St Mary’s University College - Belfast -
New Approaches to primary Science Teaching and Assessment

The Problem

Many UK primary teachers still find teaching science difficult.  In Northern Ireland, this situation is further complicated by the introduction of a revised curriculum (in September 2007), in which science, previously taught as a subject on its own, now has to be taught with history and geography as part of ‘The World Around Us’ learning area. Teachers’ lack of confidence in science could, therefore, lead to their ignoring science and concentrating on teaching only history and geography. Despite all the innovative work which has been carried out on primary science in Northern Ireland (NI) to date science in the primary school is now in danger of disappearing.
This project will produce a CPD programme which addresses this problem by focusing on the links between science, history and geography as the context for developing Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities (TSPC) as required by the NI revised curriculum. It also promotes Assessment for Learning (AfL) techniques for teachers to use in assessing children’s work in the curriculum area of The World Around Us. The project framework  integrates different types of thinking skills with personal and inter-personal skills and dispositions. It can be summarised by the diragram below.



this project will be be the first to contextualize this framework for themes linking science, history and geography in The World Around Us. In addition, it will introduce teachers Assessment for Learning (AfL) techniques which they can use to assess children’s learning in the area of The World Around Us most effectively. This project has been conceived with the help of personnel from the Education and Library Boards (ELBs, NI equivalent of LEAs), who are keen to incorporate ideas and activities from the CPD programme into their work with non-participating schools in an effort to stem the potential reduction/disappearance of science from the primary curriculum.

The New Approaches to Primary Science Teaching and Assessment CPD Programme

This innovative programme (New Approaches to Primary Science Teaching and Assessment, NAPSTA) will empower primary teachers and student teachers by equipping them with novel, creative and exciting ways to teach science using science ‘building blocks’. The building blocks of science can be thought of by teachers as how ideas about phenomena (e.g. electricity, light, etc) have changed over time (mostly history links) and how such changes can be related to the prevailing culture and technology (mostly geography and technology links). Our ‘building blocks’ for primary science comprise two strands: the development of scientific ideas over time and how science works in the modern world.

Teachers will attend a series of day-long workshops in which they will:

• work with experts in the area of linking 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
• explore how science works using activities which strongly promote thinking skills and personal capabilities, and which help teachers and children relate to science in the context of the World Around Us
• use assessment for learning (AfL) techniques to promote children’s personalised learning
• develop learning resources to be piloted in their classrooms, using the support of science advisors, science teacher educators and science student teachers.

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), CCEA, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), local industry, voluntary groups, and commercial organisations such as science centres.

Project Aims:

• To provide opportunities for 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
• To show teachers how science works using activities which strongly promote thinking skills and personal capabilities, and which help them and their children relate to science in the context of the World Around Us
• To develop teachers’ experience and expertise of using assessment for learning techniques in the context of their teaching in the area of The World around Us
• To produce and trial classroom materials to support the wider implementation of New Approaches to Primary Science Teaching and Assessment (NAPSTA) in the revised curriculum; production of a prototype ‘toolkit’ for teachers

Outcomes:

• Teachers who are enthusiastic in using science as the core in much of their teaching of the World Around Us to promote thinking skills and personal capabilities and to maintain a high profile of science in the revised primary curriculum
• Promotion of creative, novel and exciting approaches to primary science teaching so that teachers will enjoy science teaching and see the benefits of science in delivering the requirements of the revised primary curriculum
• Increase in primary pupils’ engagement and enjoyment of science in the context of the revised curriculum
• Long term and sustainable positive change to the practice of science teaching in primary schools
• Development and piloting of classroom materials to support the teaching of science in the revised curriculum
• Improved leadership and management of primary science in the revised curriculum

Contact

Dr Jim Beggs-
j.beggs@stmarys-belfast.ac.uk