The students in Beghetto's study were drawn from a large group of elementary-aged schoolchildren who were receiving marine science instruction from teachers working with UO graduate students in the National Science Foundation-funded Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education Program, led by biologists Alan Shanks and Jan Hodder, at the UO's Institute of Marine Biology in Charleston, Ore.
Beghetto, a professor of education studies, found that, in general, as students get older they become less likely to take intellectual risks, such as sharing their tentative ideas, when learning science. Importantly, however, students who were interested in science had confidence in their own ideas, and felt that their teachers supported them -- by listening to their ideas and providing encouraging feedback. These children were significantly more willing to take intellectual risks when learning science.
In fact, he said, the findings indicate that science interest, confidence in their own ideas and perceived teacher support were more important than even science ability in predicting students' reports of intellectual risk taking.
The study drew upon self-reporting of participating students and teachers' ratings of the students' science abilities. While relying on student self-reports was noted as a limiting factor because some students' reports may be biased through false reporting, Beghetto says he believes the potential importance of these findings warrants serious attention by teachers.
"Science teachers in elementary schools have a great opportunity and a responsibility to encourage their students' interest in science and their willingness to take risks in pursuing scientific inquiry," said Beghetto, who currently serves as an associate editor for the International Journal of Creativity & Problem Solving. "Their front-line efforts to spark and sustain curiosity likely will pay off in the form of increasing students' willingness to engage in intellectual risk-taking."
The findings, he added, provide a roadmap for more comprehensive future studies aimed at understanding and finding ways to encourage elementary students' intellectual risk-taking when learning about science.
Ronald Beghetto, professor of education studies at the University of Oregon, talks about his study on risk-taking by elementary school student in early science classes. His 2009 study is among 10 recommended readings for the nation's elementary school science teachers in summer 2010.
(Photo Credit: University of Oregon)
Ronald Beghetto, professor of education studies at the University of Oregon, finds that the willingness to take risks with their scientific ideas fades with with age.
(Photo Credit: Photo by Jim Barlow)
Source: University of Oregon