Application of theory in science education classrooms

This chapter is the mirror to Chapter 1.3. The main goal of this chapter is to provide practical examples to elaborate on and illustrate the applications of the main focus areas of Chapter 1.3. A close relationship exists between instructional design and classroom management, based on the ability of effective instruction to engage students (Scott, Nelson & Liaupsin, 2001). We therefore begin this chapter by noting that a general principle of applied theory is that instruction which engages student attention will also contribute to classroom management, an important consideration for every classroom teacher. When we get to the area of applied theory, we are dealing with highly complex elements of instructional design. Important considerations in this area include thinking about how we can best teach concepts to our students, how to develop effective problem-solving skills, how meaning is constructed from the raw information of learning, how to scaffold student learning for transfer or generalisation, and how to get students to regulate their own learning.