Science in Primary Schools: Examining the Practices of Effective Teachers

2012-10-19
Science in Primary Schools: Examining the Practices of Effective Teachers

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  • Author: Angela Fitzgerald
  • Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
  • ISBN: 9460918581
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 120

If the status and quality of science education in schools is to improve, efforts need to be made to better understand the classroom practices of effective science teachers. Teachers are key players in a re-imagining of science education. This book explores how two primary school teachers, identified as effective practitioners, approached science teaching and learning over a unit of work. In recording the teaching and learning experiences in their classrooms, the author highlights how the two teachers adopted different approaches, drawing on their particular beliefs and knowledge, to support student learning in science in ways that were appropriate to their contexts as well as reflected their different experiences, strengths and backgrounds. Through sharing their stories, this book illustrates, that due to the complex nature of teaching and learning, there is no one way of defining effectiveness. In documenting this research, it is hoped that other teachers and teacher educators will be inspired to think about primary school science education in innovative ways.

Preparing Teachers

2010-07-25
Preparing Teachers

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  • Author: National Research Council
  • Publisher: National Academies Press
  • ISBN: 0309128056
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 234

Teachers make a difference. The success of any plan for improving educational outcomes depends on the teachers who carry it out and thus on the abilities of those attracted to the field and their preparation. Yet there are many questions about how teachers are being prepared and how they ought to be prepared. Yet, teacher preparation is often treated as an afterthought in discussions of improving the public education system. Preparing Teachers addresses the issue of teacher preparation with specific attention to reading, mathematics, and science. The book evaluates the characteristics of the candidates who enter teacher preparation programs, the sorts of instruction and experiences teacher candidates receive in preparation programs, and the extent that the required instruction and experiences are consistent with converging scientific evidence. Preparing Teachers also identifies a need for a data collection model to provide valid and reliable information about the content knowledge, pedagogical competence, and effectiveness of graduates from the various kinds of teacher preparation programs. Federal and state policy makers need reliable, outcomes-based information to make sound decisions, and teacher educators need to know how best to contribute to the development of effective teachers. Clearer understanding of the content and character of effective teacher preparation is critical to improving it and to ensuring that the same critiques and questions are not being repeated 10 years from now.

Science Teachers' Learning

2016-01-15
Science Teachers' Learning

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  • Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
  • Publisher: National Academies Press
  • ISBN: 0309380189
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 257

Currently, many states are adopting the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) or are revising their own state standards in ways that reflect the NGSS. For students and schools, the implementation of any science standards rests with teachers. For those teachers, an evolving understanding about how best to teach science represents a significant transition in the way science is currently taught in most classrooms and it will require most science teachers to change how they teach. That change will require learning opportunities for teachers that reinforce and expand their knowledge of the major ideas and concepts in science, their familiarity with a range of instructional strategies, and the skills to implement those strategies in the classroom. Providing these kinds of learning opportunities in turn will require profound changes to current approaches to supporting teachers' learning across their careers, from their initial training to continuing professional development. A teacher's capability to improve students' scientific understanding is heavily influenced by the school and district in which they work, the community in which the school is located, and the larger professional communities to which they belong. Science Teachers' Learning provides guidance for schools and districts on how best to support teachers' learning and how to implement successful programs for professional development. This report makes actionable recommendations for science teachers' learning that take a broad view of what is known about science education, how and when teachers learn, and education policies that directly and indirectly shape what teachers are able to learn and teach. The challenge of developing the expertise teachers need to implement the NGSS presents an opportunity to rethink professional learning for science teachers. Science Teachers' Learning will be a valuable resource for classrooms, departments, schools, districts, and professional organizations as they move to new ways to teach science.

