The constructionism and neurocognitive-based teaching model for promoting science learning outcomes and creative thinking

Appendix A

The six steps of developed teaching model
and
How the six steps related to or guided by the neurocognitive theory and constructionism learning theory?

The six steps of developed teaching model

Boost attention: Teacher prepares students to be ready for the new lesson. Teacher stimulates students’ learning interest through their presentation. Teacher makes the students to be interested in receiving data, motivated them to learn and stimulated their brain. Teacher and students shared and defined individual learning and workload together.
Gather information: Teacher practices students’ divergent thinking and abilities to search information via information technology. Teacher provides opportunities for students to seek knowledge through new sources of learning. Teachers have to prepare materials such as study materials, computer programs or a real object.
Understanding: Teacher helps students to construct their own knowledge. Students have to review or rethink about their assignment. Students find out the relationship between seeking information and constructing their knowledge.
Thoughts organized: Teacher insists students to construct their own knowledge by organizing their ideas. Students are encouraged to share, analyze, and debate about their projects and find out more information.
Idea clarification/looking for something new: Teacher still continues to keep the students to construct their own knowledge by brainstorming, sorting, making the connection between the prior knowledge and new knowledge. Teacher promotes divergent thinking, imagination and creation of something new, and
Idea tested: Teacher performs a test or proof of the new invention. Students review the objectives, and consider their works carefully. Finally students compare the significant positive and negative effect and make a presentation.

How the six steps guided by the neurocognitive and constructionism learning theory?

Constructionism/constructivism ideas (Anderson, 2009; Ackermann, 2004)	Implication for Education	Implication for developed teaching model
Knowledge is actively created through interaction with sensory experience and is in part to the cultural and educational history of the individual, by relating new information to pre-existing information in memory. Students are active creators of their own knowledge.	The importance of learning environment and experience. Students construct their own understanding in their own ways through experiencing things and reflecting. To do this, they have to ask questions, explore, and assess what they know.	Encouraging students to ask question, do hands-on activities and then reflect on and talk about what they are doing and how their understanding is changing, need to provide activities which engage the mind as well as the hands.
Knowledge construction is mediated through social dialogue whereby linguistic communities, often with a common cultural heritage, share information thus arriving at a consensus explanation of experiences and sensory phenomena. We create knowledge through dialogue and consensus-making. Learning is the effect of interaction with people and environment.	The teacher or other facilitator is essential to enhance passage through a zone of proximal development by engaging the learner in challenging discourse.	“Hands-on. minds-on”; scaffolding; time for discourse.
Percepts are constructed by dynamic interaction between existing knowledge and sensory input. When we meet something new, we have to merge it with our previous ideas and experience, maybe changing what we believe, or may be neglected the new information that unrelated.	The importance of preexisting conceptions in learning.	Make sure that the activities are based on students' preexisting conceptions; let the students to interact with the external meaningful environment, help them to make the connection between pieces of prior knowledge and new learned knowledge to construct their own new knowledge and exchanging their knowledge with others.
We are not merely shaped by our environment, but we are active participants in defining who we are through building explanations of ourselves, our communities and the natural environment surrounding us.	This affirms the capacity of learners to take hold of their own learning, to become self-directive and increasingly mature in their educational development, and to pro-actively develop learning strategies rather than being passive recipients of information.	Active learning
The best way to know whether the students can construct their own knowledge or not is by the active construction of something.	The creation of the product, allows the learner to develop a deeper understanding of the concept being studied.	Have the opportunity to create or construct something.
Using some useful technology in today digital world.	Education in digital world	Provide facility for using internet.

