Analysis Of Learning Situation Of Grade Fifth Students’ Comparative Experiment And Research On Teaching Strategies

In order to train pupils’ scientific literacy, the teaching objectives andtasks of primary science were defined as "to explore the core, students are encouragedand organized to explore as scientists". The experiment is one of very effectiveapproaches which can complete the teaching tasks of elementary science. Through"Ask a Question-Design Experiments-Conduct Experiments-Reach Conclusion" inthe process of experimental teaching, students can master the basic experimentalmethods and obtain the most typical and realistic perceptions. Comparative experimentis one of important methods in the experiment teaching in elementary science. Withcomparative experiment, the students can be acquainted with objective things andnatural phenomena more clearly, comparative experiment are also very helpful toimprove the ability of observation and experimental skills of students. Judging fromthe large number of literature review, the data in the study of comparative experimentin the primary science curriculum is less right now, in view of this, we chosecomparative experiment in the primary science curriculum as a research topic to probea series of questions in the teaching of comparative experiment.The research selects the comparative experiment in the first unit "Biology andEnvironment" and the second unit "light" part of "Science" of Fifth Grade. Theresearch is based on the requirements of "full-time compulsory education science(grades3-6) curriculum standards (trial version)", by analyzing the typical comparativeexperiment of this part in the teaching material and as the basis for record lectures,finish up the problems which may arise when the students study comparativeexperiment, whereby prepared a questionnaire. Through surveying the400fifth-grade students of Sichuan Normal University Laboratory School by questionnaire andinterviewing the two science teachers which teaches fifth grade, organize and classifythe problems which appear in the process of students learning comparative experiment,presented in the following aspects mainly:(1) The main problems which arise in the process of the students learningcomparative experiment is that the ability of designing a simple comparativeexperiment is weak, this is mainly reflected in the writing experimental programs. Thefive points of experimental program are issues raised, speculation, the same conditionsof two groups, the different conditions of two groups, the experimental method, butmost students only wrote the different conditions of two groups, ignoring the otherpoints, and they didn’t understand the nature of contrast test profoundly.(2) The students didn’t observe with comparison when they observedexperimental phenomena in the experimental group and the control group. Somestudents only observed experimental phenomena in the experimental group, somestudents only observed experimental phenomena in the control group, resulting inincomplete results recorded.(3) The students are short of empirical consciousness in the course ofexperimental results obtained. Some students only believe that the experimental resultswhich are summarized by teachers, they are short of the consciousness of derivingconclusions from the experimental results.Based on the theories of the children’s cognitive development theory and the latestresearch results of brain science to analyze the reasons of presented three problems, wepropose three following feasible strategies of teaching depended on the view of thepractical teaching:(1) Teachers should recognize the complexity of comparative experiment andcheck the students’ scientific record book carefully. The author analyzed two class’sscientific record book of the fifth grade, the problems appeared in questionnaire alsoexist in the student’s scientific record book. However, teachers usually have not paidenough attention when they check the science book. So, the author thought thatteachers should make corresponding improvement in the comparative experimentallessons in the future.(2) Guide the students to design the experiment in a proper manner. When thestudent design a comparative experiment, teachers shoulder act the role of an instructor, comparative experiments by taking advantage of the groups’ common thinking power.(3) Guide students to observe and record the experimental phenomenon. When thestudents do group experiments, teachers could give some guidance to observe andrecord the experimental phenomena, encourage students to record experimentalphenomena in their own way, praise students who do well in the experimental record,encourage students to do the experimental records by learning from role model. As tothose who records experimental phenomenon of incompletely, teachers can ask thesestudents to write short scientific papers.