Bridging the Gap: What is Transfer?
I have been learning quite a bit this year as a new PhD student at Indiana University. One of my responsibilities has been teaching undergraduate pre-service teachers a "Methods of Science Education" course. A significant concept foundational to this course is the idea of "transfer" in science. As a teacher, I am ashamed to admit that I did not know what this meant, let alone make it part of my teaching practice.
In education, especially in science, transfer refers to a student's ability to apply knowledge and skills learned in one context to new and different situations. It's about bridging the gap between what students learn in the classroom and how they can use that knowledge in real life.
By fostering transfer in elementary school science, we can help students become well-rounded individuals equipped to use their scientific knowledge and skills to navigate the world around them. That sounds great, but what does this look like in practice?
In my class, we did a great series of activities from Ambitious Science Teaching for grade 2. Without front-loading the unit with vocabulary and concepts, we jumped right into the first activity—making ice cream in a bag. It was so much fun. From there, we did follow-up activities day after day to build understanding.
How the activities foster transfer:
Building a Foundation: The ice cream science activity introduces the concept of heat transfer, a fundamental concept that students can apply to various situations.
Extending the Concept: An experiment with food coloring in hot and cold water builds upon the understanding of heat transfer. It shows how temperature affects the movement of particles, which is a direct consequence of heat transfer.
Visualizing Molecular Behavior: The next activity involves using Legos to model solids and liquids, which helps students visualize the molecular behavior that underlies the different states of matter. This connects the abstract concept of molecular motion to the observable properties of solids and liquids.
Applying the Concepts: Identifying observable properties in solids and liquids allows students to apply their understanding of molecular behavior to real-world examples. This reinforces the concepts and helps students see their relevance to everyday experiences.
So, what are your science lessons like? How do you sequence a unit? Do you have a curriculum you follow, or are you pulling together resources based on your state standards?
The next time you’re planning a science unit, consider this:
Transfer is crucial for students in teaching science. In short, it is "extending what is learned from one situation to another" (Chinn & Iordanou). But it's even more than that. Instead of asking students to regurgitate a lecture, text, or even the contents of a worksheet filled with vocabulary, having students do science to understand science just makes sense. The understanding comes about through carefully sequenced lessons that build off one another.
How Can We Foster Transfer in Elementary Science?
Hands-On Experiences: Practical experiments and activities allow students to explore scientific concepts firsthand and apply them to different situations.
Real-World Connections: Connect scientific concepts to students' everyday lives. For example, discuss how simple machines are used in toys or how the water cycle affects the weather.
Cross-Curricular Connections: Integrate science with other subjects, such as math, language arts, and social studies, to show students how scientific concepts are relevant to various areas of study.
Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Encourage students to think critically and solve problems using scientific methods.
Metacognition: Teach students to reflect on their learning and understand how they think. This can help them develop strategies for transferring their knowledge to new situations.
There’s no doubt about, science education is messy! Planning activities that require students to do science takes some extra work and thought, not to mention potential clean-up later! All too often, we teachers start to think of science as that "extra" subject that we never have time for or don't have the supplies or resources for.
Yet, I challenge you to think differently about your science lessons from now on. If you have an idea you want to explore with your students (even if you're a little reticent about it yourself), give it a go through an activity first, then build on with other activities. Your students will therefore have a chance to build deep understanding through their transfer of knowledge from one context to another. After all, that's what science is all about.
References:
Chinn, C. A., & Iordanou, K. (n.d.). Theories of Learning. essay.
Ice Cream Unit Grade 2. (n.d.). https://ambitiousscienceteaching.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Ice-Cream-Teacher-Guide.pdf
