Trust Projects

Leicester University, SCIcentre (Innovative Project)

The major distinctive feature of the SCIcentre project is its city-wide plan to create a cohesive science education network through pairs of 'focus schools' acting in each of the eight Development Groups within the city of Leicester. To achieve this, the Focus schools are being helped to become increasingly self-sufficient in monitoring their needs and providing their own in-service training.

A second distinctive feature is the school-based peer-mentoring, or 'buddy' system, designed to promote collaborative ways of working within and between Focus schools. In addition, the SCIcentre team are helping Focus school teachers to monitor their own development through individual action planning and individualised school-based work. To give the project an even wider dimension, industrial placements have been arranged to stimulate school-based science investigations that show the relevance and importance of science.

From the outset of the project the Focus schools agreed to continue to plan their development within their own budgets into a fourth year. There is a planned city-wide dissemination programme to be led by a nucleus of Focus schools.

If you want to test your pupil's cognitive skills please visit the resources section.

Overview

A collaborative pilot project presented by Leicester University, SClcentre, Leicester City LEA and Leicestershire EBP. This project has been designed as a four year programme. The first two years are being funded by the Trust.

Aims

The project's main aims were:

• to provide sustained support for pairs of teachers from the same school
• to develop science knowledge and application, as well as their management skills
• to provide guided support on developing paired mentoring between experienced teachers
• to offer a core programme and regional activities to establish a city-wide cohesion
• to enable groups of schools to become increasingly self-sufficient in monitoring their needs and providing their own in-service training

Costs

Typical costs for one school in Year 1

(Costs are substantially lower in Year 2)

1. Resources £1,000
2. Tutor Costs/Staff Training £800
3. Supply Cover £3,250
4. Consultancy £195

Total £5,245

Achievements

Pupils' overall understanding in science shows highly significant increases for the AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust sample across three age groups which were not matched by a control sample to the same degree. Most schools are reporting marked improvement in SATs scores OFSTED inspections have reported marked improvement in project schools they have inspected pupils increasingly like investigative science where they are more independent confidence, enthusiasm and expertise in science has increased. Teachers found the visits to industry stimulating and opened their eyes to the work of industry.

Summary

The first year has provided intensive support for sixteen Focus schools in all eight city development groups. Two teachers from each school took a ten day core course on 'Developing and Assessing Investigations' which was designed around the specific requirements of the schools and SCIcentre tutors have regularly visited all schools.

The core course focused on ways of promoting children's questioning skills in open-ended investigations. It was decided to explore a few topics thoroughly and show how investigatory skills could be used to develop conceptual understanding through these areas. The topics included friction, electricity, change of state and dissolving which are known to cause particular problems. The teachers also opted for courses on Co-ordinator Skills, Literacy and Science, ICT and Science, and Science Subject Knowledge.

In the second year one new teacher from each of the Focus Schools and one teacher from sixteen different schools will attend the core course to help consolidate improvements in the first cohort and create effective links with a new set of schools in the city. It is hoped to continue the four year programme with limited funding in the third year to help these thirty two schools establish their science developments and make links with the remaining city schools.

What others say

"I expected to be helped to become a better teacher of science, particularly in carrying out investigations in the classroom. Science is not my specialist subject and I wanted to be shown how to make it more exciting for the children and for me. My expectations have been met 100%." Teacher

"I have done investigations with the children which I'd never tried before and experienced success for them and me!" Teacher

"There appears to be a 'buzz' in science lessons that was not there before." Headteacher

Additional

Pupils ' attitudes towards science

Research carried out by the University of Leicester into pupils' attitudes towards science generated some interesting results. One finding in particular was that as children feel that science gets easier, their enthusiasm for it declines. This effect is strongest with girls. It would seem that older junior children would appreciate being stretched intellectually in their science activities, perhaps with practical investigative activities linked more directly to a social context.

Contact

Direct e-mail for further information: jar@leicester.ac.uk