Making Connections

1
Making Connections Introduction to Primary
Connections
2
Introduction to Primary Connections

• The Primary Connections Team
• January 2007

3
Outcomes

• On completion of this module participants should
  be able to
• Clarify their beliefs and concerns about
  effective teaching and learning of science in
  primary school
• Understand and describe the philosophy and
  approach of Primary Connections
• Understand the background, purpose, organisation
  and research behind Primary Connections
• Understand and describe the five main
  underpinning principles
• Understand and describe the exemplary curriculum
  resources and the ways they support effective
  teaching and learning of science and literacy in
  primary schools

4
Workshop Outline (2 hours)

• INTRO (5 mins) Purpose, outline, outcomes
• ENGAGE (15 mins) Participant beliefs and
  concerns
• Sharing opinions
• EXPLORE (60 mins) The five underpinning
  principles
• EXPLAIN (15 mins) What is Primary Connections
  and how was it
• developed?
• ELABORATE (15 mins) Exemplary curriculum units
• EVALUATE (10 mins) Summary, self assessment and
  evaluation

5
Purpose of the workshop

• To introduce the Primary Connections program so
  that you are
• able to make informed decisions about its
  benefits in enhancing the
• teaching and learning of science and literacy.
• Is this your bus? Will you get on it?

6
What is Primary Connections?
supported by quality curriculum resources
Professional learning programme linking science
with literacy
7
Purpose of Primary Connections

• To
• improve learning outcomes for primary students in
  science and
• literacy
• by
• developing a professional learning program
  supported with
• curriculum resources
• that will
• improve teachers confidence and competence for
  teaching
• science through developing their science
  pedagogical content
• knowledge.

8
Scientific literacy

• Scientific literacy is a high priority for all
  citizens, helping them
• to be interested in, and understand the world
  around them,
• to engage in the discourses of and about
  science,
• to be sceptical and questioning of claims made
  by others about scientific matters,
• to be able to identify questions, investigate
  and draw evidence-based conclusions, and
• to make informed decisions about the environment
  and their own health and well-being.
• (Goodrum, Hackling Rennie,2001, p. 7)

9
Scientific literacy develops

• _____________________________________________
• None/very little career scientist
• The notion of progress in scientific literacy is
  fundamental to
• the growth in students knowledge and
  understanding of
• scientific concepts and processes and the
  ability to use that
• knowledge and understanding in everyday
  situations.
• (Goodrum, Hackling, Rennie 2001)

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Principle 1Linking science with literacy

• Use everyday literacies to learn about science
  concepts and the literacies of science
• Represent and communicate science ideas,
  understandings and information by learning and
  using the literacies of science
• Provide a meaningful science context and a
  purpose for literacy learning

11
Moulds

• What do you know?

12
Principle 2The 5Es teaching/learning model

• ENGAGE
• EXPLORE
• EXPLAIN
• ELABORATE
• EVALUATE

13
The Primary Connections 5Es model
14
Principle 3Teaching and learning about science
with an inquiry/investigative approach
15
Principle 4Co-operative learning strategies

• Director
• Speaker
• Manager
• Each role has specific duties
• and responsibilities as the
• students work through the
• activities.

16
Assessment activity

Draw arrows on the diagram to show any pushes and
pulls.
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Principle 5Linking assessment with teaching and
learning

• PHASE OF THE MODEL ASSESSMENT FOCUS
• ENGAGE PHASE DIAGNOSTIC
• EXPLORE PHASE FORMATIVE
• EXPLAIN FORMATIVE
• ELABORATE SUMMATIVE (investigating)
• EVALUATE SUMMATIVE (concepts)

18
The origin of Primary Connections- a
collaborative project

• Australian Academy of Science project
• Funded by Department of Education, Science and
  Training as a quality initiative under the
  Australian Government Quality Teacher Program
  (AGQTP)
• Research consultants in both science and literacy
  education
• Reference Group consisting of representatives
  from
• Australian Academy of Science
• Department of Education, Science and Training
• Universities
• Literacy, English and Science Educator
  Associations
• State Education Departments
• Catholic and Independent Schools Associations
• Australian Primary Principals Assocation

19
Research findings

• Primary Connections was trialled by 106 teachers
  in 56 schools across
• all states and territories in 2005 and 2006.
• Primary Connections
• improved teachers confidence, self-efficacy and
  practice
• increased the amount of science taught
• had students responding positively to the
  activities and learning approach
• made a positive contribution to literacy learning
  and students used a wider range of forms of
  representation
• improved the status of science within the school
  
• (Hackling Prain, 2005)

20
Primary Connections organisation Stages, years
and outcome levels
Levels are based on the National Scientific
Literacy Progress Map
21
Curriculum resource organisation
22
Exemplary curriculum units resources
23
In summary, Primary Connections

• links science with literacy
• is based on the 5Es teaching and learning model
• uses an inquiry/investigative approach
• uses co-operative learning strategies
• embeds the assessment processes in the teaching
  and learning model
• provides exemplary curriculum units and other
  resources
• AND all of these contribute to the development of
• scientific literacy in primary age students!