Science and The Arts.. Flip sides of the same coin or poles apart? A look at an Inquiry Based Approach to Learning.

At the beginning of our module, we were all asked to think of what both science and the arts meant to us so that we could compare the two. 

The relationship between that of science and the arts, has been a cause of discussion for many years. There are some who would believe that the two are complete opposites; whilst others would suggest otherwise and believe that one could not exist without the other. 

The arts are subjective; a result of an individuals self expression which often prompts us to find deeper meaning behind ideas; making us question and contemplate our emotions and beliefs. Science however is objective, it aims to solve problems and test theories.

However, I believe that art and science are complimentary to each other and are not poles apart; one would often be flat without the other. By experiencing the different creative approaches to learning that have been discussed throughout my blog, it is easier to see how aspects from both science and art can bring about the best and most influential practice. And as I will discuss later, an imaginative approach through scientific inquiry combines both.

Imagine Science without exploration; an integral aspect of the arts and creativity, perhaps it would just be a combination of symbols, chemicals and gases; without exploration of ideas and the use of imagination and creativity, our planet would not have evolved into this amazing and technology driven place that it is today.

 Imagine an artist without without the understanding of reflection, symmetry, textures and correlation of patterns, and pigmentation in colour; to create a whole, visually pleasing image. Imagine a musician, who composes a beautiful song from countless notes and rhythms to; and even the athlete, who produces a visually flawless performance...is that an art or a science? or is it both?

One of the topics that we covered was that of the

'Inquiry-Based' Approach to Learning.

'According to the National Science Education Standards, there are 3 components of inquiry based approaches to learning. These are: abilities, understanding and teaching. '

'The first domain - abilities of inquiry require K-12 teachers of science to provide multiple investigations for students that are not verification or “cookbook” laboratory experiences. The second domain is understandings about inquiry so students will develop meaning about science and how scientists work. The final domain is teaching where various strategies (e.g. wait time, assessing prior knowledge, effective questioning strategies, long term investigations, etc.) would facilitate students’ under- standing of science.' Barrow, (2010) 

According to a report developed by a group of ten international experts in science education:

'students should be helped to develop ‘big ideas’ of science and about science that will enable them to understand the scientific aspects of the world around them and make informed decisions about the applications of science. For this understanding students need learning experiences that are interesting and engaging and seen as relevant to their lives.'

 This is Mae Jamison, the worlds first female astronaut and an advocate of both science and art working as one.

She says: 

'Research is a formalised curiosity, 

its poking and prying with a purpose'

So, in other words.. she implies that science is just a structured form of art and creativity.

She also believes that:

'Our mission is to reconcile, to reintegrate science and the arts because right now there's a schism that exists in popular culture; people have this idea that science and art are separate.. it's really becoming critical now because we're making decisions about our society everyday, that if we keep thinking that the arts are separate from the science, then we're going to have problems.'

I believe that Jamison is correct in her thinking, we should not see science and creativity as opposite but instead realise the potentials in both, by combining each of their positive aspects, it is only then that our education system will begin to develop more relevance and practical learning to their pupils. I really love the inquiry based apprach mentioned above and the Leonardo Approach and The Mantle of the Expert are perfect examples of this.

'the most beautiful thing we can experience 

is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.' (Einstein, Unknown Date)