Primary Science for Trainee Teachers

Judith Roden, James Archer, Author

• Publisher: Learning Matters
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9781446296561, 9781446296554
• eBook ISBN: 9781473907263
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Teaching Science & Technology

With chapter sequencing following the new Curriculum, this book supports trainee Primary school teachers to make use of the opportunities presented in the new National Curriculum for effective and engaging Science teaching. 

Covering all of the areas of the new National Curriculum for primary science and offering insight into effective teaching, it helps you connect what you need to teach to how it can be taught. This comprehensive guide to teaching Primary Science will help you secure your subject knowledge, understand how children learn about science and know how to plan and teach effective and inspiring science lessons. Exploring opportunities in the new curriculum for creative and imaginative teaching, it shows you how to capitalize on opportunities to teach Science in a way that sparks children?s interest. 

Includes the full National Curriculum Programme of Study for Science, key stages 1 and 2 as a useful reference for trainee teachers.

Other books in this series include: Primary Mathematics for Trainee Teachers and Primary English for Trainee Teachers

1 Working Scientifically

Learning Outcomes

By reading this chapter you will develop:

• an awareness of the importance of working scientifically;
• an understanding of the key scientific processes that underpin working scientifically;
• a knowledge of the progression in the process skills that underpin working scientifically;
• an understanding of effective pedagogic strategies for the teaching of working scientifically.

Teachers' Standards

• 2. Promote good progress and outcomes by pupils
  • be aware of pupils’ capabilities and plan teaching to build on these
  • demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how pupils learn and how this impacts on teaching.
• 3. Demonstrate good science subject and curriculum knowledge
  • have a secure knowledge of science and foster and maintain pupils’ interest in science
  • demonstrate a critical understanding of the developments in the subject and curriculum area.

Introduction

What is Science?

The biggest challenge for you as a teacher in the Early Years or primary phase of education is to understand what exactly science is in the primary school and to have a clear view as to how it should be taught for optimum learning. Science in the primary school is a unique interpretation of what it means to engage in science activity. Roden and Ward (2008, p.6) suggest that there are numerous facets that go to make up the construct of primary science. They encourage us to see science both as a body of knowledge and as a way of working. The new primary curriculum (DfE, 2013) sets out aims to develop knowledge and conceptual understanding as well as children's ability to work in a scientific manner.

Davies and Howe (2003) suggest that science should be both a hands-on and a minds-on activity. At the heart of outstanding primary practice in enquiry is allowing children to construct and investigate their own questions. The Cambridge Primary Review highlights the importance of providing learners with a real sense of autonomy (Alexander, 2010). One child reported in the review that ‘we learn things best when we can find out things for ourselves’ (Alexander, 2010, p.148). In order to facilitate this it is important, therefore, to be mindful of what counts in terms of ‘working scientifically’ and how this can be integrated into everyday practice in primary science.

Key Scientific Concepts

• The process skills in science
• Working scientifically
• Progression in working scientifically
• Types of investigations

Research Focus

A recent report undertaken by Ofsted (2013) in 91 primary and 89 secondary good and outstanding schools found the following.

• In the best schools visited, teachers ensured that pupils understood the ‘big ideas’ of science. They made sure that pupils mastered the investigative and practical skills that underpin the development of scientific knowledge and could discover for themselves the relevance and usefulness of those ideas.
• Science achievement in the schools visited was highest when individual pupils were fully involved in planning, carrying out and evaluating investigations that they had, in some part, suggested themselves.

The report made the following recommendations.

School leaders, including governing bodies, should:

• provide sufficient weekly curriculum time so that individual pupils develop good scientific enquiry skills as well as the knowledge they need.

Science subject leaders should:

• in primary schools, monitor pupils’ progress in science regularly to ensure they are supported effectively to reach their potential.

Science teachers should:

• use assessment effectively to plan lessons that build on individual pupils’ prior knowledge and provide feedback that genuinely helps pupils to improve their work in science.

Reflection

Given the increased emphasis in the new programme of study on creating opportunities for enquiry and working scientifically, how do these findings and recommendations relate to your experience of primary science? To what extent is there an opportunity for children to work scientifically in the primary schools known to you? What are the implications of the recommendations on your practice and on the weekly timetable of a class?

The Process Skills in Science

As primary science educators our aim is to develop the children's knowledge, understanding and skills. In science the particular skills that help us in working scientifically are known as the process skills. Although there is not as such an agreed definitive list of process skills, these can often be found in curriculum documents. The DfE (2013) programme of study for science lists particular process skills and is very explicit in suggesting that they should be seen as being on equal terms and weighting with that of conceptual knowledge and understanding. The programme of study continually emphasises that knowledge and process skills should always be taught together. Ofsted (2011) highlights, however, that there is a tendency by primary practitioners to focus almost exclusively on conceptual development, often missing opportunities for process skill development. The following section will explore what the process skills are and provide practical examples of how these can be nurtured and developed in the primary phase.

Observation and Questioning

Observation is using our senses to explore in a way that assists the raising of questions. It is important that children are taught to identify questions that can and cannot be investigated. Observation and questioning are fundamental process skills from which all other process skills can be developed. Fictional texts such as Why? by Lindsay Camp and Tony Ross highlight the inquisitive nature of young children in an amusing and playful way. Questions such as ‘Are we nearly there yet?’ have become synonymous with our view of young children. Entering a Foundation Stage classroom there appears to be a culture of questioning as children engage in their many activities.

Curriculum Links

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework (Early Education, 2012) provides the expectation that all children should be engaged in and respond to questions and questioning and so supports a culture characterised by practitioners responding to children's inquisitive nature. However, while there may well be provision for this kind of approach within many Early Years settings, interestingly, it has been noted that these abilities often do not develop beyond the Foundation Stage and that, indeed, in many cases they regress over a child's career in primary education (Ofsted, 2008; Ofsted, 2011; Ofsted, 2013).

To develop children's questioning ability in science takes time. Questions are often created in response to an individual engaging in exploring and observing a particular phenomenon. Barnes (2012, p.239) suggests that children should be submerged in powerful learning experiences at the start of any new learning. It is essential that children are allowed to engage in exploration at the start of the investigation process. Trying to facilitate the process of children raising productive and relevant questions outside of an observational experience often proves futile. When children have not been given the opportunity to observe a phenomenon they often create questions that seem irrelevant to the teacher. The teacher becomes frustrated by the children's inability to raise questions that can be investigated and so provides the children with questions to investigate. It is often after observing a phenomenon that children are spurred into considering what they have observed and have genuine questions that they wish to explore. Enquiry work that seeks to engage learners and support their discovery must begin with an observational experience.

Case study: Candles

Matt, a third year BA (Hons) student participant, was working with a group of Year 4 children to develop their ability to raise questions about light. He provided them with a single lit tea light on a heat-proof mat. He asked the children to write down as many observations as they could about the...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• About the Authors and Series Editor
• Introduction
• 1 Working Scientifically
• 2 Plants
• 3 Animals, Including Humans: The Parts of the Body, the Senses, Teeth, Nutrition and the Digestive System
• 4 Animals Including Humans: Growth, Reproduction and the Circulatory System
• 5 Variety of Life: The Characteristics of Living Things, Variation and Classification
• 6 Habitats
• 7 Everyday Materials: Their Uses, Properties and Changes of Materials
• 8 Forces
• 9 Earth, Space and Rocks
• 10 Light, Sound and Electricity
• Appendix 1: Model Answers to Self-assessment Questions
• References
• Appendix 2: Science Programmes of Study: Key Stages 1 and 2: National Curriculum in England: September 2013
• Index