Taking Science to School

2007-04-16
Taking Science to School

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  • Author: National Research Council
  • Publisher: National Academies Press
  • ISBN: 0309133831
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 404

What is science for a child? How do children learn about science and how to do science? Drawing on a vast array of work from neuroscience to classroom observation, Taking Science to School provides a comprehensive picture of what we know about teaching and learning science from kindergarten through eighth grade. By looking at a broad range of questions, this book provides a basic foundation for guiding science teaching and supporting students in their learning. Taking Science to School answers such questions as: When do children begin to learn about science? Are there critical stages in a child's development of such scientific concepts as mass or animate objects? What role does nonschool learning play in children's knowledge of science? How can science education capitalize on children's natural curiosity? What are the best tasks for books, lectures, and hands-on learning? How can teachers be taught to teach science? The book also provides a detailed examination of how we know what we know about children's learning of scienceâ€"about the role of research and evidence. This book will be an essential resource for everyone involved in K-8 science educationâ€"teachers, principals, boards of education, teacher education providers and accreditors, education researchers, federal education agencies, and state and federal policy makers. It will also be a useful guide for parents and others interested in how children learn.

Primary Science

2011-11-11
Primary Science

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  • Author: Mick Dunne
  • Publisher: SAGE
  • ISBN: 144629112X
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 210

What is science? What is good science education? How can science be intelligently linked to the wider primary curriculum? Becoming a confident and informed teacher of primary science requires a strong understanding of the key practical, conceptual and pedagogical issues that underpin science education in the primary school. Touching on current curriculum concerns and the wider challenges of developing good practice in science education Primary Science provides an indispensable overview of important areas of teaching every aspiring primary school teacher needs to understand. Written directly for initial teacher education students this textbook supports classroom practice and provides a broad survey of key aspects of primary science teaching including the role of science in the curriculum, communication and literacy in science teaching, science outside the classroom, transitional issues and assessment. This is essential reading for all students studying primary science on primary initial teacher education courses, including undergraduate (BEd, BA with QTS), postgraduate (PGCE, SCITT), and employment-based routes into teaching, and also NQTs. Mick Dunne is Head of Initial Teacher Training at Bradford College Alan Peacock is Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Exeter

The Teaching of Science in Primary Schools

2000
The Teaching of Science in Primary Schools

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  • Author: Wynne Harlen
  • Publisher: David Fulton Publishers
  • ISBN: 9781853465642
  • Category : Education, Primary
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 260

Presenting an up-to-date discussion of the many aspects of teaching primary science, this best-selling book contains a strong focus on constructivist learning and the role of social interaction in learning.

Effective Teaching of Science

1999
Effective Teaching of Science

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  • Author: Wynne Harlen
  • Publisher:
  • ISBN:
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 128

This book reviews the literature on effective science teaching, examining research from the United Kingdom and other countries. The studies included were those that made comparisons between two or more groups differing in science education experiences; those that involved upper elementary or lower secondary students; those that made comparisons in terms of achievement in science or outcomes related to achievement; and those in which innovation was sustainable in normal classrooms. The book focuses on eight aspects of science education that might impact students' achievement but which have received less attention than other aspects (such as gender bias). The book features 10 chapters which include the eight topics: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "The Role of Practical Work"; (3) "Using Computers"; (4) "Approaches to Constructivism"; (5) "Cognitive Acceleration"; (6) "Assessment"; (7) "Planning, Questioning, and Using Language"; (8) "The Curriculum"; (9) "Teachers' Understanding of Science"; and (10) "Discussion." (Contains approximately 197 references.) (SM)

The Teaching of Science in Primary Schools

2018
The Teaching of Science in Primary Schools

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  • Author: Wynne Harlen
  • Publisher: David Fulton Publishers
  • ISBN: 9781138225725
  • Category : Science
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 0

Now in a fully updated seventh edition, The Teaching of Science in Primary Schools provides essential information for students, trainee, and practising teachers about the why, what and how of teaching primary science. Paying particular attention to inquiry-based teaching and learning, the book recognises the challenges of teaching science, and provides suggestions and examples aimed to increase teachers' confidence and pupils' enjoyment of the subject. This new edition explores: Changes in curriculum and assessment requirements in the UK Advances in knowledge of how children learn Expansion in the use of ICT by teachers and children And expands on key aspects of teaching including: The compelling reasons for starting science in the primary school Strategies for helping children to develop understanding, skills and enjoyment Attention to school and teacher self-evaluation as a means of improving provision for children's learning. Giving the latest information about the rationale for and use of inquiry-based, constructivist methodology, and the use of assessment to help learning, the book combines practice and theory, explaining and advocating for particular classroom interactions and activities. This book is essential reading for all primary school teachers and those engaged in studying primary education.

