Trust Projects

Science Expressions 2009 – 10

The aim of the revised Northern Ireland Curriculum is to empower young people to achieve their potential, and to make informed and responsible decisions throughout their lives. This is achieved through curriculum objectives infusing cross-curricular skills and thinking skills and personal capabilities across areas of learning incorporating assessment of learning promoting / encouraging learning experiences fostering attitudes and dispositions. 

The aim therefore of Science Expressions 2009 – 10 is to help schools achieve this curricular aim, in particular by:
- effectively implementing the revised Curriculum at key stages 2 and 3, in relation to developing thinking skills and personal capabilities within the science area of learning,
- enhancing the learning attitudes and dispositions of pupils through effective learning experiences which enable them to develop learning strategies and resources for themselves and others, and
- addressing the persistent issue of enabling effective continuity and progression between key stages 2 and 3 in science.
 

Aims

To achieve the curricular aim identified above, the programme should:
• enhance pupils’ thinking skills and personal capabilities through involving them in the process of developing learning resources and presentation material in a science context,
• provide a web based resource which teachers can use as a basis for their own development of thinking and learning in their pupils,
• enhance the confidence of primary science coordinators in discussing the curriculum with post-primary colleagues
• develop teachers’ capabilities in coping with unfamiliar situations, particularly arising from working across the primary / secondary transition,
• develop pupils’ capabilities in responding to ideas in science unfamiliar to them,
• enhance primary pupils’ experience in transfer from primary to secondary school, through a transition period when they work cooperatively with secondary pupils,
• provide a model for the effective involvement of scientists / engineers from industrial and academic backgrounds in supporting school science, and
• Develop accredited CPD resources to enable teachers to achieve these aims.
• Internal evaluation will be designed to assess the extent to which these outcomes are achieved.
 

Programme

The programme will link science aspects of The World Around Us at KS2 with the science content and the key elements and learning outcomes of KS3. This will involve the joint participation of pupils in primary and secondary schools working, together with an associated scientist, over a period of three months to develop strategies and resources which will enhance their own thinking skills and personal capabilities within a science context, and provide models for other groups of schools to develop their own resources. These resources will be made available on the W5 website in a format which can be used directly or preferably developed by teachers to suit their own pupils’ needs.

During an initial Science Expressions 2007 – 08 pilot programme, several issues emerged in the programme evaluation. These include:
• insufficient ‘thinking time’ in the early stages, for the primary / secondary school groups to decide jointly on a theme,
• a negative ‘leave it all to the secondary school’ attitude on the part of a minority of primary teachers,
• the lack of a coordinated programme of continuous professional development to support teachers in providing effective primary / secondary transition
• inconsistent help from link scientists / engineers,
• Schools having to select and omit pupils on Celebration Day.

The proposed programme is designed to address these issues. This will include a two day initial training programme with 2 – 3 weeks between sessions for reflection, and separate elements of training for primary and secondary teachers to help them define their roles. We will explore with the University of Ulster a CPD accreditation structure. There will also be specific training for link scientists / engineers.

Additional

Outline dissemination plan:
Dissemination will be through:
• The celebration event. Primary science coordinators and heads of science in other schools will be invited to this, together with local scientists and engineers from industry and the universities
• The W5 website. Schools worldwide will be able to interact on the website, and develop their own material from templates available on the site. Schools will have access to the programme resources on the W5 website, and will be able to disseminate their own resources developed from these.
• ASE (Association for Science Education) Field Officers, journals and other publications, and ASE and other science education conferences in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland,
• in-service training for teachers, including the Northern Ireland Regional Training Unit (RTU) Summer School
• training for scientists from industry and academia in liaising with school science 

Contact

Martin Brown with Judith Harvey (W5) - Contact e-mail -martin.oldcross@btinternet.com