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Time allocation to science
5.1 Guidelines on the structure and balance of the curriculum 5-14 are currently under review. The revised guidelines will recommend an overall minimum time allocation for environmental studies to include science, the social subjects and technology. Within this allocation, schools are expected to provide sufficient time for full coverage of each of these components in the light of their pupils' needs.
5.2 Schools should allocate sufficient time to science to implement programmes of study which are in line with the national guidelines for environmental studies and ensure that pupils achieve good standards of attainment. Where monitoring and evaluation by the school suggests concerns about programmes or standards in science, as in any other aspect of the 5-14 curriculum, it should consider whether the time allocated is a contributory factor and, if necessary, allocate additional time to science from the flexibility factor.
5.3 The TIMSS study provides evidence of considerable variation in the time allocated to science in primary schools in Scotland. Moreover, it indicates that the time spent on teaching science in Scottish primary schools is much less than in many other countries with 35% of pupils receiving less than one hour of science per week. Primary schools should ensure that all pupils do in fact spend sufficient time on science. TIMSS data indicates that the average time devoted to science teaching in Scotland in S1/S2 is 155 minutes a week, which is above the average time allocated in other countries.
5.4 The relationship between the time allocated and the standards achieved by pupils is complex. In spite of the above average time allocated to science in S1/S2, standards of attainment are poor. Making effective use of class time for learning and teaching is of vital importance as is the effective use of homework. TIMSS data indicate that less homework is set in science in Scotland than in almost all other countries. Primary and secondary schools should therefore carefully review the effective use of both class time and homework in supporting learning in science.
Primary Schools
5.5 In environmental studies in primary schools pupils usually carry out the same activities, working in mixed-ability groups. This makes it difficult to apply in science the advice given in the report Improving Mathematics Education 5-14, in which HMI recommended that teachers should:
5.6 These principles also apply to the teaching of science. From the teacher's perspective, whole-class teaching is often the most effective way of introducing a new science topic to a class or consolidating pupils' understanding once work on a topic has been completed. It makes the most effective use of teachers' and pupils' time and reduces the workload on teachers. Science, like mathematics, has a significant component of knowledge and understanding, built around a number of key concepts or ideas. These are revisited at several points as pupils move through primary and secondary school. The ideas are laid out in national guidelines in what should be the most logical order to help pupils acquire knowledge and gain understanding at a suitable level. Some pupils grasp these ideas quite quickly, whereas others need more support from their teacher or more opportunities to explore and develop their understanding through working with concrete materials.
5.7 Allocating pupils to a small number of attainment groups for science allows them to apply their understanding at an appropriate level to tasks such as planning an investigation or interpreting and evaluating information. However, teachers should ensure that pupils in low attaining groups are given suitably challenging tasks, with the intention that they should reach national targets appropriate to their stage. When pupils are working in attainment groups, teachers should employ direct teaching, both to challenge higher attaining pupils and to support those pupils who may be experiencing difficulties.
Secondary Schools
5.8 Pupils entering secondary schools have a significantly wide range of attainment in science, reflecting what they have learned both in and out of primary school. Inspection evidence shows that in most schools pupils are taught science in mixed-ability classes throughout S1/S2. In general, all pupils follow the same course at the same pace. As mentioned in paragraph 4.1, the arrangements for meeting pupils needs in S1/S2 had important weaknesses or were unsatisfactory in 64% of secondary schools. The current arrangements are clearly not meeting the needs of most pupils in science.
5.9 Increasingly, the levels attained by individual pupils are being reported by primary schools to the receiving secondary. This information, together with the secondary teachers' early assessments of scientific knowledge and skills, should allow science teachers to allocate pupils to attainment groups. When planning tasks for pupils in science, teachers should take account of their earlier experiences and levels of attainment, not only in science but also in English language and mathematics. As well as supporting those pupils who are having difficulties, teachers should recognise the needs of able pupils, who are often under-challenged in science courses. Such pupils are often frustrated when they are required to repeat work they already understand or have to go through a series of concrete examples when they experience no difficulty with particular concepts at an abstract level. Science teachers should consider carefully how the new Level F content might introduce greater interest, relevance and challenge to the S1/S2 course.
5.10 Group teaching within mixed-ability classes becomes more difficult to manage as more demanding scientific concepts are introduced. For this reason, science teachers should take account of the advice offered in Achievement for All, namely that broad band setting should be considered in science when sufficient evidence about pupils' attainment has been accumulated. This advice is consistent with that offered earlier in the report Effective Learning and Teaching in Scottish Secondary Schools: the Sciences, published in 1994.
5.11 The intensive use of worksheets or workcards is often associated with science courses which employ individualised or resource-based learning (RBL) approaches. This strategy was introduced in many schools to help teachers cope with the wide range of pupils' attainments in mixed-ability classes. In the report Effective Learning and Teaching in Scottish Secondary Schools: the Sciences, HMI reviewed some of the serious difficulties associated with the use of RBL. Currently, many teachers spend too much time managing worksheets and other resources and too little time engaged in direct teaching of pupils. As a result, pupils work too slowly and spend too much time copying information and carrying out time-filling and unchallenging activities such as "colouring in, cutting out and pasting down" at the expense of the teaching of investigative and thinking skills. Where pupils are left to work for long periods on their own without direct teaching, HMI have found that pupils, even the most able, have a poor understanding of key ideas. There is now substantial evidence that RBL methods should not be used as the sole or predominant approach. Science teachers should review how they teach S1/S2 classes and ensure that they follow the advice offered about effective science lessons in paragraph 3.3 of this report.
