Meeting the needs and aspirations of all students

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Meeting the needs and aspirations of all students
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Up to September 2006
KS3 Age 11-14
KS4 Age 14-16 (GCSE)
KS5 Age 16-19

• For all
• Balanced
• Approx. 15

Most Double Award Balanced, 20
Some AS/A2, Some vocational courses, minority IB
Majority have no formal science education
post-16
Single Award, balanced, 10 Double Applied,
vocational, 20 Separate Sciences,
20-30 Alternative courses
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Twenty First Century Science

• A new model for KS4 science
• Commissioned by QCA in 2000
• Piloted in 78 schools from 2003
• First students completed courses in 2005
• Model forms basis of all GCSE courses from 2006

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Things must be very bad ?
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Students views

• 20 people deterred from science because of their
  school experience
• 27 among people born between 1980 1988

Science in Society, UK Office of Science
Technology 2005
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Students views
Jenkins, E, Nelson, N.W. (2005) Important but
not for me Students attitudes towards Secondary
school science in England. Research in Science
Technology Education, 23(1), 41-57.
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Students views
Jenkins, E, Nelson, N.W. (2005) Important but
not for me Students attitudes towards Secondary
school science in England. Research in Science
Technology Education, 23(1), 41-57.
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Wheres the problem?
It is clear that the major problems lie at Key
Stage 4. Many students lose any feelings of
enthusiasm that they once had for science. If
students are to be able to see the relevance of
their school science, the curriculum should
include recent scientific developments.
Students want the opportunity to discuss
controversial and ethical issues in their science
lessons, but this happens very rarely. House of
Commons Select Committee on Science and
Technology (2002). Science Education from 14 to
19. List of Recommendations.
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Implications for a new curriculum

• A lot of the stuff is irrelevant. Youre just
  going to go away from school and youre never
  going to think about it again.

• Osborne, J. and Collins, S. (2000). Pupils and
  Parents Views of the School Science
• Curriculum, London Kings College

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Implications for a new curriculum

• What should we teach?

• Osborne, J. and Collins, S. (2000). Pupils and
  Parents Views of the School Science
• Curriculum, London Kings College

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Implications for a new curriculum

• What should we teach?
• In art and drama you can choose, like whether
  youre going to do it this way or that, and how
  youre going to go about it, whereas in science
  theres just one way.

• Osborne, J. and Collins, S. (2000). Pupils and
  Parents Views of the School Science
• Curriculum, London Kings College

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Implications for a new curriculum

• What should we teach?
• How should we teach?

• Osborne, J. and Collins, S. (2000). Pupils and
  Parents Views of the School Science
• Curriculum, London Kings College

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Implications for a new curriculum

• What should we teach?
• How should we teach?
• Its all crammed in You catch bits of it, then
  it gets confusing, then you put the wrong bits
  together

• Osborne, J. and Collins, S. (2000). Pupils and
  Parents Views of the School Science
• Curriculum, London Kings College

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Implications for a new curriculum

• What should we teach?
• How should we teach?
• How should we assess?

• Osborne, J. and Collins, S. (2000). Pupils and
  Parents Views of the School Science
• Curriculum, London Kings College

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curriculum
assessment
pedagogy
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Inspiration for a new model

• The science curriculum from (age) 5 to 16 should
  be seen primarily as a course to enhance general
  scientific literacy.
• How can we achieve this, whilst also catering for
  the needs of future specialists?

Beyond 2000 (1998)
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The key problem (Beyond 2000)

• The school science curriculum has to do two jobs.
• It has to provide

• There is an inherent tension between these aims.

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Concern for future scientists

• respondents were concerned that pupils
• were not enthused by the content of the
  science curriculum
• could not relate the issues they studied in
  science to the world around them.
• All these issues were seen to result in
  declining numbers taking mathematics, physics and
  chemistry at A-level and beyond.
• Sir Gareth Roberts Review (2002) SET for
  Success The supply of people with science,
  technology, engineering and mathematics skills

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Humanities
Mixed
Science Maths only
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Can a new model work? The pilot
We find much in the analysis in Beyond 2000
with which to agree, but we do not have enough
evidence to pass a considered judgment on its
detailed recommendations. House of Lords
Select Committee on Science and Technology
(2000). Science and Society, paras. 6.16-6.17
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Currently
KS4 Age 14-16 (GCSE)
Most Double Award 20
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The pilot curriculum model
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Benefits?