The Best Ways to Teach Primary Science: Research into Practice

2016-07-16
The Best Ways to Teach Primary Science: Research into Practice

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  • Author: Michael Allen
  • Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education (UK)
  • ISBN: 0335261876
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 223

This book provides an exceptional insight into how children learn science, as well as which teaching approaches have been found to be most successful. Drawing on the significant body of research carried out over the past 35 years, the book provides valuable evidence about which tried-and–tested approaches enhance learning and help children actually learn science. The book:• supports you in becoming more effective in teaching primary science• offers a reliable evidential base, founded on significant research findings• helps you make informed choices about which approaches to use in your teaching repertoire• provides support for completing your written assignments Overall the text helps you develop your knowledge and understanding of primary science, as well as how best to plan for teaching this important subject. Insights into how children best learn science, together with practical teaching ideas that have been tested in a systematic way, makes this an essential book for primary teachers in training and an invaluable guide for primary teachers teaching science in Key Stages One and Two. “This book makes a major, evidence-based contribution to teaching science in the primary school. It provides a solid grounding for busy teachers to access and use research findings to enhance their professional development and practice. Each chapter provides comprehensive coverage of a science topic, including: revision of subject knowledge; research findings on children's ideas; learning progression; suggested ways to teach, and research exemplars and lesson outlines. This book is a valuable resource for student teachers and for teachers with many years of experience. It is an indispensable addition to every primary teacher’s bookshelf and every university education department.” Rob Toplis, recently Senior Lecturer in Science Education, Brunel University, UK “This is a great ‘why to…’ and ‘how to…’ book. Michael Allen’s use of progressive understanding underscores both the unfolding stories of primary science alongside children’s developing grasp of the key ideas involved. His work is based on a wealth of research that provides the basis for the ‘why to…’ in curriculum organisation and planning. This is then brought to bear on considerable professional experience and classroom practice to provide the ‘how to…’ for teachers, covering a range of important topics in primary science. An excellent compendium of rationales and resources.” Mike Watts, Professor of Education, Brunel University, UK

The Teaching of Science in Primary Schools

2017-08-04
The Teaching of Science in Primary Schools

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  • Author: Wynne Harlen OBE
  • Publisher: Routledge
  • ISBN: 1317914279
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 393

The Teaching of Science in Primary Schools provides essential information for all concerned with primary school education about all aspects of teaching science. It pays particular attention to inquiry-based teaching and learning because of the more general educational benefits that follow from using this approach. These benefits are often expressed in terms of developing general scientific literacy and fostering the ability to learn and the motivation to continue learning. This book also aims to help teachers focus on the ‘big’ or powerful ideas of science rather than teaching a series of unrelated facts. This leads children to an understanding of the nature, and limitations, of scientific activity. This fully expanded and updated edition explores: The compelling reasons for starting science in the primary school. Within-school planning in the context of less prescriptive national requirements. The value of having in mind the ‘big ideas’ of science. The opportunities for children to learn through greater access to the internet and social networking. The expanding sources of materials and guidance now available to teachers on-line. Greater attention to school and teacher self-evaluation as a means of improving provision for children’s learning. The importance for both teachers and learners of reflecting on the process and content of their activities. Other key aspects of teaching, such as:- questioning, the importance of discussion and dialogue, the formative and summative roles of assessment and strategies for helping children to develop understanding, skills, positive attitudes and enjoyment of science, are preserved. So also is the learner-centred approach with an emphasis on children learning to take some responsibility for their activities. This book is essential reading for all primary school teachers and those on primary education courses.