Reviving Science Education: Importance, Challenges, and Strategies

Objectives • Science in the National curriculum • How do you feel? • Lesson openers/starters • CPD, Resources and extra help

Science in the National Curriculum Why should we teach science? Government position: “A high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity, and all pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science.” • Teacher’s position: • It’s fun to teach and learn • It changes all the time • It gives children an understanding of the world around them • It fosters thinking skills • It has loads of career pathways • Children love it

Science in the National Curriculum Despite the fact that science is a core subject, science teaching has started to drop off the radar in some schools - English and Maths are given a much greater focus

Is science is dying in primary schools? Martin George - 23rd March 2018 • Only 23 per cent of year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in science in 2016 • More than half of primary schools do not teach two hours of science a week, as recommended by the WellcomeTrust (how much do YOU teach?) • Funding pressures are making it harder for schools to supply equipment to teach science

The largest subject association in the UK • Independent of government Amanda Spielman – HM Chief Inspector January 2018 “In primary, there is a continued narrowing of the curriculum where schools’ understandable desire to ace the English and Maths SATs has been squeezing the science curriculum out. This has affected teaching in many ways, but in the very worst cases pupils have been sitting test papers every week of Years 5 and 6, forfeiting a deeper education in science and other subjects.” At Ofsted, we will be looking in depth at the science curriculum in primary in phase two of our research. And this will feed into the way we address the curriculum in the new inspection framework for 2019. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/amanda-spielmans-speech-at-the-association-for-science-education-annual-conference-2018

What does this mean for me? • Ofsted will be taking a greater interest in science teaching at primary level • School science data (which is nationally collected but not currently reported), could be made publicly available through national reporting routes

Further evidence to support the requirement for good science teaching & learning 2013 - Survey of 91 primary schools The best teaching in the schools surveyed: • Set out to sustain pupils’ natural curiosity, so that they were eager to learn the subject content as well as develop the necessary investigative skills • Put scientific enquiry at the heart of science teaching • Undertook accurate and timely assessment of how well pupils were developing their understanding of science concepts so that teaching could respond to and extend pupils’ learning.

How do your feel about science in your school? • Write your school’s name on each statement. • Place each statement on the line, ranging from agree strongly to disagree strongly

How do I get my SLT on board? • Show them the official viewpoint • Share the advice from government policy influencers • Share your enthusiasm!

Lesson openers/starters • Science lessons benefit from a starter or wow moment linked to the topic/unit of work. • Only 5-10 minutes. • Can be recorded with photosor statements from the children • Will develop and maintain children’s curiosity • Doesn’t have to be an explosion!

Lesson openers/Wow starters Fire and Ice Cake video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtkOggcH9jE

Lesson openers/Wow starters Children love WOW – however science openers should be focused on encouraging questioning, and wondering why. • E.g. What happens when…. • I put sugar in my tea • I drop a heavy and a light object together • I sneeze • E.g. What if…… • We didn’t have hands • All the water disappeared • Aliens stole the moon • E.g. How come…. • The sun stays in the sky • I start small and end up big • My blood still goes to my head when I am upside down

Lesson openers/Wow starters ? True or False? On your tables sort the set of cards into true/false piles Do you have the same answers as other groups? Misconceptions: Children hold naive theories about the world around them. We can we identify these during science warm ups using true/false games.

Lesson openers/Wow starters What is it?

Lesson openers with Explorify Odd one out

Lesson openers/Wow starters Compare and contrast Versus What is similar? What is different?

Lesson openers/Wow starters Short practical investigations Works particularly well with materials topics • How come… • What if… • Why does/doesn’t... • What happens when…

CPD, resources & extra help https://www.stem.org.uk http://primary.cleapss.org.uk/ https://explorify.wellcome.ac.uk/

CPD, resources & extra help http://www.iop.org/activity/outreach/resources/pips/topics/index.html http://www.rsc.org/learn-chemistry/ https://www.rsb.org.uk/index.php/education/teaching-resources/primary-schools

CPD, resources & extra help https://www.ase.org.uk/home/ https://www.ogdentrust.com/resources https://pstt.org.uk/

Activities to consider next time… • Working Scientifically and Science Enquiry • Assessment • Running a whole school science project • Starting a science club • Science fairs • Family learning projects • Whole Science Topic planning • Cross curricular science • Dissections in the classroom

Reviving Science Education: Importance, Challenges, and Strategies