• Emphasises that there is a core of science which
  everyone needs.
• Recognises that students are different, and meets
  a wider range of student needs.
• Each course can be designed to be fit for
  purpose.
• Separate courses makes it easier for students to
  pick up additional science at a later date, if
  their aspirations change.

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Aims of the pilot programme

• To make school science more attractive
• to students, teachers, and parents
• To meet the needs and aspirations of all students
• relevant to different pathways

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Relevance for different aims

• GCSE Science
• scientific literacy for everyone
• appreciation of what we are, who we are, our
  place in the Universe
• useful knowledge for making everyday choices and
  decisions, and forming a personal viewpoint
• essential beginnings of understanding nature of
  science

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Relevance for different aims

• GCSE Additional Science
• start of training in science
• deeper understanding of science explanations,
  more abstract concepts
• skills of investigation

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Relevance for different aims

• GCSE Additional Applied Science
• start of training in science
• deeper understanding of some science explanations
• practical performance and work-related testing
• data collection, precision, reliability

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Teaching for scientific literacy
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Principles for curriculum

• Scientific literacy a course for both
• citizens who will not pursue science
• citizens who will become scientists
• How do citizens meet science?
• What knowledge and skills do they need to deal
  with this?

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Whats needed to make sense of this?

• Some scientific knowledge (Science Explanations)
• tools for thinking
• the major stories of science
• Some knowledge about science itself (Ideas about
  Science)
• the methods of scientific enquiry
• the nature of scientific knowledge
• the relationships between science, technology and
  society

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Two foundations
GCSE Science
Ideas about Science (How science works)
Science Explanations (Breadth of study)
Teaching through issues and contexts but
durable learning is of Science Explanations and
Ideas about Science.
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Science explanations examples

• Chemical change
• Materials and their properties
• The interdependence of living things
• The gene theory of inheritance
• Radiation
• The Earth

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Ideas about Science

• Data and its limitations reliability and
  validity
• Evaluating evidence for correlations and causes
• How scientific explanations are developed the
  dynamic nature of scientific knowledge,
  acceptance of theories
• How the scientific community works peer review
• Assessing levels of risk
• How individuals and society make decisions about
  applications of science

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Mobile phones

• SE A source emits radiation. This can affect a
  receiver some distance away.
• SE When radiation is absorbed it ceases to exist
  as radiation usually it simply heats the
  absorber.
• IaS Explain why it is impossible for something
  to be completely safe.
• IaS Interpret and discuss information on the
  size of risks, presented in different ways.
• IaS Explain what the ALARA principle means and
  how it applies in a given context.

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Putting it all together
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Modules

• You and your genes B
• Air quality C
• Earth in the Universe P
• Keeping healthy B
• Materials C
• Radiation and life P
• Life on Earth B
• Food matters C
• Radioactive materials P

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Pedagogy for GCSE Science

• Engages with contemporary scientific issues
• relevant and stimulating for students
• Much is familiar
• whole class, small group and individual work
• students still do practical
• BUT they also have more opportunity to talk,
  discuss, analyse and develop arguments

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Assessment rationale

• Fit for purpose not repetitive
• Examinations
• Short objective papers two sessions in a year
• objective questions
• Ideas in context paper end of course
• holistic understanding
• pre-release stimulus material
• Skills assessment (coursework)
• Case Study
• exploring a controversial question
• Data analysis
• interpretation and evaluation of first-hand data

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Case StudyIs it dangerous to use sunbeds?

• 69 000 more cases of skin cancer each year in
  the UK.
• Over 2 000 people die of skin cancer each year in
  the UK
• Australia has more cases than UK.
• UK has more deaths than Australia.

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• Where are we now?

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National curriculum model - 2006
GCSE Additional GCSE Additional Applied
Science GCSE Biology GCSE Chemistry GCSE
Physics GCSE Astronomy BTEC etc
GCSE Science
and/or
Entry level
For all students
For most students
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First awards

• First cohort results awarded June 2005
• GCSE Science 6022 students, A-C 58.4
• GCSE Additional Science 2583 students, A-C 79.6
• GCSE Additional Applied Science, 2297 students,
  A-C 33.8
• In context, national data for England in 2005
• Science (Double Award) A-C 56.6
• Science (Single Award) A-C 23.7
• Applied Science (Double Award) A-C 32.8

