Using moments of wonder in Science with pre-service teachers

There is widespread concern in government, industry and education sectors that science education in Australia is in a state of crisis (Tytler, 2007). Tackling many of the global, national and local challenges will require a workforce skilled in science-related disciplines, but negative student attitudes is a crucial element contributing towards a concerning trend in the diminishing proportion of students in post-compulsory science-related study, particularly in the enabling sciences such as Chemistry and Physics (Lyons, 2006).

While addressing the perceived systemic weaknesses associated with science education in Australia is complex, the chronic under-teaching of science in primary schools is viewed by many as an important element of reform (Cooper, Kenny & Fraser, 2012; Tytler, 2007). Many primary teachers avoid teaching science (Appleton, 2003; Tytler, 2007) averaging 41 minutes or 2.7% of teaching time each week (Angus et al., 2004). Likewise, a more recent study suggests that nationally the average total teaching time is 2% each week (Australian Science Teachers Association, 2014). Current and future teachers are at the centre of any attempt to improve science education, but as is the case for many of their in-service counterparts, primary pre-service teachers (shortened to PSTs herein on) generally lack science content knowledge and have limited confidence to teach science (Cooper, Kenny & Fraser, 2012). This is a salient factor in the under-teaching of science in primary schools because many PSTs have limited opportunity to observe experienced teachers modelling effective science teaching pedagogy during their teacher practicum (Kenny, 2012; Kenny et al., 2014). It is essential to address these oft unfavourable views PSTs' harbour in regards to their confidence and ability to teach science in order to improve science education in Australia.

Positively impacting PSTs’ perceptions of Science

Addressing the oft inadequacies of PSTs’ experiences of teaching science on their practicum is a complex problem beyond the scope of this article; however, we posit that a place to begin is to positively impact PST's perception of science and scientific thinking in order to lessen the distance they envision between themselves and Science. Considering the typical experiences of PSTs in the practicum part of their degree, it is especially crucial that the experiences in the coursework component of their degree are effective in promoting change in the way students both perceive the sciences and the teaching of it. We were informed by Schibeci (2009) regarding the importance of stakeholders to re-think science beyond merely a discipline of confusing, complex content toward one of excitement, imagination, and possibility. Future teachers, particularly those with negative views of their ability in science, often articulate a desire to teach children in more effective and engaging ways then they themselves were taught science in primary school (Gilbert, 2009). Creating positive experiences and attitudes for future teachers is essential to alleviate the crisis of interest and facilitate engagement with science content (Tytler, 2007). The question becomes how might we go about reversing years of less than favourable experiences of Science. One approach to addressing these associations of science as disconnected to their lives, and positively impact PST's lack of confidence to teach science may be on promoting students’ desire to understand the world around them by promoting wonder (Milne, 2010). As part of an attempt to positively impact PST's perceptions, a sense of wonder in the sciences is accepted as one effective way of promoting PSTs’ interest in Science. Consequently, this study investigated pedagogical strategies that may build PSTs’ interest in Science.

Wonder and the Sciences

In order to discuss how this study aimed to promote moments of wonder, it is necessary to explore the ontology of how wonder is defined within the scope of this study.

The beauty and power of wonder lies in this direct connection to aesthetics and emotion (Stolberg, 2008; Zembylas, 2007). Hadzigeorgiou (2012) contended there are key attributes that are unique to wonder and wondering, in particular that there exists a distinct separation between wonder and curiosity. Curiosity is the drive to investigate or study something while wonder is a state of mind or feeling. Moreover, wonder has an aesthetic dimension, which can be totally absent from curiosity. This connection to emotion is often expressed when scientists describe the role of wonder in their work and the contemplative notions that discovery brings. It is this connection to the emotive that distances wonder from that of curiosity. It is this awareness of beauty and admiration, which are steeped in the emotive realm that ultimately provides the separation between wonder and curiosity. These notions of wonder often do not make into the pedagogic practice of primary classrooms nor are they often expressed in teacher preparation (Gilbert, 2013). Hadzigeorgiou (2012) argued that, when building pedagogical approaches, steeped in wonder, students must have a clearly developed awareness:

that conceptualizes understanding as incomplete, where there is always more to learn;
for the multiple connections across and between scientific concepts to be considered;
regarding the beauty of the natural world and scientific phenomena.

