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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 19, Issue 1, Article 7 (Jun., 2018) |
In 2013, Ministry of Education and Culture (MOEC) of Indonesia reformed the curriculum of primary and secondary education in response to the goal of increasing quality of education. One of the main characteristics of the new curriculum, known as Curriculum 2013, is the implementation of scientific approach throughout all of the subjects, including sciences (biology, chemistry, and physics) (MOEC, 2012). Consequently, local teachers should be prepared to teach with scientific approach and engage their students to do so in classroom activities, or even in daily life. In fact, though most teachers realize the need of applying latest strategies in the classroom, they often become clueless about how to put their thoughts and ideas into practice (Leden, Hansson, Redfors, & Ideland, 2013). Within this context, it is essential to educate pre-service teachers with the latest educational reform effort from the government and the wisdom of best practice (Moseley, Ramsey, and Ruff, 2004).
As MOEC implements Curriculum 2013, schools and Teacher Training Institutes within universities (LPTK) in Indonesia show the need of exemplary modelling to prepare teachers for teaching with scientific approach. This indicates the need of instructional video which can provide adequate example of teaching with scientific approach. Video promises accessible modelling of instructional practices for teachers, making dissemination of information in the new curriculum more effective (Dieker et al., 2009). Whyte (2011) also indicates that video technology can help teachers to be more concerned with pedagogical principles and wide-ranging teaching strategies. In terms of learning flexibility, instructional video provides opportunity to collaboratively study teaching practice without being physically present in the actual classroom or tied to the time and space (Borko, Koellner, Jacobs, & Seago, 2011; Sherin, Linsenmeier, & van Es, 2009).
Teaching science with scientific approach utilizes scientific method and science process skills to trigger the students actively finding the knowledge and concept they need to solve problem. Integration of scientific methods requires teachers to approach science teaching like a science in which practices and conclusions are based on the objective data rather than conventional lecture (Wieman, 2007; Wieman & Gilbert, 2015a; Wieman & Gilbert, 2015b). Curriculum 2013 describes five steps of scientific approach: (1) observing (to identify problem), (2) questioning (and posing hypotheses), (3) collecting data and information (conducting experiment), (4) analyzing data (associating), and (5) communicating result (MOEC, 2014). Observing involves the ability to use five senses to gather the data. This first step of observation aids the student to identify existing problems. Observation leads to question that needs to be answered, called questioning stage, such as how a phenomenon happens or why the problem occurs. Scientific questions then lead the students to generate hypothesis of the problem. Building hypothesis requires careful preliminary research and literature review of the problem (McLelland, 2006). Following the effort to accept or reject the hypothesis, students need to conduct process of collecting data and information, for instance through experimentation, investigation, surveys, or interviews to the expert. Afterwards, the collected data and information should be analysed together with the hypothesis to avoid incorrect interpretation and affirm consequence; in advanced level, this is commonly conducted using mathematical analysis or model (Giere, 2001). Last, student can be encouraged to share or communicate the result of their discovery. Sometimes, scientific approach also includes other final stage called creating in which the students create original ideas to solve the existing problem or to apply solution in other situation (MOEC, 2014).
Instructional Video: Bridging Teachers to Learn for Professional Development
Instructional video has its theoretical framework in Bandura’s Social Learning Theories which argues that human behaviour is primarily learned by observing others and/or modelling others; thereby implying that modelling is a process by which a model (live, recorded, or imagined) demonstrates behaviour that can be learned and/or imitated by the learners (Delano, 2007; LeBlanc et al., 2003). Instructional video integrates modelling and video as visual cues (Bellini & Akullian, 2007) then expects the teachers engages themselves in specific behaviour which is planned to teach. Escalada and Zollman (1997) also add that visual cues from simulations, models, and video develop understanding and concepts by attaching mental images or visual association. This mental images attachment causes instructional video become powerful tool to help teacher to describe pedagogical knowledge in more realistic and interesting ways than verbal description does.
