Www.earthscienceeducation.com Changing Earth science teaching in UK schools through in-service...

www.earthscienceeducation.com

Changing Earth science teachingin UK schools throughin-service teacher training

Susannah Lydon

Chris King

Keele University, UK


Backgroundhow does Earth science fit in?

Earth science forms part of the 11-16 Science National Curriculum in in England and Wales

About 4% of the science curriculum

Distributed between chemistry and physics(fossil record and evolution in biology)

Taught by chemistry, physics and biology specialists

Most have little or no background in Earth science, or in teaching Earth science


Backgroundwhat is the teaching like?

Teachers spend around 5% of science teaching time on Earth science (2003-2004)

Because teachers have little background,they tend to lack confidence in teachingEarth science

Most UK science teaching is practical and laboratory based

Levels of practical teaching, and of investigational and field-based teaching,are low for Earth science


What are we doing about it?

Earth Science Education Unit, based atKeele University

Central team including full-time administrator, and researcher

Team of 49 regional facilitators across UK

Facilitators from a range of Earth science backgrounds

Project funding for 5 years from UK Offshore Operators Association


Facilitators deliver a range of centrally developed training workshops to teachers

Presented within schools, at meetings and conferences, and at teacher training institutions

Last up to 90 minutes, with up to 25 teachers

Presented singly or several workshops together, during school day or as ‘twilight session’

School or institution requests our workshopsand pays no fee

Training workshops

INSET – in-service training


11-14 (Key Stage 3)

“Key Stage 3 Double ScienceSc3 Materials and their properties2. Changing materialsGeological changesd) how forces generated by expansion, contraction and the

freezing of water can lead to the physical weathering of rockse) about the formation of rocks by processes that take place

over different timescales, and that the mode of formation determines their texture and the minerals they contain

f) how igneous rocks are formed by the cooling of magma, sedimentary rocks by processes including the deposition of rock fragments or organic material, or as a result of evaporation, and metamorphic rocks by the action of heat and pressure on existing rocks”


Dynamic Rock Cycle


Rock cycle materialsback


Weatheringback


Erosion/ transportation

back


Depositionback


Compaction/ cementation

back


Crystallisationback


Folding/faulting/upliftback


Dynamic Rock Cycle

Introductory activity in pairs or small groups, introducing rock cycle concepts and processesTeachers (in pairs) try out activities demonstrating rock cycle processes in the school science labPairs demonstrate activities to the entire groupFacilitator encourages group to discuss how each activity could be used in their particular teaching context


Does this approach work?

In 2003-2004:– We visited 47 schools, 20 teacher

meetings and 10 conferences, reaching more than 800 participants

– We made 30 visits to teacher training institutions, attended by more than 900 trainee teachers

– We obtained feedback through post-workshop questionnaires (n=1344)


42 40

14

3 10

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 2 3 4 5

“The workshop has improved my Earth science knowledge and understanding”

Likert scale where 1 is strongly agree, 5 is strongly disagree

%


56

34

62 1 2

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 2 3 4 5 N/A


%

“The workshop has given me new ideas for ways of teaching Earth science”


29

48

18

2 1 2

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

“The workshop has improved my confidence in teaching Earth science”


%


“The workshop will increase the amount of Earth science practical work I teach”

43 41

11

2 1 2

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 2 3 4 5 N/A


%


“The workshop will increase the amount of Earth science investigational work I teach”

24

40

27

51 3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 2 3 4 5 N/A


%


“The workshop will increase the total amount of Earth science I teach”

14

3237

84 5

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 2 3 4 5 N/A


%


“The workshop will increase the amount of Earth science out of doors I teach”(n=234)

14

3035

9

2 2

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 2 3 4 5 N/ALikert scale where 1 is strongly agree, 5 is strongly disagree

%


What did they have to say about the workshop?

Teachers were also asked for short written responses indicating what they had gained from attending the workshop

several categories of response were recognised


Practicals & Demos

“Seeing things I could do in my lab”

“Examples of activities that I could use in the classroom to illustrate Earth Science Concepts “

“The demonstrations specifically designed for the classroom”

“The practical demonstrations highlighted the variety of ways earth science may be taught in a vivid way”

“The visual links, using real rocks to show the rock cycle. I loved the river system in the drain pipe”

“Spotting rocks in an urban area!”


How it changed their outlook

“Understanding that it can be practical.”

“Gave me ideas for teaching what can be a 'chalk and talk' subject.”

