Pages: 16

This chapter describes matters which affect your science teaching in broad ways. For instance, how you perceive science shapes what you do in your lessons. Your students will have their own notions of science, and these will shape how they respond to what you do in your lessons. If you are aware of such conceptions you can take them into account, but not all conceptions are entirely conscious. The nature of science (often abbreviated to NOS) can be one such conception. This chapter is to help you reflect on the products, processes, and the people involved in science. Matters of scientific literacy, the value of science in education, kinds of thinking to be exercised in science lessons, and models of science teaching are described. There is a mini-topic outlining creative thinking in science and the creative science teacher, followed by suggestions for further reading.

Pages: 18

The purpose of this chapter is to help you achieve the kind of learning you want to see, and to do so safely for all concerned. It considers matters of your scientific knowledge and pedagogical knowledge in readiness to plan and teach. Students’ prior knowledge and misconceptions, planning to teach, engagement, kinds of practical activity, transitions, and the importance of safe practices and of adhering to legal and local requirements are described. Teaching at a distance is outlined for occasions when it may be needed. The need to foster various kinds of thinking, including higher order kinds, is a thread which runs through the chapter, and the book. There is a mini-topic describing practices teachers use to engage students in learning, and suggestions for further reading.

Pages: 20

Planning is just the first step in teaching. This chapter moves from preparing to teach to the act of teaching and helping students to learn from what you do and say. We seek to have students think more deeply about scientific topics, but there are things which have to be committed to memory, and strategies for supporting this are described. To support higher-level thinking, the use of representations, analogies, questioning for purposeful productive thought, pressing for understanding, and bridging from what is already known to what is to be understood are described. The understanding of the language of science, facility in its use, and support from scientific conversations are illustrated. The development of skills in scientific argument is also discussed. There is a mini-topic describing effective classroom practices when teaching science, and suggestions for further reading.

Pages: 18

Assessment in one form can inform planning, teaching, learning, and judgements about aptitude and attainment. Formative and summative assessments are distinguished. Several forms of formative assessment in the classroom are described, including those that can be used and reviewed quickly. At some point there are key matters which underpin what follows (so-called hinge knowledge), and the need to check that these key matters have been understood is emphasised. Attention is also given to providing feedback in effective, considerate, and motivating ways as this is crucial for progress. The summative assessment of various levels of thinking is described, including assessing the ability to work scientifically, competence in developing a scientific argument, and practical science skills. The chapter concludes with reporting progress in learning. There is a mini-topic about machine assessment, and suggestions for further reading.

Pages: 16

It is very helpful and good practice to see learning from the students’ point of view. Seeing it through the students’ eyes gives you insights about what is needed in your teaching. But students are also diverse, and you need to accommodate that diversity in your support for their learning. This chapter illustrates this through various contexts when seeing science from the students’ point of view is productive, and even essential. These include working with the successful, the unsuccessful, and the reluctant learner, and include approaches aimed at moving their learning forwards. It considers matters of gender and science, diverse personal histories and interest, and provision for special educational needs and disabilities. It concludes with a mini-topic on the impact of emotions on student learning and on your teaching, with suggestions for further reading.

Pages: 18

There are some aspects of teaching which can have a cross-curricular element to them. One of these is the need to ensure that students’ learning is not adversely affected by their transition from one school to another, as exemplified by the primary to secondary transition. Similarly, digital technology skills are developed and applied in many areas, and those cultivated in science help to equip students for life as much as learning. On occasions, you may need to support learning when students are away from school with the help of digital technology to enable distance learning. All teachers need to address such needs and these are discussed and exemplified. Knowledge of sustainable development and of climate change may be developed in subjects other than science, but science can make a significant contribution. The development of students as thoughtful citizens is not confined to one teacher so you will contribute to that through, for instance, the development of metacognitive skills, wise decision making, and personal and social education. This chapter raises your awareness of such expectations. The chapter concludes with some brief thoughts on your own professional development and how to support it. A mini-topic about science education in the future is included, and there are suggestions for further reading.