B Barber
Science Coordinator

Science

Middle Years Science Program

Return to Curriculum

• Pedagogy in middle years science.
  
• Curriculum change and development.
  
• Partnerships with scientific community and researchers.
  
• "Cutting edge" content and current practice.
  
• Utilising ICT in the science curriculum.
  
• Mentoring through primary / secondary collaboration.
  

• To make links with industry, consultants and community;
• To provide effective professional development for staff;
• To promote effective learning for students;
  
• To improve the status of teachers;
• To include as many staff as possible;
• To evaluate student and teacher outcomes.

• A portion of the project must be completed by the end of March 2004 for evaluation.
• Projects must contain an evaluation component by the school, which includes some measures of student and teacher outcomes

• make links with industry/consultants/community;
• provide effective professional development for staff;
• promote effective learning for students;
• improve the status of teachers;
• include as many staff as possible;
• evaluate student and teacher outcomes.

• assist teachers in Years 5-9 to prepare their science and technology curriculum;
  
• provide professional development for staff in Years 5-9 to develop skills and experience in the teaching of science;
• increase an awareness within our students of the need to face the future challenges in science;
  
• increase the status of science within the curriculum;
• educate students in the importance and relevance of science in the world of industry, research and business;
• create links within the community, industry and research in the area of science education;
• increase the skills of science teachers through mentoring from secondary schools and consultation;
  
• create links between our neighbouring secondary schools in our region to share experience; develop cross campus courses and assessment; and prepare a joint science website;
  
• cover a variety of science units so as to provide senior primary teachers with additional skills in areas traditionally not well covered (eg. physical or chemical sciences; and information technology);
  
• discover ways of utilising the skills and talents of teachers to promote successful science and technology learning across the year levels;
  create a more seamless transition between 5-9;
  
• explore ways of creating an effective science curriculum network between teachers of the partner primary and secondary schools.

• Creation of a combined Website for primary and secondary:
  
  • To record practical activities; use of science equipment; useful science websites; contact between schools; science question and answer facility; fact file; resources; assessment ideas; and course development material. It will also assist in the delivery of the E-Buddies project.Special pages will be used to develop expertise amongst the science staff and share ideas for assessment, curriculum and classroom management between secondary schools and John Paul College. It will also assist in the delivery of the E-Buddies project. Professional development material will also be on this website for all to view.

• Extended Science Professional Development Program for primary and secondary staff (from our partner primary and secondary schools).
  
• SciSperience Program consisting of pairs of primary staff experiencing the day-to-day workings of the science department; regular staff inservicing at the primary level on aspects of science education.
  
• Cross-Curriculum Science Course development allowing primary staff to contribute to a data base of practical activities for all partner schools to share; inservice workshops on different aspects of science education.

• Industry, consultants and community:
  
  • Objective: The ability to make links with industry, consultants and community.
    Proposal details: The development of research assignments in the middle years of 5-9 to focus on the implementation of scientific work carried out in University research; industrial manufacturing in the local area; and in local business.
    Evaluation: The completion and assessment of assignment work according to criteria investigating the use of science and technology to create a product by local business, industry or community organisations.
• Effective professional development for staff:
  
  • Objective: The ability to provide more effective professional development for staff.
    Proposal details: The running of a number of inservices to support the further development of teacher skills in the area of science and technology:
    Extended Science Professional Development Program for primary and secondary staff (from our partner primary and secondary schools).
    SciSperience Program consisting of pairs of primary staff experiencing the day-to-day workings of the science department; regular staff inservicing at the primary level on aspects of science education.
    Cross-Curriculum Science Course development allowing primary staff to contribute to a data base of practical activities for all partner schools to share; inservice workshops on different aspects of science education.
    Evaluation: Application of skills involved in this inservice back in their classroom and reporting back. Interviews, surveys and assessment of assignment work according to criteria investigating the use of science and technology to create a product. Teachers contribute to a data base of practical ideas, classroom management ideas and assessment ideas.
• Effective learning for students:
  