“Ideas to teach 'dry' topics.”

“The "hands-on" approaches because all too often it is just taught out of books and becomes very boring both for teachers and pupils.”



“A good insight into appropriate practicals which are possible.”

“The practicals - they were informative especially because i've been told previously that there are few earth science pracs.”

“I am surprised at not knowing about new activities already.”

“Many of the activities were simple enough to use in lessons without major resource implications.”



“I was made to feel enthusiastic about earth sciences, which I never thought would happen.”

“The imaginative and creative ways to deliver the curriculum, very motivational.”

“…extremely interesting (I'm giving up chemistry for earth science!!!)”

“It made me interested!”

“I won't think rocks are so boring in future.”


Improved Earth science knowledge and understanding

“An introduction to something I know nothing about”

“…it helped me to understand things visually”

“…able to see how it all links together. Able to identify more rocks…”

“having an expert to explain and clarify things “

“Talking to a geologist who helped me with my misconceptions. (I am self taught - I read geology books)”

“Understanding the differences between igneous and metamorphic rock”


Improved knowledge ofEarth science teaching

“Discussing details of implementing practical demos of processes”

“It enabled me to see how to demonstrate Earth Science at KS3 & KS4 & A Level”

“Seeing the practical equipment set up and used. It gives me a greater understanding of what I may be asked to provide and why.”

“Application of academic content to a practical presentation”

“I liked the way we thought about implications / strengths / weaknesses of the activities.”


How it would improve theirEarth science teaching

“good activities will give me much more confidence in classroom ”

“Some good ideas that I will feel more comfortable using in lessons”

“Extra 'facts' and experiments / demo's will help delivery and confidence of delivery of subject.

“The workshop will not increase the total amount of earth science I teach as this is dictated by the school but it will improve the quality of delivery - more demonstrations, more practicals including investigations ”



“Simple demonstrations and class practicals to help understanding of abstract concepts”

“Hands on demos useful to teach difficult concepts (e.g. folding & faulting”

“Visual activities - activities that make children think for themselves and build knowledge for themselves”

“earth science outdoors linked the rock cycle to processes that the students will be able to observe “



“Interesting ways to teach rocks, which kids think are boring.”

“Practical activities to stimulate & motivate pupils.”

“The little demo's - increased my interest so will increase pupil interest hopefully!”



“Very valuable - all you need is just two or three

new ideas to complement prior good practice -

it makes a big difference.”

“Specific links to the national curriculum - best

practice“

“The resources and picking out what the pupils

actually need to know was useful “


Change in the classroom?

Are good results seen on the day of the workshop translated into action in the classroom?

Follow-up study, involving schools who had participated in rock cycle workshop duringyear from September 2002 - July 2003

Uptake of specific practical activities in the Dynamic Rock Cycle workshop


Uptake of activities

Getting feedback several months to a year later is a challenge - high teacher turnover, lack of time, lack of willingness

Of the 30 schools who were contacted,16 responded to the request (2 to decline)

All 14 schools that did participate had made changes to classroom teaching in response to the ESEU workshop at their school


Uptake of individual activities

3 of the 14 schools said that they had used (or planned to introduce) most of the rock cycle activities in the 2003-2004 school year

The other 11 schools were using/introducing some of the activities

Schools were using between 2 and 9 rock cycle activities activities that were new to at least some of the teachers (an average of 5)


0

1

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5

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8

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12

Wea

ther

ing

Ero

sion

Dep

ositi

on

Com

pact

ion

&ce

men

tatio

n

Met

amor

phis

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Ext

rusi

on

Cry

stal

lisat

ion

Def

orm

atio

n

Vol

cano

in th

ela

b

was used by most was used by some now widely used

Activities in use before and after workshop


Evidence for change

In at least six of the schools, the workshophad prompted staff into producing a new ‘Scheme of Work’ for teaching the rock cycle

Scheme of WorkA official document which sets out how the school plans to teach the National Curriculum. Standard

Schemes are produced but schools are encouraged to adapt them. A Scheme of Work encompasses

long term planning to individual lesson plans

This represents tangible long-term change in classroom teaching, in which ESEU was a factor


Summary

UK teachers need support in their Earth science teaching

ESEU provide this through training workshops

Workshops are well received by participants, who recognise a range of benefits on the day

Some evidence for change in the classroom

Change includes new Schemes of Work

More work is needed


supported by:

For further information, please email: [email protected]

EARTH SCIENCEEDUCATION UNIT

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