Biological Science: Meaning, nature and scope –Aims and objectives of teaching Biological Science in schools - Need and significance of teaching Biological Science - Values of teaching Biological Science.
Steps in planning a lesson: Setting lesson goals – Designing a unit plan – Designing a lesson plan – Bloom’s Taxonomy of educational objectives - Formulating educational objectives at cognitive, affective and psychomotor levels – Structure of a four-fold lesson plan –Preparation of a model lesson plan – Types of test-items - Constructing test-items for formative evaluation in class.
Meaning of teaching – Understanding major teaching skills: Introducing - explaining, questioning - varying the stimulus - non-verbal cues – reinforcement - closure and fluency in communication – Practicing a mini-lesson with multiple-teaching skills (for 20 minutes):Observation and feedback on the practice of integration of teaching skills – Understanding major steps in teaching a mini-lesson: Motivation, presentation, interaction, reflection and summing up –Practicing a mini-lesson with five teaching steps (for 20 minutes):Observation and feedback on the integrating of teaching steps in mini-teaching.
Teacher-centered methods: Lecture method - Demonstration method - Team-teaching. Learner-centered methods: Laboratory method – Project method - Peer tutoring/ teaching by students - Project method - Individual activities - Experiential method – Teacher-guided learning - Problem-solving method - Small group/whole -class interactive learning: Student seminar - Group discussion - Mixed-ability grouping. Recent Trends: Constructivist learning - Problem-based learning - Brain-based learning - Collaborative learning – Flipped learning - Blended learning - e-Learning trends - Video conferencing.
Print Resources: Newspapers - journals and magazines - Science Encyclopedias. Audio Resources: Radio talk - audio tapes - DVDs/CDs.Visual resources: Pictures - flash cards – charts - posters - photographs - models. ICT Resources: Radio – television - Internet,multimedia - interactive whiteboard. Community resources: Zoological gardens, Botanical gardens, eco-park - aquarium - science exhibition/fair - field-trip – Qualities of a good biology textbook - Qualities of a Biology teacher.
Reference Book:
Bawa, M.S.&Nagpal, B.M. (2010). Developing teaching competencies. New Delhi: Viva Book House. Bhatia, K.K. (2001). Foundations of teaching learning process. Ludhiana: Tandon Publications. Bloom, S. Benjamin, (1984). Taxonomy of educational objectives. Book I Cognitive domain. New York: Longmans, Green.
Text Book:
Passi, B.K. (1991). Models of teaching. New Delhi: NCERT. Verma Ramesh, & Sharma, K. Suresh, (1998). Modern trends in teaching technology. New Delhi: Anmol Publications.