Trust Projects
Books And Stories In Children's Science (BASICS) - Stranmillis University College, Belfast - (Cluster Project)
This cluster project aims to support and develop science across the potentially challenging transition from Foundation stage into Key Stage 1 in a group of five local primary schools. School development plans will be developed in the key areas of investigative/enquiry-based science and the use of books and stories to develop learning and teaching. The project continues and develops the partnership approach to teachers' continuing professional development adopted in the AstraZeneca funded SSIPS (Science Students in Primary Science) Project (2002-2003) by including literacy.
Overview
This project comes at a time of curriculum change in Northern Ireland and therefore seeks to support schools as they adapt their approaches to science at lower primary level. Within the Revised Northern Ireland Curriculum, science, along with History and Geography is included as one of the six learning areas called ‘The World Around Us’. The Revised Curriculum promotes subject integration and encourages teachers to make relevant connections’ in children’s learning
Aims
The overall aim of the project is to promote the smooth transition of children’s science experience by supporting a common approach to best practice in the final year of Foundation Stage into the first year of Key Stage 1. The ‘best practice’ approach is one which is stimulating and relevant to children (books and stories) and child-centred (enquiry-based). More specifically the aims are to:
• Work with head teachers and their governing bodies to identify and support development needs, specific to each school, with respect to the transition from Foundation stage to the more formal approach to teaching and learning in Science adopted at Key Stage 1.
• Develop the confidence and competence of teachers in adopting an ‘investigative approach’ to science in the lower primary school.
• Promote the use of books and stories as an effective strategy for providing a stimulating and relevant context in which investigative science activities may be carried out.
• Encourage and support the greater integration of the primary science and literacy curriculum.
• Develop and support science coordinator’s strategies for promoting best practice in science teaching throughout Foundation stage and Key Stage 1
Programme
The programme comprises four phases:
Phase 1 ‘Preliminary reflection and preparation’
The head teachers, governing bodies and science coordinators of all participating schools will be supported in identifying areas for development in relation to lower primary science and the transition from Foundation to Key Stage 1, specific to their school. As a result a school development plan will be produced.
Phase 2 Seminar 1 ‘Getting Started’
This whole day seminar will provide in-service training for the teachers and science coordinators in the areas of enquiry-based science and the use of books and stories in lower primary science. The focus will include planning for progression across the Foundation/Key Stage 1 transition and the issues pertinent to the introduction of more formal approaches to learning at Key Stage 1. Support for the planning, resourcing, and teaching will be provided within the context of the particular topics within each of the curricula with particular consideration given to continuity and progression. During this seminar teachers and students will plan together and identify strategies and resources.
Phase 3 ‘Teaching, observing and reflecting’
During this six-week period the student teachers will teach, supported by the teacher, in their allocated class for one morning a week. This will provide the opportunity for the classroom teacher to directly observe their pupils within a pupil centred learning environment. In addition this arrangement will also allow for teachers to observe classes on the ‘other side’ of the transition and compare and reflect on both teaching approaches and pupil interactions. Each morning will consist of a literacy lesson, using science as the context, followed by an investigative or enquiry based hands-on science activity.
Phase 4 ‘Dissemination of best practice and recommendations’
This whole day seminar will allow student teachers and classroom teachers, from each of the different schools and classes, to share their experiences, evaluate approaches and resources and consider recommendations for future best practice.
Outcomes
As a result of being involved with the project it is expected that governing bodies, head teachers and science coordinators will have:
• Improved the quality of teaching and learning in science at both stages and across the Foundation /Key Stage 1 transition.
• Put in place strategies for the ongoing monitoring and evaluating of progress in science education in their school.
As a result of being involved with the project it is expected that teachers will have:
• Developed their awareness and appreciation of the opportunities for continuity and progression across the two stages.
• Observed teacher-pupil interactions during science lessons at the next, (Foundation teachers) ,or previous (Key Stage 1 teachers) phase of transition.
• Enhanced their insight into the progress and development of their pupils as a result of direct observation during science lessons.
• Increased confidence and competence in adopting an investigative approach to teaching science.
• A greater sense of how to adopt a more holistic approach to Language and Literacy by taking account of the integral nature of the areas of Talking and Listening, Early Reading and Early Writing and how they can be developed through the science curriculum.
• A deeper appreciation of how science may be made more accessible and relevant to young children.
As a result of being involved with the project it is expected that pupils will have:
• Developed their self-esteem and confidence through positive classroom activities and relationships.
• Been introduced to their Key Stage 1 teacher during ‘taster lessons’ in which a more formal approach is adopted (Foundation level children).
• Revisited and built on their Foundation level experiences with the support of their Foundation level teacher (Key Stage 1 children).
• Experienced enjoyable and stimulating science activities.
• Increased levels of scientific literacy through seeing science to be relevant and important.
• Made connections between science inside and outside their classrooms.
Evaluation
Evaluation data were collected using questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews (pupils), and a structured observation activity using a modified version of Walsh’s Quality Learning Instrument (Walsh & Gardner, 2005). This enquiry-based science Quality Learning Instrument (QLI-ebs) was used by teachers during their own science lessons before and after the students’ intervention. The student teachers also applied it to lessons at the very start and at the end of the teaching phase.
Contact
Dr John McCullagh email - J.McCullagh@Stran.ac.uk
Update
The aim of this project was to allow teachers from a cluster of primary schools to observe and learn first hand the merits of using books and stories within enquiry-based science. initial research indicated that teachers’ use of books and stories was mainly restricted to non-fiction texts. The project successfully transformed teachers’ practice and a new CPDU arising from BASICS is soon to be published here on the AZSTT website.