Neurocognitive learning theory (Anderson, 2009; Goswami, 2015).	Implication for Education	Implication for developed teaching model
Brain plasticity. The brain changes as a result of learning, and remains ‘plastic’ throughout life.	The brain will learn from every experienced event.	Prepare the appropriate learning environment for experiencing.
The brain will record multiple representations of experience. Learning depends on neural networks distributed across multiple brain regions. The basis of cognition is indeed in sensory-motor learning. Perceptions of sensory input from five senses are formed by prior experiences and modified in relation to prior stored information in long term memory, the brain processes multiple information inputs almost at the same time. Much of the knowledge that we think of as cognitive seems to develop initially via the way that our perceptual systems operate.	The benefits of multi-sensory approaches /multi-sensory media to education.	Use multi-sensory mediaand “hands-on/minds-on” approach Learning by doing and thinking
The affective states influence how the incoming sensory data are perceived and integrated with prior knowledge, the working memory takes the responsibility in doing these processes. Decision making and response patterns are weighed by emotion, the appropriate response is selected and is actualized by motor pathways. Moderate stress is beneficial for learning, while mild and extreme stress are detrimental to learning.	The importance of stress in learning; the importance of affective states in learning; the importance of working memory, attention, and executive function in learning.	Reduce stress in learning. Have to promote the students’ affective states for continuing their attention, focus on the appropriate connection between prior knowledge and new knowledge, promote executive function especially working memory for shaping and reworking in relation to prior stored information.
Children with poor working memory will struggle to remember the teacher’s instructions, and will forget where they are in a piece of work, perhaps continually losing their place. Executive function abilities have important links to success in school. Language plays a key role in cognitive development. Children with good metacognitive skills can improve their own learning and memory, for example by adopting effective cognitive strategies and by being aware of when they don’t understand something and seeking more guidance.	The development of working memory and executive functionis important for the development of metacognition and the development of reading and academic progress. The conception of “Learn how to learn”	Try to promote working memory and executive function. Emphasis on reading comprehension and interaction between people.

Relations between Constructionism, neurocognitive learning theory, and the developed teaching steps

The basic stages in all teaching models are at least 3 stages: (i) introduction stage to bring the students to engage in the lesson, (ii) teaching or instruction stage, and (iii) summary and evaluation stage to summarize and examine whether students have learned something or not. In this constructionism and neurocognitive-based teaching modelfor promoting science learning outcomes and creative thinking, we identify the teaching steps in this model into 6 steps. Activities in each step is based on constructionism and neurocognitive science knowledge about learning theory added with promoting students’ divergent thing as possible as shown below. For more details please see example of lesson plan in Appendix B.

Developed teaching steps	Constructionism	Neurocognitive
Boost attention: For bringing thestudents to active engage in the lesson and ask the question about what they want to learn, and for checking students’ prior knowledge.	Appropriate learning environment/ Knowledge isconstructed from own prior knowledge/Students have to ask questions, explore, and assess what they know.	Multi-sensory approach: stimulate every part of the brain; Attention; The affective states /Moderate stress is beneficial for learning, while mild and extreme stress are detrimental to learning.
Gather information: Beginning to find information / maybe using internet	The best way to know whether the students can construct their own knowledge or not is by the active construction of something.	The brain will learn from every experienced event. Learning by doing. The importance of working memory, attention, and executive function in learning.
Understanding: Helps students to construct their own knowledge. Students have to review or rethink about their assignment. Students find out the relationship between seeking information and constructing their knowledge.	The best way to know whether the students can construct their own knowledge or not is by the active construction of something.	Learning by doing and thinking. The importance of working memory, attention, and executive function in learning.
Thoughts organized: Insists students to construct their own knowledge by organizing their ideas. Students are encouraged to share, analyze, and debate about their projects and find out more information.	Knowledge construction is mediated through social dialogue whereby linguistic communities, often with a common cultural heritage, share information thus arriving at a consensus explanation of experiences and sensory phenomena. We create knowledge through dialogue and consensus-making. Learning is the effect of interaction with people and environment.	Language plays a key role in cognitive development. The importance of working memory, attention, and executive function in learning. Have to promote the students’ affective states for continuing their attention, focus on the appropriate connection between prior knowledge and new knowledge, promote executive function especially working memory for shaping and reworking in relation to prior stored information,
Idea clarification and looking for something new: Continues to keep the students to construct their own knowledge by brainstorming, sorting, making the connection between the prior knowledge and new knowledge, promotes divergent thinking, imagination and creation of something new.
Idea tested: Students review the objectives, and consider their works carefully, compare the significant positive and negative effect and make a presentation.	Students have to ask questions, explore, and assess what they know	Successful done made the desirable affective states. Children with good metacognitive skills can improve their own learning and memory.