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First awards

• First cohort results awarded June 2005
• GCSE Science 6022 students, A-C 58.4
• GCSE Additional Science 2583 students, A-C 79.6
• GCSE Additional Applied Science, 2297 students,
  A-C 33.8
• In context, national data for England in 2005
• Science (Double Award) A-C 56.6
• Science (Single Award) A-C 23.7
• Applied Science (Double Award) A-C 32.8

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Additional data from

• Questionnaires completed by 40 Pilot school
  teachers at the end of the first year

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Teachers views of students response
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Teachers views of students response

• Students interest is Greater because of whats
  happening in the news now.
• Most pupils are enthused about the course and
  its ethical up to date approach and take more
  interest
• More interest especially in science issues and
  will often comment on stories in the media.
  Engagement real, as opposed to often tacit with
  traditional courses.

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Is the GCSE Science course successful in
improving students general scientific literacy?
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Positive aspects (teachers, n40)
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Positive aspects (teachers, n40)
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Challenges identified by teachers
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Challenges identified by teachers
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End of year 2 (n51)
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Revision following pilot

• During the pilot worked with teachers to
• revise specifications amount of content,
  appropriate level (both Science Explanations
  Ideas about Science)
• differentiate textbooks
• develop some activities with a lower reading
  demand
• add more practical activities where needed
• ensure coursework assessment is manageable

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External evaluation studies (2006)

• Development of students understanding of some
  key Science Explanations and Ideas about Science
• Changes in students attitudes to science and to
  school science
• in both cases, compared to students following the
  normal science programme
• Classroom practices and teaching approaches
• principal challenges for teachers, and CPD needs

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• Supporting teachers

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The key element

• Pupils expressed a keen interest in a range of
  contemporary scientific or socio-scientific
  issues.
• Both pupils and their parents felt that teachers
  and their style of teaching were very important
  determinants of pupils interest in the subject.
• Pupils and Parents Views of the School Science
  Curriculum
• Osborne Collins, Kings College London, 2000

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Teacher support

• Resources
• lesson plans
• activities teacher guidance
• ICT resources
• textbooks
• website discussion forum
• regular newsletters
• Training
• residential courses
• assessment courses
• support officer visits

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Science Learning Centres

• National Science Learning Centre (York)
• opened Nov 2005
• 26 million (Wellcome Trust)
• residential courses, focus on pedagogy,
  contemporary science
• Regional Science Learning Centres
• opened 2003/2004
• 8 regions across England
• 25 million (DfES)
• day courses, focus on pedagogy

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Lessons from the pilot

• Changing the curriculum model
• More than one course new for many schools
• Over-teaching in GCSE Science
• Change of style/emphasis between courses
• New criteria for internal assessment
• Managing choice
• Curriculum planning options
• Informing parents and students
• Supporting students choice
• Informing post-16 providers progression

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Lessons from the pilot

• For some, expanding teaching and learning
  activities
• Exploring How science works
• Discussion, argumentation skills for How science
  works
• Supporting freedom in Applied, extended
  problem-solving?
• New internal assessment moving away from Sc1

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What do teachers say?

• Its what I feel I should be teaching.
• Our Year 11 (age 16) students are feeling
  increasingly positive about science.
• The most stimulating, exciting and rewarding
  time I have experienced in teaching.
• Our first cohort results are excellent.
• Thanks to everyone who gave us the opportunity
  to try this exciting, dynamic, and thoroughly
  relevant suite of courses.

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• Scientific literacy activities

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• What are the learning objectives?
• How are these activities similar / different to
  current teaching?

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Hayfever

• When given data relating to affect of air
  quality
• can give an example from everyday life of a
  correlation between a factor and an outcome
• can explain why a correlation between a factor
  and an outcome does not necessarily mean that one
  causes the other

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Whales

• When provided with additional data can draw valid
  conclusions about the implications of given data
  for a given theory, for example
• recognises that an observation that agrees with a
  prediction (derived from an explanation)
  increases confidence in the explanation, but does
  not prove it is correct
• recognises that an observation that disagrees
  with a prediction (derived from an explanation)
  indicates that either the observation or the
  prediction is wrong, and that this may decrease
  our confidence in the explanation

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Main contacts

• Jenifer Burden, University of York
• jb56_at_york.ac.uk
• Project website
• www.21stcenturyscience.org
• Publisher website
• www.twentyfirstcenturyscience.org