Abstract:

The teaching-learning process of subjects in the field of experimental sciences in the Infant and Primary Education Degrees encounters different difficulties. University lecturers must take these problems into account in order to design the most meaningful learning possible. One of the biggest barriers is the lack of motivation and interest in these subjects, made even more difficult by the lack of pre-university training in science that most of these students have. Another difficulty is the large amount of specific vocabulary used in these subjects. It could be considered that they are a new language which the students have to learn, and no language can be learnt without a minimum vocabulary with which to construct the main ideas to be transmitted. Taking into account all of the above and the experiences made in other countries in our cultural context, in the last three years a series of activities have been implemented in an attempt to bring these sciences closer to the pupils using music as a didactic tool. Many studies have shown the great benefits of music in mental health, learning, conflict resolution, control of impulsivity, etc. In addition, there are several experiences, published in recent years, which have been very positive using music as a medium for teaching languages or for the expression of feelings in infant and primary school pupils. On the other hand, it is undeniable that using music, especially those songs with which our students most identify, is a very effective way of motivating them. The project presented in this paper has been developed over the last few years in various university degree courses in the faculties of Education and Geology at the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain). The main objective is to provide teachers in training and future science communicators with effective teaching tools, so that they can implement activities that bring young people closer to science without fear or rejection. Our experience shows that, in general, pupils tend to have a taste for music, although the particular style of music that each pupil listens to may be different. In our classes, we have worked in groups of 4-6 pupils who have chosen their musical style by consensus, so as to avoid pupils working with styles they do not like. Furthermore, once the work is presented to the rest of the class, the greater the diversity, the more culturally enriching the activity, so that we can work on cross-cutting aspects such as respect for all cultures, given that music is just one more cultural expression. A total of five different activities have been carried out, of which the best results have been obtained in those described below: (1) using the musical base of a song well known by the students, ask them to write new lyrics containing a series of concepts related to the scientific topic being worked on in class; (2) reproduce in a theatrical way, using gesticulation and singing, some sequence related to science (e.g., the Lion King in relation to aspects of zoology and ecology) or to moments in the history of science (discovery of vaccines or the cell, Darwins' voyages, etc.). In both cases, it is necessary to work on writing skills, creativity, organisation of ideas, correct understanding of scientific concepts, etc. In addition, cooperative learning and the contextualisation of scientific facts by situating them in a specific historical moment are reinforced.

Keywords:

Sciences teaching, motivation, music, writing skills, creativity.