Appendix B
Compared of grade 11th Lesson plan

Traditional teaching model

The developed teaching model

Topic: Producing nano-products.
Time : 4 hours

Main concept
Cotton and many types of natural fiber fabrics or fiber textiles have a property of water and liquid absorption. This made our clothing to be easy to wet and the embedded dirty stain fabrics occurs. So nano-technology has been applied in the production of many types of clothing. By mimicking the natural principle of Lotus leaf, using simple manufacturing processes to make the non-wet or waterproofing clothing.

Learning Outcomes : Students are able to

Describe how to produce nano-technology products.
Design and do an experiment on the topic of properties of nano-fabrics.

Class management: Learning in small group
Asks the students to be grouped in 3-5 persons per group. Each comprised mixed level of achievement ability: weak, medium, and talented students. Each group selects their group leader and group secretary.

Traditional teaching model
Phase 1: Introduction

Developed teaching model
Step 1: Boost attention

The teacher introduced many kinds of fabrics such as cotton, silk, nano-fabrics, etc.
Asks the students to observe and compare these fabrics. (The students may observe the fiber, testing the water absorption, etc.)
Asks the students to record what were observed.

The same as in traditional teaching model

(The purpose of this step is to prepare students to be ready for the new lesson.)

Step 2 : Gather information

Students read the Nano-textiles content sheet
Asks the students to search the properties of each type of fabric that observed in step 1 as most properties as they can. Using the learning resources provided including books, media, and internet.

(The purpose of this step is to promote the divergent thinking and practice for searching information via information technology.)

Step 3 : Understand

Asks each group sharing their ideas, analyzing about the properties of each type of fabric.
Students conclude the properties of each type of fabric.

Phase 2 : Instruction

Learning from instructional worksheets

Students read the Nano-textiles content sheet

Learning by doing the experiment

Asks each group to do the activities assigned in worksheet 1: cloth that not wet.
Asks the students to discuss for planning and doing their experiment following the worksheet 1.
Each group records data.
Each group analyzes the recorded data, discusses and makes a conclusion.
Each group presents the findings to class.

Worksheet 1: cloth that not wet
Objectives

Understand the principle about how to make the not wet clothes.
Know the different types of structures or chemical that can make clothes not wet.
Understand the procedures required in producing fabrics that is not wet.
Understand and can apply the benefit non-wet fabrics.

Content
Some plants’ leaves have fat or wax coated their surface. When dropping water on these plants’ leaves, water droplets will notbe absorbed but will travel together in the middle of the leaves. If we can coat our clothes with some substances that have the same properties of thin wax, our clothes will not wet. Substances commonly used in coating the fabric for non-wet property are Teflon substance or fluorocarbon and silicone substance.
Materials

1. Hair dryers. 2. Iron 3. Glass bowl 4. Gloves 5.Cotton (10 cm x 10 cm) 2 pieces 6. Cloth Ironing Board
Chemical Substance
Teflon substance
Methods.

Put chemical substance into the glass bowl.
Bring one piece of cotton dipped in chemicals.
Squeeze, damp
Use hair dryer to dry that piece of cotton.
Ironing with medium heat iron over and over several times.

Record

Fabric Type	Characteristics of water droplets.	Characteristics of fabrics
1. Cotton that does not coating.
2. coating cotton

Data Analysis and Summary
………………………………………………...
………………………………………………..
………………………………………………..

