Trust Projects

Interpreting eco-monitoring data at KS2 - Bath Spa University (Innovative Project)

Rationale for the project

This project arises from a number of current issues in primary science education:

The comparative underdevelopment of pupils’ data interpretation and reasoning skills (‘data literacy’) within scientific enquiry.

The relative under use of ICT within primary science, particularly data logging at Key Stage 2 (7-11 years).

The relative lack of confidence amongst primary staff with both data logging and data interpretation.

The drive by many schools to achieve ‘Eco-school’ status by monitoring and reducing their carbon footprints.

The growth in availability and use of GPS technology, both in travel contexts (many children will be familiar with ‘sat nav’) and in educational contexts (for example the integration of GPS facilities within PDAs and datalogging equipment to record location data for species in local habitats).
 

Aims

The project aims to:

  1. Enhance Key Stage 2 teachers’ confidence with using data logging as an everyday part of their science teaching
  2. Develop Y5 pupils’ abilities to design data logging investigations, collect relevant environmental monitoring data and interpret these and other environmental data
  3. Develop Y5 pupils’ and their teachers’ understandings of GPS (in the context of learning about the Earth and beyond) and how linking data readings to precise locations can build up different kinds of environmental maps of their schools and localities.
  4. Support schools in their monitoring of environmental indicators (e.g. air quality, light, heat and humidity levels in different parts of buildings and grounds) in pursuance of Eco-school status
     

 

Outcomes

The outcomes of the project include:

  1. Regular, appropriate use of data logging linked to other ICT applications (such as Google Earth/Google Maps) across Key Stage 2 within participating schools
  2. Case studies of environmental monitoring investigations in Y5 from all participating schools, demonstrating how pupils have planned the capture of appropriate data to answer a research question, how they have identified and presented those data to the school, wider community and external agencies (e.g. Eco-schools)
  3. Enhanced understanding amongst Y5 pupils and teachers of the principles behind GPS and its potential applications in a range of contexts
  4. Enhanced scientific enquiry skills in all participating pupils, particularly in the area of data interpretation and presentation.
  5. Improved attitudes towards science in participating pupils and appreciation of its relevance to their lives and potential benefit to the environment
     

Evaluation

There will be an internal evaluation team, led by Dr. Dawn Woodgate, Department of Psychology, University to collect the following data:

  1. Planning documentation from project team and schools
  2. Pupil performance data (Sc1 data interpretation strand) at beginning, middle and end of project
  3. Pupil attitude data as above
  4. Participating teacher attitude and confidence data
  5. Eco-school submissions
     

Additional

Outline dissemination plan:

  1. Research symposium in cluster day 4 to which LA representatives and other schools invited
  2. As part of the Participate project (see above) Sciencescope and the BBC have developed a trial data-sharing website for schools (www.participateschools.co.uk ), which has the potential for being adapted for this project to become a permanent resource for teachers in schools throughout the UK.
  3. CPD offered by participant teachers within and beyond schools, through the Science Learning Centre and Eco-schools networks
  4. Conference papers and articles for both academic and professional audiences by project team
  5. CPD unit for AZSTT website
     

Contact

Professor Dan Davies: d.davies@bathspa.ac.uk

Update

The final event for this project has now taken place where schools gave audio-visual presentations of their work. The use of data-loggers for eco-monitoring will be the theme for a new Continuing Professional Development Unit on the Trust's website.