The Concept Development in the Sciences (2009) is highlighted in the Sciences 3-18 Curriculum Area Impact Project report as guidance to be used in tandem with the sciences experiences and outcomes (2009) to aid in planning for appropriate depth and coherence.
How are you using the Concept Development in the Sciences (2009) paper as part of planning for learning and teaching in your role?
As you might expect from an analysis and evaluation of the sciences 3-18 in Scotland, practical work and its role in the sciences is discussed.
“Young people at S1 and S2 frequently report enjoying practical work which they have experienced in their learning in the sciences…At S1 and S2 young people generally have plenty of opportunity to carry out practical work allowing them to develop a range of practical technique and investigation skills often within relevant and real-life contexts. They often cite this aspect of their learning as one of the main reasons they enjoy science.”
“Young people at secondary school are developing practical investigation and inquiry skills within a range of relevant and real-life contexts. They can generally work collaboratively to plan fair tests, make a valid hypothesis, collect appropriate evidence, observe, measure accurately, estimate, record results in an appropriate format, interpret and evaluate findings and present them in a way of their choosing. They are often able to link two variables to determine relationships. A strong feature of practical work is young people’s ability to manipulate and name scientific equipment confidently, apply safety measures and take necessary actions to control risk and hazards. Many are not yet skilled at identifying the limitations of practical technique and scientific equipment and suggesting improvements to experimental work or investigation.”
In the report we have identified some good practice. Examples 13, 19, 24, 27 and 32 illustrate practice taking place in our pre-school centres and schools, and are particularly relevant to this discussion.
What are your experiences of practical work in the sciences? Whether you are a child, young person, practitioner or parents, join in the discussion!
Yesterday saw the launch of the The Sciences 3-18 Curriculum Area Impact Project report in a lively and challenging session at SLF 2012. We were delighted to welcome to the session practitioners, partners, young people and parents as we shared the key messages from the report, and our strategies for taking this forward. Delegates were enthusiastic in joining the debate around the key strengths and aspects for development, talking together and reflecting on the extent to which
Delegates were challenged to address the question:
What can you do in your role to
and to plan next steps.
We have posted the shared outcomes of the discussions at SLF2012, in the comments, which we hope will inspire you to blog and comment too!
Staff from Education Scotland visited nurseries and schools across Scotland to find out how well children and young people learn in the sciences. We have written a summary because we want to tell you the main things we found and ask you what you think about your learning in the sciences to help us all focus on what we need to do next. What we have said in this summary is about what we found when we looked across the whole of Scotland. It might be that this doesn’t match what you experience in your school with your teachers.
Through learning in the sciences, you can develop your interest in, and understanding of, the world around you. You can develop the skills to become creative, inventive and enterprising. You might be learning about the sciences in a nursery, primary school, special school or secondary school. In secondary schools, the term “sciences” currently includes Skills for Work courses, biology, chemistry, physics, science, human biology, biotechnology and managing environmental resources (MER).
The summary is for you, if you are aged between 3 and 18 and studying any of the sciences. We have produced this summary for you because this report is about your learning, and your education. We want to hear from you about your learning in the sciences. You can tell us what you think using this blog.
We’d really like to know what the important issues are to you which affect your learning in the sciences to help us all focus on what we need to do next.
If you’re not sure how to get started talking with us about the sciences 3-18 and sharing your views, here are some ideas.
The Sciences 3-18 Curriculum Impact Project report, published in September 2012, identifies good practice and highlights important areas for discussion and further development. This report is the first in a series designed to gauge the impact of a changing curriculum on learners’ experiences and achievements.
This blog is one of the ways in which we are supporting on-going dialogue and development. Through this blog, we want to hear from children and young people, parents, practitioners and the wider sciences community about the key messages within the report, and how this can be taken forward.
Visit the Education Scotland website to access The Sciences 3-18 Curriculum Impact Project report, the Summary for Children and Young People and the Summary of Key Strengths and Aspects for Development.
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