To Lead or Not to Lead?

The authors of this article, as student teachers, explored becoming facilitators in lessons focusing on micro-organisms. They elicited ideas from their students and found that even the brightest children held some misconceptions about micro-organisms. The students had some knowledge, but they had not learned how to apply this to investigations using scientific inquiry skills. The authors acknowledged that they became facilitators within the sessions, so that the students could take ownership of their learning. A major implication for the authors was that their teaching style changed from teacher-led to student-led, giving students most of the control. The authors concluded that this project developed confidence and identities for facilitators.