Trust Projects

Science Teacher CPD in primary Schools: Evaluation by Results

This Key Stage 2/3 Transition cluster project is based around the Bradford robotic telescope and is a continuation of a project funded in 2008/2009. The telescope is a robot operating in the Canary Islands and is one component of an extensive e-learning site for science. The earlier project built strong links with primary schools and generated a stimulating interactive system for supporting teachers in delivering the Key Stage 2 materials of the Earth and Beyond. More importantly it has built an effective way of measuring the response of teachers to earth and beyond Key stage 2 science CPD programmes.
This project will run CPD programmes to introduce primary school teachers and their classes to Bradford robotic Telescope system on; http://schools.telescope.org/ . It will provide a continuing resource for teachers and will monitor the use of the resource in the days, weeks and months following a CPD event. It records the activity of the user providing the researcher with details of how and when the user has interacted with the system. With user names and passwords for all teachers and pupils the system is available for use by the pupils at any time and from any place that has internet access.
The Bradford Robotic telescope (BRT) is an inspirational web site resource focussed on teacher support for delivering across the National Curriculum and illustrating the process of scientific enquiry.
 

Aims

• Improved teacher confidence in teaching science.

• Improved teacher knowledge of science and science pedagogy

• Improved pupil’s experience and enjoyment of science.

Programme

The CPD will be delivered through:

• Lessons by the project team based in the  classroom   using materials developed in the 2008/2009 project, at each of the 30 primary schools. 
 

• Twighlight sessions with the feeder primary schools of six science specialist secondary schools.

• 5 half day events when teachers will come from across the LA who would not have links with the same secondary school. The delivery will be of similar content, with more emphasis on the teacher support that is available from the web and telephone resources that would provide, help and reflective areas for thoughts and anonymous questions.

• Telephone support for teachers following the CPD events.

• Internet based reflective area with anonymous discussion area to share good experiences and difficult questions to answer.

• All teachers and pupils involved in the project will have constant internet access to the resource for their use any time and anywhere.

Outcomes

• Primary teachers developing links with science and transition staff in secondary schools to support their teaching, improving general links between secondary schools and primary schools.

• Monitoring the use of the resource by individual teachers and their classes in the weeks and months following the CPD programme.
 

• Increased pupil aspiration and raised science achievement in the opinion of teachers.

• Primary pupils meet real scientists and secondary school science teachers.
 

Evaluation

• Records will be set up for every school, teacher and pupil using the system. The usage by the teachers and pupils will be monitored in order to follow the impact of the CPD programmes.

• The use of the resource will be associated and monitored with the CPD programme that the teachers have attended.
 

Additional

Outline dissemination plan:

• The outcomes of the project will form the basis for publicity materials to be used in other areas of the country.
 

• The outcomes of the monitoring programme will be collated and written up for publication to support further development of the project.

• The outcomes will be published as a short pamphlet which will be used as a basis for contacting education authorities in England. .
 

Contact

John Baruch – University of Bradford

Email; j.e.f.baruch@bradford.ac.uk