  • Objective: The ability to provide effective learning for students.
    Proposal details: The continuation of a number of hands-on activities that students participate in:
    Professor Cludd Science Shows: Continuation of the presentation of science shows whereby primary staff ring up and request a hands-on show on a topic they are studying (currently there are close to 10 science shows available so far);
    E-Buddies Projects: A project to encourage communication between John Paul College students and a partner primary school class to work together on a science project based around the same theme. The form of communication is largely email but they will come together at the end to do a combined experiment at John Paul College.
    Teacher Assistance: The assistance of primary partner teachers in the preparation of curriculum and resourcing of equipment necessary to develop their current science topics.
    Evaluation: Interviews with Science Coordinator to survey a minimum amount of use of any of the above programs.
• Improved status of teachers:
  
  • Objective: The ability to improve the status of teachers.
    Proposal details: The development of the status of teachers through the following approaches:
    Inservicing: The effective use of inservices to develop teacher competencies, confidence and skills in science and technology;
    Practical Activities: The development of further science information and practical work on the web site to allow staff to prepare and implement a more thorough science program;
    Evaluation: Interviews with Science Coordinator to survey a minimum amount of use of any of the above programs.
• Include as many staff as possible:
  
  • Objective: The ability to include as many staff as possible.
    Proposal details: As many staff will be involved through the following ways:
    Web site contribution: The Cross-Campus Science Course will require contribution from all partner primary staff.
    Inservicing: The encouragement of as many as possible staff to take part in the Extended Science Professional Development Program and the E-Buddies program.
    Whole Staff Inservicing: The running of regular whole staff science inservices on relevant topics of science according to a schools' current curriculum focus.
    Evaluation: Interviews with Science Coordinator to survey the implementation and use of the above programs.

• Evaluate Student and Teacher Outcomes:
  
  • Objective: The ability to evaluate student and teacher outcomes.
    Proposal details: Through the use of ACER testing procedures we will evaluate the productivity and effectiveness of student and teacher outcomes. These will include the following:
    Student Outcomes: The production of assessed projects; a variety of evidence resulting from various classroom activities; journal entries of experiences with Science topics; and feedback from activities conducted in class.
    Teacher Outcomes: The production of ACER documented surveys and other forms of evaluation to assess appropriate involvement in the project for staff and the degree to which they believe it has assisted their teaching of science. This would include evaluating teacher confidence; time spent teaching science; classroom management; newly acquired teaching strategies; the use of a professional science teaching network to assist their teaching; the use and degree of use of the web site; networks with industry to assist in teaching; and teachers showing more resourcefulness.
    Sample Questions: Do you feel that your profile as a teacher has increased as a result of this project? To what extent has your confidence in teaching science increased as result of the project? How much use and to what extent has the web site been in assisting your teaching of science? Have you employed any of the new variety of teaching strategies as specified in the Extended Science Professional Development Program? How successful do you feel these strategies have been.

• Evaluation of Program:
  • Objective: The ability to evaluate the effectiveness of the whole program.
    Proposal details: Through the use of ACER testing procedures we will evaluate the productivity and effectiveness of all aspects of the program. These will include the following:
    School Outcomes: The production of ACER documented surveys and other forms of evaluation to Principals, Curriculum Coordinators and Science Coordinators. They would evaluate appropriate success of the project in terms of the implementation and improvement to current science curriculum and resources. It would evaluate changes in perception of general teaching staff; accuracy of application of CSF (II) guidelines; improved documentation of year 5-9 courses.
    Sample Questions: Do you feel that your staff has gained more confidence in teaching science as result of the project? How much use and to what extent has the web site been in assisting the teaching of science? Does your staff have an increased use of technology and confidence in using email to assist the information transmission for E-Buddies?

• Increased confidence in teaching science;
• Better equipped to teach problem areas of science;
  
• More time spent teaching science;
  
• Better classroom management;
  
• Utilising a increased range of teaching strategies;
  
• Utilising a more effective range of teaching strategies for students;
  
• A professional science teaching network from which to call upon;
  
• Networks with industry to assist in teaching;
  
• Teachers showing more resourcefulness;
  
• Increased standing among the community.

• More interest in science;
  
• Better grades in science;
  
• More productive discussion in the classroom;
  
• An increase in students making links to the "real world";
  
• Increase in "scientific literacy".
  
• Improved teaching of Science and Technology in P-6.