For quite some time, science educators believed that
“hands-on” activities were the answer to children’s
understanding through their participation in science-related
activities. Many teachers believed that students merely
engaging in activities and (a) manipulating objects would
organize the information to be gained and the knowledge to
be understood into concept comprehension. Educators began
to notice that the pendulum had swung too far to the
“hands-on” component of inquiry as they realized that the
knowledge was not (b) inherent in the materials themselves,
but in the thought and metacognition about what students had
done in the activity. We now know that “hands-on” is a
dangerous phrase when speaking about learning science. The
(c) missing ingredient is the “minds-on” part of the
instructional experience. (d) Uncertainty about the knowledge
intended in any activity comes from each student’s
re-creation of concepts ― and discussing, thinking, arguing,
listening, and evaluating one’s own preconceptions after the
activities, under the leadership of a thoughtful teacher, can
bring this about. After all, a food fight is a hands-on activity,
but about all you would learn was something about the
aerodynamics of flying mashed potatoes! Our view of what
students need to build their knowledge and theories about the
natural world (e) extends far beyond a “hands-on activity.”
While it is important for students to use and interact with
materials in science class, the learning comes from the
sense-making of students’ “hands-on” experiences.
* pendulum: 추(錘) ** metacognition: 초(超)인지
*** aerodynamics: 공기 역학
