STEM in the Primary Curriculum

Helen Caldwell,Sue Pope

• Publisher: Learning Matters
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781526482235
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Didattica
• Subtopic: Istruzione elementare

How can teachers harness the power of STEM education and learning in the primary curriculum? This book gives practical STEM ideas for the classroom and supports teachers to make the most of opportunities for rich STEM experiences across the primary curriculum. This book:

• Explores the nature of STEM education and why it matters
• Highlights the opportunities for STEM learning across the curriculum
• Supports teachers to design and innovate engaging STEM learning experiences
• Includes a chapter on STEM in the early years.

1 STEM and making links with home

Amanda Smith

Introduction

There is considerable evidence that when families see STEM subjects as ‘hard’ or ‘boring’ rather than ‘exciting’ and ‘full of potential’, children are less likely to engage with and see STEM as being for them (Smith, 2002; NIACE, 2013; Macdonald, 2014). Support from families and carers is vital if more children are to opt for STEM subjects.

This need to engage families and carers in the STEM-related learning of children is addressed in science via a number of projects and resources. Examples include Learning Science Together, Science Opens Doors, the Institute of Physics’ Marvin and Milo cards, Science Sparks and Pop up Physics for Families. All focus on encouraging curiosity and hands on exploration.

IN THIS CHAPTER

In this chapter, I focus on the SCRUFF project. This project not only engages families in science learning, it explicitly attempts to set up a positive dialogue within the family about science learning, a dialogue that is structured and reinforced by the school through the use of the SCRUFF resources. This is an approach to strengthen home–school learning that can be used across all STEM disciplines.

The activities presented in the second half of this chapter are inspired by the work of the SCRUFF project. They are intended to stimulate scientific thinking and discussion through practical activities completed at home, and will help you to enhance the attitudes and confidence of the children in your class.

There are a range of activities for children in the primary years that encourage scientific thinking and exploration.

Scruff

Science for Children Ready to Use with Family and Friends (SCRUFF) comprises a set of science based teaching and learning materials designed to be used by children at home, with introduction and follow-up in school. SCRUFF has been created collaboratively by the Centre for STEM Education at Manchester Metropolitan University and its partner Primarily Science. The SCRUFF approach involves mapping the attitudes of children and their families towards science learning and tracking how they change as families engage in fun, interactive science activities together. The school plays a central role in structuring, driving and consolidating this learning process. The process has resulted in significant improvement in family attitudes towards children’s STEM learning with more active support and encouragement being offered with homework and ultimately with subject choice (Smith, 2002).

SCRUFF in practice

SCRUFF has a ‘comic book’ appearance led by an appealing cartoon dog character who likes to go on adventures and make discoveries. The project is introduced in school and children take home activities to work on with a family member or carer. Where this is not possible, children are encouraged to work with a friend or an older child from the school. The activities are easy to run and the resources needed readily found in most homes. The purpose of each activity is not to arrive at a ‘correct answer’ but to have fun by investigating, observing and exploring together. The teacher’s effective direction of the project is vital to its success.

The project takes place over a six-week period. The teacher initiates it by an explanatory letter home introducing the project, with a ‘find out’ meeting for children and families. The opening activity is a questionnaire for children to use with their families to explore their own experience and attitudes towards science. This is followed by fun weekly investigations with the teacher preparing the children to lead the activity in the home. The teacher follows up on the activity to consolidate learning, pursue ideas and questions and to talk about what it was like working on science at home. Children and their learning partner (family member or carer) are encouraged to keep a SCRUFF diary; this can provide good evidence of engagement and learning for all those involved. The final activity is a questionnaire where children and their partners reflect on what it has been like to work together and how their engagement and attitudes have changed.

Scruff and measuring engagement

In relation to the pre- and post-questionnaires on engagement and attitudes to science, the teacher is key in ensuring the children are well prepared to lead on these activities with their learning partner at home. In effect, the teacher conducts and models an interview with the children about their own engagement and attitudes to science learning. The interview comprises a series of straightforward questions that tease out the science they have done in school and how they approached it, and confirms that these approaches are scientific. This will help children to identify the scientific content they have explored and the scientific methods they have used, such as observing, experimenting, making predictions, investigating and so on. Finally, children should be encouraged to make statements about their attitudes to their science learning so far using open ended questions such as:

• ‘What do you think of science?’
• ‘Did you enjoy it and if so why?’
• ‘Do you think science is important?’
• ‘Have you learned any science outside of school?’

Children often draw on their experience of science in the media here. For example, there are a range of children’s television programmes as well as magazines and books related to science. The interview may be supported by a writing frame using number scales and word fields that children draw on to help them structure their responses. The resultant information can be treated as a collection of data for the school to evaluate the affective impact of their science provision on the children. The key messages are then fed back to the group to help build a dialogue about their science learning to date.

A similar questionnaire can be developed with the children for use with their family learning partner. The teacher will have...