Reference no: EM133366572
When teaching the concept of water surface tension, the teacher begins by explaining to students the concept of water surface tension and how the tension is formed. He/she explains to students that water molecules are attracted to each other and these forces cause the water surface to form a kind of "sheet" that some animals can walk on. Following the explanation, the teacher hands out bowls with water to the students, and asks them to experiment in putting on top of the water different objects, and observe how they interact with the surface tension.
To which of the following principles, the scenario is mostly related?
A. Explanation follows experience.
B. Experience follows explanation
C. Recognising prior experience.
B. Scenario 2
The teacher performs a demonstration in front of the class. The demonstration goes as follows: (i) Place a candle on a plate; (ii) light the candle with a match; and (iii) close the candle with a glass tumbler. After a few seconds, students can see that the flame comes down slowly, while water droplets appear on the glass. Eventually the flame goes off.
The teacher allocates students into groups and asks them to discuss their observations. Particularly, the teacher asks the students to discuss why the flame came down, and why droplets of water appeared on the glass.
To which of the following principles, the scenario is mostly related?
A. Explanation follows experience.
B. Experience follows explanation
C. Recognising prior experience.
C. Explanation:
a. How do the two scenarios differ in relation to the role of the experiment in supporting students' conceptual development?
b. Which scenario do you think is more appropriate for developing students' inquiry skills and cognitive development? Justify your choice.