Trust Projects

New Approaches to Primary Science Teaching and Assessment - St Mary’s University College, Belfast - (Innovative Project)

The first NAPSTA project has already proved to be extremely successful in terms of improving teacher confidence and changing their practice in delivering science as the core of cross-curricular topic work in primary schools. This work has a natural extension into Key Stage 3 and it is proposed to extend the project to both Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 teachers in 2008/9.

The Revised Northern Ireland Key Stage 3 curriculum calls for a more enquiry-based (How Science Works) and cross-curricular approach to science teaching and links well with the latest Key Stage 3 National Curriculum Science outlined by QCA (2007). The project will thus be focusing the teacher professional development programme on creative, cross-curricular ways to teach and learn science at KS2 and KS3.

Overview

There is a dearth of continuing professional development programmes aimed specifically at science teaching (none in cross-curricular science) in Northern Ireland, principally due to the lack of a Science Learning Centre (SLC). The STEM group is prioritizing the development of a NI SLC among its recommendations. In the meantime, the University and University Colleges are trying to fill this void with exciting professional development science programmes for teachers. The project leaders feel that the success of this year’s NAPSTA project, which only targeted primary teachers can be extended to include Key Stage 3 teachers (and PGCE students). It is intended to adapt the current model by focusing on and expanding the aspects of the workshops that teachers found most useful in terms of implementing creative and cross-curricular science teaching in the classroom.

Aims

  1. To provide opportunities for teachers to link science with other subjects, primarily history and geography, using creative, novel and exciting science teaching approaches based on stories, role-play, thinking time, minds-on science, drama, etc
  2. To show teachers how science works using activities which strongly promote thinking skills, and which help them and their children relate to science in a more creative and cross-curricular context.
  3. To develop teachers’ experience and expertise of using assessment for learning (AfL) techniques in the context of their science teaching.
     

Programme

The project will use a blended CPD approach of workshops and in-class support. The workshops will be run by experts selected for their excellence in delivery as well as in their knowledge and experience. It will use a wide range of expertise from university science educators, advisors from the Education and Library Boards (ELBs – NI equivalent of LEAs) and CCEA (NI equivalent of QCA). The university is already working closely with personnel from all of these sectors on issues surrounding science in the revised curriculum. 

Teachers and student teachers will engage in a range of creative, novel and exciting activities and will produce classroom materials customised for their own use. Piloting of these materials in class will be supported by science advisors, science teacher educators and science student teachers. It is expected that the work will lead to long term and sustainable changes to science teaching in participating and other schools.

The project will actively involve head teachers and their governing bodies, who will select teachers, facilitate in-class support and engage in school development work in teaching primary and Key Stage 3 science based on their participation in the project. Heads and governing bodies will be invited to participate in the end of project presentation day. The project will include intensive development work with nominated teachers from each school involved in the project, one of whom will be the science co-ordinator (or equivalent).

The training will be consolidated in the classroom by using activities and piloting resources developed in the workshops. This work will involve teachers and science student teachers, supported by science teacher educators and science board advisors
 

Workshops

  1. Creative and Curious Science – delivered by Hans Persson (3 full days)
  2. Puppets – delivered by Brenda Keogh and Stuart Naylor (one full day)
  3. Thinking Skills and Assessment for Learning (AfL) - delivered by the ELBs (one full day & relate to classroom practice)

 

Outcomes

  1. Teachers who are enthusiastic and more expert at teaching science in a creative and cross-curricular way which develops children’s thinking skills.
  2. Promotion of creative, novel and exciting approaches to science teaching so that teachers will enjoy teaching science more and see the benefits of science in delivering the requirements of the revised curriculum.
  3. Increase in pupils’ engagement and enjoyment of science.
  4. Long term and sustainable positive change to the practice of science teaching; partly compensating for the lack of a Science Learning Centre in Northern Ireland.
     

Evaluation

The work will be evaluated formatively and summatively. The following table provides a summary of sources of evaluation evidence in relation to the project success criteria:

Success criteria:

  1. Teachers who are more enthusiastic to teach creative and cross-curricular science.
  2. Increase in pupils’ engagement and enjoyment of science in the context of the revised curriculum
  3. Evidence of use of science to deliver the revised curriculum in participating and non-participating schools
  4. Long term and sustainable changes to the practice of science teaching in participating schools;
  5. Improved leadership and management of primary science in the revised curriculum.

 

Source(s) of evaluation evidence

  1. Attitude audit (pre and post workshops and classroom trialling). Evaluations and interviews re workshop series. Reflective diaries completed during classroom sessions. Teacher and student interviews.
  2. Interviews with children. Attitude questionnaire.
  3. Extension of this CPD programme in schools delivered by ELB science advisors (measured 2009/10). School documentation
  4. Predicted impact; longer term impact to be measured in one year’s time
  5. Interviews with principals and science coordinators; school development documentation
     

Additional

Dissemination

Dissemination of the project outcomes will initially take place at an end-of-project presentation day for all project participants with an invited audience, primarily comprising schools who may be interested in participation at a later date.

Update

The aim of the project was to provide opportunities for nursery, primary and secondary teachers to link science with history and geography using creative, novel and exciting science teaching approaches based on stories, role-play, thinking time, minds-on science, drama, etc. Our winning formula for this was to run exciting workshops for teachers AND the student teachers with whom they would work on school placements. This has resulted in sustainable transformation in teachers’ approach to science – they are empowered to transfer ownership of science lessons to the children. The collaboration in this project between primary and secondary teachers has led to some joint work to improve primary – secondary science transfer for children.