FOCIS is a recently-completed five-year project to develop a program that integrates science instructional planning and teacher enhancement. Separate modules of videotaped and printed materials have been developed (1) for use by science methods instructors in college-based courses for teachers and teacher candidates and (2) for inservice teachers and their local curriculum coordinators or workshop leaders in school district-based programs for teacher enhancement and curriculum design. The underlying FOCIS intention is to help teachers approach their curriculum planning and teaching in ways that restructure their own understanding, as well as their students’ understanding, of the science topic. From a constructivist perspective, the primary planning strategy employs studying the structure and evolution of students’ ideas on the science topic – with assistance from a science consultant who has expertise on the topic and from a “learning activity” consultant who has experience and expertise on teaching the topic by means of activities that help to challenge and refine students’ ideas in the direction of scientists’ ideas on the topic. Concept mapping and associated interviews constitute the main FOCIS strategies for studying student ideas. The primary FOCIS teaching strategy employs accessing, analyzing, and challenging student ideas. The paper emphasizes the nature and use of the FOCIS videotape/print modules for teachers (and teacher candidates) and their “science methods” instructors and for in-service teachers and their in-service leaders.

Key words: teacher education, philosophy, concept formation, constructivism, scientific concepts, concept mapping, constructivist teaching, inservice teacher education, methods courses

We have used untraditional teaching methods as well as traditional ones in teaching particle models in science like the kinetic particle model of matter and the electron model for electric circuits to students from grade- 6 to grade-10. The methods called untraditional are drama (role play), concept mapping, writing about being particles (creative writing) and students “teaching” their parents about the models they have learned at school. Most research shows that these models are difficult to understand and to use. By using these untraditional methods alongside traditional ones more students were able to get a sound understanding of the particle models and able to explain physical phenomena by using these models.