A senior secondary school physics curriculum for

talented students

Paper to the 2008 GIREP conferenceNicosia, Cyprus

Ton van der Valk, Vincent van Dijk and Jeroen van Velden

Junior College Utrecht, Utrecht University

Our roles

• Jeroen and Vincent are physics teachers in Junior College Utrecht and in a regular school

• Ton is curriculum coordinator in JCU and a researcher

• Jeroen and Vincent reflect on their teaching in JCU, using results from a research to empowerment of JCU students

• So together we produce `knowledge of practice´ (Couso, Tuesday)

Outline • Junior College Utrecht

• JCU curriculum characteristics

• Investigation to empowerment of JCU students

• Reflection on empowerment by the physics curriculum characteristics

• Conclusions: the empowerment components in physics

• Recommendations

The Junior College Utrecht• Utrecht University + 26 partner schools• 2 years of pre-university science

education (grade 11 and 12)• Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology +

(2008) Advanced Science / Mathematics• Selection of science motivated students• Now 100 students• Lessons on Monday and Tuesday• 3 cohorts passed national exams• >80% opt for a university science study

Goals of Junior College Utrecht

1. Students: To offer an interesting and challenging science education program to talented and motivated students (age 16 – 18)

2. Teachers and schools: To provide a working place to partner schools for innovation of the science and maths curricula

JCU Curriculum characteristics

• Accelerated pace– Syllabuses done in 60% of time

• Similarly disposed peers– Students share passion for science/ math

• Research oriented– Assignments like prethesis and JCU-thesis

• Approach by teachers– Tuned to interests and capacities of students

• Enriched programme– NLT (Advanced Science) modules

• JCU atmosphere– Social activities; student participation

Empowerment

• Empowerment: process of adopting values and enacting practises of self-interest to align student and teacher goals

• Three components: students feel– Impact: they contribute and self-determine goals

and methods– Meaningfulness: topics and activities are

meaningful– Competence: competent to do the learning tasks

Investigation to empowerment of JCU students

• Questionnaire on empowerment and the effects of curriculum characteristics (N= 75)

• Results:– All students felt empowered

– No significant differences between 3 components, groups

– Components: girls significantly lower on competence scale, not on marks

– All characteristics added to empowerement• Accelerated curriculum the least• atmosphere the most

Interpretation of results from physics curriculum point of view

• Research question: How do the six characteristics as implemented in JCU physics curriculum, influence students’ empowerment?

• Data: physics teachers’ experience; qualitative data from students

• Our reflections as JCU physics teachers

Accelerated curriculum;Similarly disposed peers

• Students acknowledge acceleration is needed in physics curriculum

• Maths/technics oriented group: pace OK• Life-science oriented group: pace too high:

they get unsure, less self-confidence• Students appreciate their peers• But they are not the best of class anymore

Differentiate: students can opt for more comprehensive or more syllabus oriented tasks

Research oriented;Enrichment

• Research: university labs; doing (pre)-thesis; meeting researchers

• Presenting thesis and excursion to CERN are highlights

• Going beyond physics syllabus in modules and lessons (background theory, additional topics; lab work)

• Students appreciate enrichment• Some students find: too much physics in

modules

Students can choose between 2 modules

Approach by teachersJCU atmosphere

• We present topics in large integrated pieces• Start with essentials; then details• Ppt presentations on internet• Students appreciate our approach and

discussions in physics lessons• JCU atmosphere is phantastic!• Students experience freedom, challenge, respect

for their contributions• Physics lessons have stimulated me to develop

my way of learning

Conclusions

• JCU characteristics are implemented in our physics lessons

• All contribute to students´ empowerment:– the most to ´meaningful´– to ´competence´ to a lesser extent – the least to ´impact´

• In physics lessons, more ´self-determination´ needed• JCU group is not homogeneous. To some, the pace in

physics lessons is too high and enrichment includes too much physics

• Intention: we are going to use differentiated tasks

Recommendations for regular schools

• Good atmosphere in science classes: challenge for setting goals, for contributions, give them respect, options

• Opportunities for acceleration and enrichment to talented students

• Different tasks for different groups in the class• Ask a clear task product , pay attention to the

process and product• Let students present their products to each other