Step 4: Thoughts Organized

Asks each group to discuss about fabric properties, and give reason for their decision that which type of fabric is the best.
Asks each group to do the activities assigned in worksheet 1: cloth that not wet, (the same as in control group, but let them use less time than the control group since they have to do more activity in worksheet 2 too)

(The purpose of step3 and 4 is to keep the students to construct their own knowledge.)

Phase3 : Conclusion

T: Why the cloth is not wet?
S: It is coated.
T: What kind of substances can use to coat?
S: Wood rubber, Wax,...
T: A substance that they is coated on a fabric has low surface tension than water. So the water droplets on fabric cannot be dissolved. It is often FAT type substance.

Step 5: Idea clarification

(The purpose of step5 is to keep the students to construct their own knowledge. By using the questions and activities to allow the students to share and clarify their ideas. Make the connection between the prior knowledge and new knowledge, and promote the divergent thinking.)

Worksheet 2:
Brainstorm for cloth that not wet
Group …………
Participants

………………….
…………………
…………………
…………………
…………………

List of waterproof substance :
………………………………………
………………………………………
The best substance to use for making the cloth that not wet here is ………………...............
Because …………………………….
Testing the idea (you can do this in your science club if necessary)
………………………………………
……………………………………….
Conclusion
………………………………………

Step 6: Idea tested and looking for something new

Each group presents ideas to class.
Students participate in discussing each group idea.
The teacher provides information to bring back to develop the further concept. (In this case the teacher asks for coating the fruits skin, and some students think about using the gelatin from fruit yam to coat the fruits skin.)

(The purpose of step 6 is to keep the students to construct their own knowledge. Make the connection between the prior knowledge and new knowledge, andlooking for something new)

4. Instructional Media
i) Nano-textiles content sheet

Worksheet 1: Cloth that not wet.

Nano-textiles Content sheet
In nature, there are a large number of surfaces that are not wet. The obvious examples are the Lotus leaves and Elephant ear leaves.

		Lotus leaves
		Elephant ear leaves

(Elephant ear is called Bonn in Thai. Its scientific name is Colocasiaesculenta (L.) Schott)

When dropping water on these plants’ leaves, will notbe absorbed but will travel together in the middle of the leaves. When pouring water out, it will be found that these leaves will not get wet at all. This is because there is a type of fat or wax coated outside on the surface of the leaves of these plants. The surface tension of these fat substances is lower than the surface tension of water, so the water drops cannot permeate into these plants’ leaves. This property can be applied to everyday products, such as clothing or fiber fabric that protection against water drips or not to absorb liquid. By arranging the structure like water or hydrophobicity of the substance that is coated onto the fabric on the nanometer level, combined with the knowledge about the surface tension of water droplets to protect the water droplets to permeability. So when there are water droplets drip on to the fabric, it will not seep into the fabric. Make the lining or wipe off easily.

ผลการค้นหารูปภาพสำหรับ water proof nano-fabric

Substances commonly used in these processes are Teflon-type substance or fluorocarbon and silicone substance, both have less surface tension than water, and are used in the production of water reflection clothing to date.

4. Instructional Media
i) Nano-textiles content sheet
ii) Online computer
iii) Worksheet 1: Cloth that not wet.
iv) Worksheet 2: Brainstorm for cloth that not wet

5. Measurement and Evaluation
5.1 Observing from students’ discussion, how they do experiment, and their communication competency.
5.2 Checking their worksheets

Appendix C: Examples of item in each instrument

Instrument

Example item

Creative Thinking (5 items/50 minutes)

Figure out how to make flyer cotton which has a weight of 1 g going as far as possible. You can use the devices to help (except to move by human-raised). Try to find out the strange and new methods, and as most answers as possible.
Sample answers: (1) use the mouth blow it, (2) attach to rocks and then throwing, (3) etc.

Nanotechnology content knowledge Test (30 items /40 minutes)

What is the nano ingredient in sunscreens?

