FORMATION OF MOTIVATION. ENCOURAGING PUPILS TO TAKE INTEREST IN BIOLOGY

By REGINA STANKEVIČIENĖ,

Biology teacher at the Verdenė Secondary School in Paberžė, Vilnius District

SUMMARY

While the education system is undergoing reforming changes, the teachers have to play a very important role in helping pupils not only to learn key notions and facts, and acquire skills but also to like the learning, get a feeling of the inner linkage with the subjects, learn to meaningfully investigate and get knowing the world. Nor only a teacher but also a pupil should be responsible for the successful learning process.

The school has a task to enhance the motivation of pupils in various education spheres. In order to survive the school has to employ attractive forms of work organisation as well as interesting and rational education methods, while developing its general culture and creating conditions for perfectionning of the pupils. The contemporary school has to arouse the curiosity of pupils, to help them in discovering the joy of learning, self-orientating in the search of the sense of life, and encourage for success and achievements.

A motivation level of pupils is determined not only by education in the family. Every teacher may do a lot in this sphere. The description of methods highligts techniques for stimulating of motivation and arousing the curiosity of pupils, which have been employed in the Verdenė Secondary School in Paberžė, Vilnius district.

A scientific research work in different age groups of pupils have been carried out in our school from 2003. 5-7th class pupils carried out research into health lifestyle, dental care and hygiene, harmful habits. The work is carried out by a group of 2-3 enthusiasts. Every member of a group has his particular obligations, which may be collecting references and theoretical substantiation, or collecting and processing of data, or putting into shape of the work. 8-9 class pupils carry out research into problems related with the biological diversity. 10-12th class pupils carry out a more complicated research work. A research work entitled “Quality analysis of drinking water in sources in Paberžė surroundings” was commenced in 2003. The following parameters of water from all artezian and shaft wells were analysed: hardness, quantity of ions of iron, nitrates and nitrites. This work is continuous. Upon analysing the results, pupils concluded that the hardness of drinking water is of a high level, and water contains nitrates and nitrites. After contrasting the obtained results with the requirements of the European Union standards, it was shown that drinking water from the analysed sources is not fit for drinking. The pupils prepared recommendations for the Office of Rural District Head and individual consumers. A research work entitled “Food Additives and Nutrition Habits of People” was carried out in the years of 2004-2005. 10-11th class pupils have collected information on various conservants and stabilizers used in food industry, and data concerning nutrition habits of local people. When carrying out research work, pupils gave a number of useful suggestions, and demonstrated a great interest in research, analysis and elaboration of conclusions and recommendations. Subsequently, such activities enhance the interest of pupils who did not take part in this research work.

Quizes, school festivities of the nature and inter-school conferences are organised every year. A quiz under a title of “Keep Clean and you shall be Healthy” is one of the traditional quizes for 5-7th class pupils. Being given questions in advance, pupils collect information and consult pupils from higher classes. For consolidation of the acquired knowledge, a competition entitled “We are against AIDS” was organised. Participants of this competion were pupils from 8-12th classes. They collected information, created anti-advertissements and artistic programmes. Traditional festivities – “The Day when the Birds Return” and “Autumn Festival” are organised in every spring and autumn. During these festivities pupils have the opportunity to consolidate in atractive form knowledge concerning Lithuanian birds, vegetables and fruits. The drawing competition entitled “They also want to live” is organised every spring. A harm to the nature and dangerous consequences of a still persisting tradition of burning grass were disclosed by pupils. Quite a lot of time is alotted for education activities regarding the forest. Excursions in the nature, zoological gardens, museems, national parks and similar objects are very effective measures to arouse the curiosity. The school organised the folowing excursions that were very popular among the pupils:

Ø Excursion to the Anatomy Museum at the Kaunas University of Medicine,

Ø Excursions to the Tadas Ivanauskas Zoology Museum, the Zoology Garden in Kaunas, the Botanical Garden and the Greenhouse,

Ø Excursion to Ventės Ragas,

Ø Excursions to the National Park of Kuršių Nerija and the National Park of Aukštaitija,

Ø Excursion under the title of „On the Roads of Panemunė”.

Before every excursion a pupil have to collect a minimum of information regarding the place to be visited. He is assigned a specific task to be done at arrival to the place. He submits to the teacher his report and comments. Pupils like very much to participate in lessons conducted in the nature where they have the oportunity to observe variuos objects, study the morphology of plants using real illustrations.

No teacher can manage without active teaching methods. I often use in my lessons discussions within all classe or a group, debates, “rain of ideas”, games, analysis of phenomenons or situations, interview method, group reports, role compliance, drawing-in lectures, or teaching of others. Learning contracts are concluded. For discussions and debates, contradictory topics are used. The class are divided in advance into two groups, which have to collect facts “for” and “contra” as much as possible. Discussions and debates deal with such problems as healthy way of life, harmful habits, sexually spread diseases, abortions, ecological problems, traffic-related problems. The pupils willingly participate in such discussions expressing interesting ideas and adducing useful facts. The mission of the teacher consists in keeping the order in the class, “reconciling” the parties, not allowing the deviation from the subject, emphasizing the main statements, and generalising. The so-called “rain of ideas: is an effective teaching method in lower classes. When conducting a modern lesson, one cannot manage without games that are used as a means for relaxation and consolidation of knowledge. The analysis of phenomenons may be used when speaking about the harmful effects for health of smoking and alcoholic drinks or ecological problems. Pupils try to find the causes of phenomenons, discover the mechanism that trigers a problem, define consequences and propose some possible preventive measures. Learning contracts are concluded with less motivated classes, where the teacher sets forth his conditions for a pupil. The pupil assumes the obligation to participate in lessons, to do assignments well and in time. Teaching of the other may be used as an effective technique for “pulling” of less active pupils: those who are more clever teach pupils who are weaker, and pupils from higher classes help those from lower classes. One of the conditions for successful employment of the active teaching techniques is proper preparing of the teacher, and giving by him of instructions to pupils as well as informing them as regards objectives and expectations. When doing practical work, the pupils like experimenting, suggesting expected results and creating on their own schemes of tests. Moreover, active teaching methods allow to include into activities the pupils with special needs, subsequently they can achieve better results.

For boosting the curiosity of pupils, the short-term effect measures may be used It is widely known that pupils are more attentive at the beginning and at the end of lessons. During biology lessons may be used the following interest-boosting measures:

Ø Curiocity-arousing questions, answers to which should be looked for in additional sources. For example, such question as “Flowers of what colour bees are not able to see?” Pupils usually with enthuasiam search for explanation.

Ø When teaching the course in Human Biology, a problem-emphasising questionnaire of 10-15 questions may be drawn up. The pupils have to find answers to topical questions concerning the health. Questions may be relevant to symptoms and profilatic measures of particular diseases, or the first-aid. The pupils often find certain information that could be useful in their life.

In addition the teacher may use various attention-atracting techniques such as elements of acting, various challenges, awards or incentives, music, quotations about the nature, poems, funny stories, “cold flames”, incorrect tests, a game “The Hanged Man”, comics or puzzles..

When teaching biology may be employed interactive teaching methods such as study diary, map of ideas, level marking and structure explanation, statement and confirmation strategy, question analysis, metods of preliminary impressions or templates.

All teaching methods presented in this description are tested in practice and proved to be effective in boosting the interest in natural sciences. The discussed methods improve the motivation of pupils and their ability to employ the acquired knowledge in their life situations.