According to the perspective of professional development, there are two main purposes of providing instructional video to pre-service teachers: (1) normative perspective and (2) ‘developmentalist’ perspective. The first purpose is constructing ‘what to do’ in classroom which is designed from ‘normative’ perspective, while the second purpose is building knowledge on ‘how to interpret and reflect on classroom practices’ which is designed from ‘developmentalist’ perspective (Blomberg, Renkl, Sherin, Borko, & Seidel, 2013). In normative perspective, instructional video demonstrates best practice of teaching actions which build knowledge about ‘what to do’ in classroom (Yung, Wong, Cheng, Hui, & Hodson, 2007), indicating that teachers receives source model to apply pedagogical strategies and modify the details for their own need. On the contrary, developmentalist perspective put the instructional video to provide conception of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ teaching practice to challenge teachers in developing new personal understanding about teaching and learning (Wong et al., 2006). Once teachers observe an instructional video, they are not only simply a ‘viewer’ but also an observer who can reflect on their own beliefs and practices (Coffey, 2014; Newhouse, 2007; Masats & Dooly, 2011). Therefore, developmentalist perspective encourages teachers to critically analyse and evaluate teaching actions of model teacher then consider how they will act to handle the similar condition. Hence, instructional video takes important role in teacher’s professional development by (1) improving quality of teaching and learning activity; (2) potentially enhancing drive to learn, memorize, and conduct specified teaching skills; and (3) helping to solve specific problem that may be raised from actual classroom (Agommuoh & Nzewi, 2003; Gaudin & Chaliès, 2015; Kisa, 2013; Lin, 2005).
Susantini, Faizah, Prastiwi, & Suryanti (2016) have developed instructional videos using ASSURE model, of which the videos have been given a copyright in 2016. Generally, the videos show a teacher who conducts a teaching and learning process followed by sequential activities covering six stages in scientific approach namely observing, questioning, exploring, associating, communicating and creating. Because there are two videos, thus, there are two different contents of the videos. The content of the instructional video for chemistry class covers the explanation as well as the experiment done to reveal the effect of catalyst to the chemical reaction. Meanwhile, the instructional video for biology class explains about acid rain including how it happens, its various level of acidity (pH), and the effect of different pH to plants. In the video, the teacher uses an inquiry-based teaching model for chemistry class while cooperative learning for biology class.
Varying Models of Teaching to Apply Scientific Approach in Classroom
Scientific approach as a teaching strategy requires incorporation with model of teaching with systematic series of prescribed steps or phases (called syntax) of teacher and student’s behaviours. The two teaching models used in this study are frequently taught in the Teacher Training institute of Indonesia universities (LPTK) to prepare pre-service science teachers to be familiar with student-centred approach: inquiry-based teaching and cooperative learning. Such models with student-centred approach become significant in Curriculum 2013 because both provide students with opportunities to engage with problem-solving activities.
Inquiry-based teaching trains students to conduct investigation to collect and process the data in order to establish conclusion; thereby inquire and figure things out by thinking (Sweeney, 2007). In this context, teacher may facilitate the whole learning process or provide small hints through a worksheet or other guidebook to aid the students solving a discrepant event. Discrepant event should ignite students’ curiosity and meet three criteria (Magnusson and Palincsar, 1995 in Arends, 2012): rich of concepts, flexible, and relevant to the everyday’s situation. Inquiry-based teaching is reported to be successfully incorporated with scientific approach in science classroom (Haefner, Friedrichsen, & Zembal-Saul, 2006; Wilke & Straits, 2005).
Cooperative learning fosters students to learn in small groups and help each other to learn collaboratively. In cooperative learning model, we notice that there are: (1) recognition of group’s work; (2) individual responsibility; and (3) equal possibility to achieve successful learning (Slavin, 2009). In cooperative learning model, the instruction should involve students to work together so that the students learn in collaboration with more capable peers rather than depend solely on the teacher as primary source of information (Prince & Felder, 2006). Zakaria and Iksan (2007) reported that cooperative learning model in mathematics and science education was effective to actively stimulate students to complete academic tasks due to its nature of collaborative shared-ideas.
All in all, this study argues that inquiry-based teaching and cooperative learning model can be used for a student-centred learning approach which is relevant to Curriculum 2013. Moreover, the use of both models can support the implementation of scientific approach that has become a firm characteristic of Curriculum 2013 in Indonesia.
We developed sets of instructional video as a source model to test out scientific approach teaching strategy to be applied by the teachers in their own classroom. At initial stage, we expect that this instructional video can build pre-service teachers’ knowledge on what and how to do in science classroom to apply scientific approach. In future, this instructional video also aims to target Indonesian teachers to apply scientific approach in variety of classroom and subject circumstances. Brunvard (2010) argues that instructional video which is accompanied with microteaching helps pre-service teacher to connect authentic situation with their own existing knowledge about pedagogical strategies. Video helps teachers to learn what really happens in class, correct teaching practice, and reflect themselves in perceiving good teacher (Sherin & van Es, 2005; Wong, Yung, Cheng, Lam, & Hodson, 2006). In investigating how the instructional video affects learning process of pre-service teachers in applying scientific approach, this study is designed to improve pre-service teachers’ awareness of scientific approach in science classroom through instructional video and describe pre-service teachers’ responses about the instructional video.
