Process Based Teaching Strategies as a Gateway to Attain Learning Outcomes and Nurture Higher Order Thinking Skills – Skill Enhancement for Teachers and Teacher Educators

Abstract

Attainment of higher order thinking skills are the backbone to achieving 21st century 
learning skills. Teaching - Learning of Science must essentially include the three major 
dimensions. I. Science as product, II. Science as process and III. Science as an attitude for daily 
life experiences. To attain the aim of Science Education in all its dimensions, the teaching 
learning process of science needs to steer its focus on Process Based Teaching. Process based 
teaching ensures all round learning of science, as the right application of science processes 
innately ensures development of right product of science and scientific attitude. We have known 
strategies such as discovery learning, inquiry learning, problem-based learning and project
based learning for long as strategies that enhance science process skills. These processes are 
significant component of recently composed learning outcomes by NCERT.This paper focus on 
the science teacher‘s reflection on various process-based teaching strategies and its 
effectiveness on attaining learning outcomes and developing science process skills and higher 
order thinking skills. Sample of the study was upper primary teachers and DIET faculties of 
Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Puducherry who participated in five-day training workshop on ―Process Based Teaching and Evaluation in Science at Upper Primary Level‖ at Regional 
Institute of Education, Mysuru. Data was collected from the participants through pre-test and 
post test conducted in each session of the training programme and personal interview conducted 
with the participants and the feedback obtained from them. The result shows that there is a need 
to practice different process-based teaching strategies in normal classroom to provide scope for 
development of science processes amongst the next generation students. Also, the assessment of 
these processes, need to shift from product assessment to process assessment. Teachers need to 
gain skills to measure these processes by developing Activity specific Rubrics.