply their previously learned concepts to real-world
applications. This environment strays from the pressure of the large lectures and encourages
students to interact with the material on a deeper, student-centered manner. This allows the
instructor to encourage the students to ask questions and address difficult concepts. The
instructor should guide critical thinking of difficult topics by giving students a novel problem
that requires utilization of previous knowledge and requires new connections to be made. These
types of activities promote high order thinking skills because it demands review, interaction and
application of the students’ concept knowledge (Woodin et al. 2010).
My goal as a teacher is to guide students into thinking critically and provide the
resources such that students can evaluate the validity of concepts themselves. With proper
support, students can examine their current understanding of topics and integrate new ideas to
develop a deep understanding of the material. If students understand the reasoning behind
general concepts, these ideas can last a lifetime, as opposed to storing facts in their short-term
memory (i.e. forget the ideas after the exam). Assessments are an essential tool, however, for
both the instructor and the student. A great instructor uses formative assessments (such as in
class worksheets) to gauge their success at transferring knowledge to the students through-out
the course so that discrepancies can be addressed immediately. Like-wise, the student is able to
adjust their learning habits if they aren’t satisfied with the results. What I find essential for a
teacher to establish in their students is higher order thinking skills. A successful teacher will have
taught their students independence and competence in the covered material such that they are
able to apply that knowledge to problems in their future courses, degree, and eventually, career.

3. References:
1. Knight JK, Wood WB. Cell Biol Educ.Teaching more by lecturing less. 2005
Winter;4(4):298-310.
2. Scott Freeman, Sarah L. Eddy, Miles McDonough, Michell K. Smith, Nnadozie
Okoroafor, Hannah Jordt and Mary Pat Wenderoth. Active Learning Increases Student
Performance in Science, Engineering and Mathematics. PNAS. 2014.
3. Terry Woodin, V. Celeste Carter, and Linnea Fletcher. Vision and Change in
Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action. CBE Life Sciences Education. 2010
9(2), pages 71–73.
4. Committee on Developments in the Science of Learning with additional material from the
Committee on Learning Research and Educational Practice, National Research Council.
How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition. ISBN: 0-
309-50145-8, 385 pages (2000)
5. Committee on Undergraduate Science Education, National Research Council. Science
Teaching Reconsidered: A Handbook. ISBN: 0-309-52275-7, 104 pages (1997)
6. Handelsman, Jo, Sarah Miller, Pfund Christine, Freeman W. H. Scientific Teaching.
2007.
7. Johnson, David, and Roger Johnson. "Group Assessment as an Aid to Science
Intstruction." Science Assessment in the Service of Reform. (1991): 283-289.