Calcium carbonate
Titanium dioxide
Zinc oxide
Sulfur dioxide

Scientific attitudes (six traits/25 items/ 10 minutes)

Curiosity:
I read science magazines.
Reasonableness:
I believe that people’s lives are control by fate.
Responsibility and perseverance:
If I am given an easy task, I do it immediately but if the task is very difficult, I will pass it to someone else.
Organisation and carefulness:
I check the apparatus before doing experiment.
Honesty:
Even if my results are not as same as another group, I will not change it.
Open-mindedness:
I am willing to listen to the opinions of others even if they do not agree with mine.

Science process skills (13 skills/45 items/50 minutes)

Observing:
Sam’s home power outage, he lit the candle.
Which data is from observing?

Candles are made with whale fat.
The filling of the candles made from white yarn.
Candles are yellow sticks.
This candle can be lit about 15 minutes.

Measuring:
If you want 3.0 cubic centimeters of sodium chloride solution, which device is most appropriate?

A small test tube
A science lab syringe, 5 cubic centimeters.
A graduated cylinder, 20 cubic centimeters.
A beaker, 25 cubic centimeters.

Using number and calculating:
“There is water in human body, 2/3 of the body weight is water”
If Tom has a 42 kg of body weight, how much water in his body?

20 kg
24 kg
28 kg
32 kg

Classifying:
There are six kinds of animals: ant, fish, chicken, shrimp, shellfish, and cat. What is the criteria to classify these six animals into two groups, each group contains three animals?

Habitats: Land animal and aquatic animal
Blood Temperature: Warm-blooded animal (Homoeothermic) and cold blooded animal (poikilothermic)
Hair: Animals that have fur and hairless animals
Reproduction method: Oviparous animal (animals that lay eggs)and Viviparous animal (animals that give birth to young ones)

Space/space relationship and space/time relationship:
You go to school in the morning, the Sun is in front of you. In the evening when you back home, where is the Sun?

Back of you
In front of you
Left of you
Right of you

Communication:
Which form of presentation will make your friends understand the growth of a bird from egg until an adult most clearly?

The table
The bar chart
The cycle chart
The picture chart

Inferring:
Consider a glass of fruit juice. Which statement is inferring?

Red
Soft scent
Both sour and candies taste
Have a scent and sour taste like Roselle

Predicting:
John collected data from his experiment and found the relationship between the amount of batteries and the extension of the elastic as in Table

Battery (pieces)	elastic’s extension(cm)
2	0.8
4	1.6
6	2.4
8	3.2

If using 9 pieces of battery, what will be the magnitude of elastic’s extension?

3.4 cm.
3.6 cm.
3.8 cm.
4.0 cm.

Controlling variable:
What should be measured if a researcher would like to know whether driving at different speeds would result in different amount of fuel being consumed?
a. time
b. quantity of gasoline
c. distance
d. speed

Formulating hypotheses:
A student used loose soil and clay planting one type of tree by controlling other variables. After one month, it appears that these 2 set of trees have not equal growth. Which statement should be the hypothesis of this experiment?

The type of soil affecting the growth of the tree.
The quantity of soil affecting the growth of the tree.
The amount of water affecting the growth of the tree.
The quantity of fertilizer affecting the growth of the tree.

Defining operationally variable:
What is the meaning of "hard water" that can be observed and measured?

Consumer water
Water that does not have the disease.
Water that does not make bubbles with soap.
Water that is not suitable for drinking.

Experimenting:
If you want to prepare a solution of concentrated alcohol 60%, 50 cubic centimetres, you will use the devices in each choice.

Beaker and test tube
Glass measuring cylinder and beaker
Dropper and syringe
Syringes and test tube

Interpreting data and conclusion:
This table shows the temperature at various locations.

Location	Temperature (๐C)
Pattaya	30
Bangkok	33
Pu Shefah	20
DoiIntanont	8

From the table, which is the correct conclusion?

The higher location, the lower temperature.
The higher location, the higher temperature.
Weather in Pattaya is comfortable.
At Bangkok, it’s hot and humid