SEAa- TEACHING METHODOLOGY IN NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS
Fadil AJREDINI, Naim SYLA
Abstract
Teaching science based on student experience is not a new idea. SEA is based on the teaching/learning strategy of the German pedagogue Martin Wagenschein. Some other well-known names (predecessors of thought) were: Jean Piaget, Neil Bruner Dieter Nachtigall, and more recently Jürgen Schӧnherr and Ingo Mueller. Jürgen Schӧnherr is regarded as the man who introduced SEA and practiced it in many countries of the world, and for this reason, he is also known as Papa SEA. Through Starter Experiment, a comprehensive approach to teaching science and mathematics is provided. According to this approach, special attention is paid to the internal motivation of more students, especially girls who usually suffer from the “natural dominance” of boys during natural sciences and mathematics learning.
The constituent elements of the SEA are:
• At the beginning of each chapter of the course, the lesson begins with observations of the environment or
with an experiment which is called initial or starter.
• Individualization of important steps such as: observations, construction of hypotheses, and formulation of
concepts.
• Working in groups for planning and carrying out verification experiments.
• Communicating to the whole class about the idea, strategy, concept, and their application.
• Elaboration of the new knowledge anticipated to be understood.
• Redefining the role of the teacher as a stimulator and organizer of the learning process.
• Motivation of students and teachers for natural sciences and mathematics.
Pages:
478 - 483