Managing science provision
5.12 Primary school headteachers have overall responsibility for the curriculum, which includes making decisions about when science should feature on the school development plan. They have an important role to play in ensuring that national guidelines are implemented and that teachers have sufficient advice and support about curriculum matters. In the case of science, they need to ensure that an appropriate science programme, including arrangements for assessment and reporting, is in place and that the programme is adequately resourced with books, equipment and other necessary materials. Further, they need to monitor and evaluate the planning and delivery of science programmes with respect to time allocation, teaching and learning approaches and pupils' attainment. They also need to work with colleagues from associated primary and secondary schools to ensure that a consistent approach is taken to the coverage of science content at each stage before pupils move to secondary school.
5.13 In practice, in larger primary schools, promoted staff or teachers who have particular interests or areas of expertise often take a lead role in developing certain aspects of the curriculum. HMI have found that this approach can be very effective in developing an aspect of the curriculum such as science, especially where a member of staff is suitably qualified. Throughout Scotland there are many primary teachers who have degrees in science or who have, a distance learning qualification in primary science. Where these teachers have been given curricular responsibility for developing science, in most cases provision has improved throughout the school. Such teachers have an important role to play in devising balanced science programmes for use throughout the school, in supporting the teaching of less experienced or less confident colleagues, for example through co-operative teaching or exchanging classes. They can also assist in leading staff development sessions in the school and in liaising with secondary science colleagues. Specialist input of this sort can be very helpful in promoting effective teaching and learning and improving attainment.
5.14 HMI have found examples where secondary science staff worked closely with staff from the associated primary schools to the benefit of pupils. In some cases, secondary headteachers had allocated staff time to improve the quality of experience at associated primary schools. In these situations, secondary staff recognised the value of devoting time to support associated primary schools in the knowledge that pupils would come to secondary school better prepared in terms of their science knowledge, understanding and skills. Secondary headteachers and science staff should seek to find innovative ways of supporting their primary colleagues so that the quality of pupils' learning and attainment in science can be enhanced.
5.15 Achieving Success in S1/S2 asked education authorities and schools to consider how more flexible use might be made of the specialist skills of teachers in both primary and secondary sectors. This advice is especially relevant in the case of science. For many years, primary teachers have received help from visiting specialist teachers, including for example, teachers of music, art and design, physical education and drama. Given the clear need to support primary teachers in this key aspect of the curriculum, education authorities should consider the appropriateness of using visiting specialist teachers of science to help improve primary teachers' confidence and competence in teaching science.
5.16 In secondary schools, principal teachers have responsibility for the management and development of all courses, including 5-14 science. In practice, the responsibility for 5-14 science is often delegated to an assistant principal teacher (APT) attached to one of the separate science departments. In many cases, APTs take the 5-14 responsibility very seriously and discharge their duties conscientiously and effectively. However, over the period 1995-98, HMI noted that in 34% of science departments, the management of science courses had important weaknesses or was unsatisfactory. HMI found many instances where little had been done to implement 5-14 guidelines beyond carrying out a superficial audit of course content against national guidelines. New areas of content had not been introduced. Investigative skills were not being taught and practised. Assessment and reporting did not conform to national advice. Little or no account was taken of pupils' prior experience of science.
5.17 In general, the management of integrated or general science courses is accorded considerably lower status than the management of courses in the separate sciences. This is a significant concern given that more pupils follow the science course at S1/S2 than follow any of the separate sciences from S3 to S6. HMI have found that insufficient time is devoted to science in departmental meetings, despite the fact that many headteachers have arranged for all science staff to be free of class teaching at the same time. Instead, staff meet as separate departments to discuss courses from S3 to S6. Science teachers should meet more often as a whole department to discuss ways of improving courses, teaching and learning approaches, including assessment, and raising pupils' attainment at S1/S2.
5.18 S1/S2 classes are often added last to school and departmental timetables with the result that classes are sometimes shared between two teachers. Science departments often use this mechanism to even out non-contact time across teachers. They should follow the advice offered in Achieving Success in S1/S2 which recommends that secondary schools should 'minimise the occasions upon which classes are taught by more than one teacher in a given subject'.
5.19 HMI have found that the monitoring and evaluation of S1/S2 science courses is the weakest aspect of departmental management. Over the period 1995-98, HMI noted that the monitoring and evaluation of science courses had important weaknesses or was unsatisfactory in 64% of science departments. Too often, there were unhelpful inconsistencies in pupils' experience of science from class to class. These related to matters such as homework, checking of pupils' work, standards of presentation and learning and teaching approaches. Principal teachers of the sciences should systematically monitor and evaluate the quality of work of members of staff through sampling pupils' coursework and attainment and working alongside teachers. Where necessary, the remits of promoted staff should be reviewed to make clear that all principal teachers of the sciences have responsibility for the implementation of 5-14 science, although responsibility for certain aspects may be delegated to other staff. Furthermore, all science staff should share in the development and successful implementation of 5-14 science.
5.20 5-14 science should be a priority area for all science departments and should appear on departmental development plans until such time as it has been successfully implemented. The 5-14 guidelines span a crucially important period in a child's education, namely the nine years during which important attitudes to science are developing. Failure to interest, motivate and properly educate pupils in science at these crucial stages will have consequences further up the school system. Successful implementation of 5-14 science across primary and secondary schools offers the greatest potential for making significant national improvements in science education.
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