Abstract
No matter whether you are teaching school children, undergraduates, or
colleagues, a few key strategies are always useful. After an
introduction on teaching philosophy, I will discuss five key strategies
for teaching science, with examples (drawn primarily from astronomy and
physics): (1) Provide a Contextual Framework: It is much easier to
learn new facts or concepts if they can be "binned" into a pre-existing
mental framework that gives a broad context for the detailed study to
be undertaken. (2) Create Conditions for Conceptual Change: Many people
hold misconceptions about scientific ideas. Therefore we cannot teach
them the correct ideas unless we first help them unlearn their prior
misconceptions. (3) Make the Material Relevant: It's human nature to be
more interested in subjects that seem relevant to our lives. Therefore
we must show students the many connections between science and their
personal concerns. (4) Limit Use of Jargon: The number of new terms in
many introductory science books is larger than the number of words
taught in many first courses in foreign language, which is a clear
recipe for failure. We must find ways to replace jargon with plain
language. (5) Challenge Your Students: Don't dumb your teaching down;
by and large, students will rise to meet your expectations, as long as
you follow the other strategies and practice good teaching.