Helping Students Become Active Participants in Science

As science teachers, how do we help students see themselves not just as learners of facts, but as active participants in science—as “doers of science”?

The idea of doing science refers not to possessing science knowledge, but rather engaging in the behaviors and practices that scientists use to generate knowledge.

Because understanding develops through practice and application, science content should be paired with science practices. In other words, teachers should engage students in science learning experiences that align with what we know that scientists do—while using assessment tools to monitor, deepen, and sustain learning.

Science Skills vs. Science Understanding

Students are often asked to engage in science activities that have them display actions that demonstrate science skills, rather than behaviors that demonstrate science understanding, which involves the coordination of knowledge and skills.

When learners simply engage in actions, they may be able to recall science knowledge and demonstrate science skills at a given moment. But scientific knowledge and science skills can be disconnected from true science understanding. For example, a student might follow a lab procedure in which they conduct a titration in order to determine the unknown concentration of a substance. While on the surface this may seem like true science understanding, this is a science skill. It is an action that produces an observable event. Science understanding is composed of many actions and behaviors that connect knowledge and skills. Educators can design tasks to develop this understanding.

As an example, consider the following science task, assigned after students have developed knowledge of foundational chemistry concepts and titration techniques.

The Cloudy Fish Tank Case

Over the weekend, Chloe’s 5-year-old brother decides to “help” by cleaning the family’s aquarium. He crushes a few chewable antacid tablets and sprinkles them into the tank. By Monday, the water is cloudy, the fish are near the surface looking lethargic, and the plants look a little droopy.

Task: Using your knowledge of acids and bases, figure out what changed in the water chemistry and recommend a fix.

Background information: Chewable antacids contain calcium carbonate (CaCo3) or magnesium hydroxide (Mg (OH)2). In water, these increase alkalinity and can raise pH. Extra calcium or magnesium can raise hardness. Cloudiness may be suspended carbonates.

Materials: Mystery sample, controls, titration materials, etc.

What to test: pH, alkalinity (through acid-base titration), total hardness.

Asking questions: What do you wonder about based on the problem? What information do you need to know?

Using mathematical thinking: How will you calculate the alkalinity and hardness of the samples?

• Alk = Vt​(mL) × NHCl​ × 50,000​/sample mL
• Hardness = V_EDTA​(mL) × M_EDTA​ × 100,000/sample mL​

Analyzing data: What does calculating the alkalinity and hardness of the samples tell you?

Designing investigations: What procedure will you use?

Engaging in argument from evidence (CER):

• Claim: What was most likely added?
• Evidence: What information do you have to support your claim? Cite your pH, alkalinity, and hardness data.
• Reasoning: How does the evidence support your claim? Connect antacid ingredients to the chemical effect you measured.

Developing Science Behaviors

Over time, teachers can gradually reduce scaffolding questions and allow students to take more ownership of components of the task. This gradual release approach can help students move from isolated actions to development of sustained behaviors that reflect authentic science practices.

This shift is important because when students engage as scientists—by actively participating in inquiry and reflection—they can see themselves as doers of science. In doing so, they are more likely to engage deeply in sense-making and explore divergent ways of thinking.

Teachers play an important role in shaping actions into behaviors through intentional instructional choices, such as the following:

• Structuring individual thinking time to lower anxiety and allow time for students to make sense of information
• Encouraging curious and connected questioning with noticing and wondering prompts
• Creating opportunities for students to share their thinking in varied ways
• Building revision time into tasks so that students see learning (and specifically science learning) as an iterative process

Because actions can be seen as the building blocks of behavior for both students and teachers, a monitoring tool can support teachers in identifying, monitoring, and reinforcing science behaviors. There are many versions of monitoring tools that teachers can use based on what they have identified as the target of instruction and the behaviors that demonstrate the learning they want to see.

Allowing students to review the monitoring tool and ask clarifying questions before using it is another way to encourage the belief that you, the teacher, consider them to be active participants in their learning. A student self-check can extend this idea, and teachers can use it to prompt a variety of participation and collaborative parts of the lesson.

Finally, providing time to reflect on the behaviors that were most present during a task can be an important learning opportunity for both students and teachers. A monitoring tool can serve to remind teachers of the behaviors that connect to science practices and encourage student agency in monitoring their own development as doers of science.