The key here is to hold school-based science experiences to a similar what many scientists describe as the driving force in their professional science careers and discovery efforts.

There is no shortage of description of wonder within professional science circles from Rachel Carson, Albert Einstein as well as a new generation of scientists clamouring to interest a broader audience in science such as BBC personality and physicist Brian Cox. He advocates that a healthy sense of wonder is not only essential to interest others but is the main driving force feeding even the most senior scientists to better understand the world and remarkable phenomena within it. We see similar insights from Silverman (1989) who stated that… “the beginning of science is wonder, and in my view, the fostering of that wonder is the paramount task of science education at all levels of study” (p.44). These scientists remind us of the importance of not losing sight of what is most important in engaging in the sciences. The goals of this project are clearly an effort to rekindle PSTs connection to wonder and the beauty of the unknown. Consequently, we are trying to articulate PSTs’ emotional engagement with the sciences and their responses to utilising wonder to drive pedagogy.

Wonder as science pedagogy

Researchers, over the last decade, have clearly argued for the innate ability of children to wonder about the natural phenomena they encounter and experience on a daily basis (Hadzigeorgiou, 2005; Howes, 2002; Hurd, 2002, Girod, 2008). Schools work to homogenise student thinking often leading older children to distance themselves from the fanciful notions like wonder and imagination (Leafgren, 2009) and often do not make important connections between science and students’ wonderings (Gilbert 2013). In addition, Leafgren (2009) argued that excellent teaching, as envisioned by the authors as inspiring to children, often falls outside the realm of quiet, orderly and predictable practice that has become synonymous with 'good teaching'.

We argue, however, that wonder is not just for children. For many scientists, collecting new sets of data or envisioning new problems can often lead to notions of excitement and wonder that we would often reserve solely for children. Science itself is filled with findings celebrated with child-like enthusiasm, no matter the age of the scientist. Our underlying hypothesis is that promoting wonder would provide benefits for all PSTs, but particularly those that have negative perceptions of science. The aesthetic quality of investigating science with wonder provides the necessary connection between the student and the scientific ideas that are being investigated (Girod ’ Wong, 2002; Wickman, 2006). "For this reason, the aesthetic element should also be sought in that personal experience of doing science, and hence linked to such notions as mystery, awe, wonder, imagination, inspiration" (Hadzigeorgiou, 2005, p. 41). These notions speak to rather an intense need to know and understand (Gilbert, 2011). It is this need to know that we are trying reignite in our PSTs. These emotional connections to science content serve are essential to engage PSTs and connect science content to their everyday experiences (Stolberg, 2008). Zemblyas (2007) argues this emotional engagement must be built into our classroom approaches and drive our pedagogy. The essential importance here is to keep in mind that, as educators, we must trigger PSTs’ connection with the natural world in order to engage their interest in science through "wonder, questioning, and curiosity about how the world operates" (Feist, 2012, p. 773). This certainly speaks to the problems we face considering the waning interest in science across various areas of education.

The goals of this project represent an effort to generate interest in science and explore the degree to which wonder frameworks can offer in this regard. Furthermore, we are directly responding to Stolberg's (2008) call for researchers to develop strategies steep in wonder:

… it is clear that both teachers and pupils need to be made more aware of the feelings wonder can engender. Pedagogical strategies need to be developed so that teachers can facilitate pupils to reflect on the possible meanings of the wonder, so helping them to develop a mature scientific voice (p. 1963).

Similarly, Hadzigeorgiou (2012) asserted that when utilising 'wonder' as a pedagogical framework we must consider: the tentative nature of knowledge, the willingness to consider "unexpected connections between phenomena and ideas" (p.989) and an appreciation for the beauty of the natural world. Utilising these frameworks, the authors of this study endeavoured to engage adult science learners using a teaching strategy where PSTs were encouraged to ask science questions they had always wondered about. The following is an attempt to address the crisis of interest that currently faces science education in addition to answering Stolberg's charge to develop 'pedagogical strategies' that help students utilise their special connections to wonder.

Research questions

Does the use of a weekly wonder wall in a Bachelor of Education (BEd) Science unit promote wonder amongst primary preservice teachers (PSTs)?
What is the nature and sophistication of PST’s wonders regarding science content and what might that tell us about their conceptualisations of science?
What are the possibilities and implications for utilising pedagogical strategies steeped in wonder?