Elements of Effective Science Instruction (EESI)

Almost exactly a year ago, I mentioned a project that my colleagues in science education were embarking on (see post HERE). We were looking to identify the characteristics of effective science teaching and we were looking at several of the latest and greatest resources.

In the most recent copy of NSTA Reports (mine arrived in the mailbox this week) the p. 5 story describes the product of our work.. Refining Our Focus which describes Elements of Effective Science Instruction aka EESI.

The Four Elements of EESI are:

• Science Content– a deep understanding of the big ideas of science is key to effective science instruction
• Designing Instruction for Understanding– effective instruction considers the initial ideas of the learner and assists the learner in being metacogniive of their own ideas and how they have changed.
• Sense Making: many of the science concepts we want students to understand are counterintuitive to their everyday experiences and they need intentional supports to build an understanding of the learning targets.
• Classroom Culture and Environment: building a classroom culture of ideas versus right answers is critical to effective discourse and an environment of trust and collaboration.

You can download an electronic copy of the NSTA Reports article Refining Our Focus NSTA Press Article– it provides a nice overview of the EESI framework.

You can also check out the EESI website HERE– which provides a more detailed analysis of the EESI framework.

We would love some feedback on the details of this work. We consider this a “living” document and hope to continue to hone and improve the work.