Category Archives: 2.1 Curriculum

Scientific Literacy

Scientific Literacy TDT

Adele Herron, Chloe Connor, Erin Mcglynn and Megan Shearer

Although the term ‘scientific literacy’ may seem quite simple, it has become evident through research and discussion that it much more than just having knowledge of a lot of science. Scientific literacy is the capacity to use scientific knowledge to identify questions and to draw evidence based conclusions.

John Durant believes there are three separate definitions for scientific literacy, however they each have the similar opinion that all non-scientists surrounded by some form of science or technology, which we all are today, should know something about science. Each of the three definitions emphasise important aspects of science – the first includes your scientific knowledge; the second highlights the importance of the scientific method or procedures, whether it be mental or physical procedures; and his final definition focusses on scientific culture. According to Miller (1996), we as people of a majority modern society live in this technological and scientific culture that was also mentioned by Durant and are therefore science significantly impacts us daily.

Hurd (1998) however bases his definition on seven different dimensions.

(1) Understand the nature of scientific knowledge;

(2) Apply appropriate science concepts, principles, laws, and theories in interacting

with his universe;

(3) Use the process of science in solving problems, making decisions, and furthering

his own understanding of the universe;

(4) Interact with values that underlie science;

(5) Understand and appreciate the joint enterprises of science and technology and the

interrelationship of these with each and with other aspects of society;

(6) Extend science education throughout his or her life;

(7) Develop numerous manipulative skills associated with science and technology.”

As demonstrated, there is no clear definition of the term scientific literacy, and has been and will continue to be interpreted in different ways.

However, what happens when there is a lack of scientific literacy? Take, for example, the controversy surrounding the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination in 1998. Dr Andrew Wakefield – a renowned gastroenterologist – released findings from his research that suggested a link between the MMR vaccine and autism and problems with the bowels (Smith, 2010). Despite the fact his research involved only 12 children, his findings made front page news. This resulted in a decline in the uptake of the vaccine – dropping to under 80% nationally and in some areas dropping to 60% uptake (BBC, no date; Smith, 2010). Due to this, cases of Measles increased – Britain having its first death from measles in 14 years – and Mumps grew to epidemic level in 2005 (Smith, 2010). In June 2006, it was announced that Wakefield was under investigation from the General Medical Council for alleged misconduct (Smith, 2010). The Sunday Times, in 2009, revealed that Wakefield had been paid by lawyers to create findings which would go against the 3 in 1 vaccination and had changed some of the results of his tests (Deer, 2009; Deer, 2011). Wakefield had used his knowledge and scientific literacy in an unethical way and had caused many children in our population to become seriously unwell, because of his incorrect findings. In 2015, it had been reported that there was no link between the vaccination and autism in children, after a study on 95,000 children which discredited Wakefield’s research (Boseley, 2015).

How is teaching fair testing in school science linked to scientific literacy?

When carrying out an experiment in a science lesson it is important that it is a fair test. This has to be done to ensure that the experiment is reliable and therefore, has the ability to have conclusions drawn from it. In order to conduct a fair test it is important that only one factor (variable) is changed and that all other factors and conditions are kept the same and as identical as possible. An example of a test could be measuring the speed of toy cars when moving down a hill. In order for this to be considered a fair test all variables including the gradient of the hill, the time they cars are let go and the way in which they are let go should all remain the same, the only factor which should change should be the car itself. This ensures that your test is fair and reliable.

The topic of fair testing when teaching science is very important as, children must ensure that each experiment they carry out is fair. Fair testing is a basic area of knowledge within science that children must know about in order to continue and progress onto more challenging things within the curricular subject.

Scientific literacy is all about using scientific knowledge to draw evidence-based conclusions. Therefore, fair testing is very much a part of this process as it is a necessary procedure used when gathering information and evidence from experiments. Also the ability to carry out a fair test is very much a scientific skill in its self which is fundamental, in order to progress in the subject of science.

References

BBC. (No date) Does the MMR Jab Cause Autism? Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/mmr_prog_summary.shtml (Accessed: 10 February 2016)

Boseley, S. (2015) No link between MMR and autism, major study concludes. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/21/no-link-between-mmr-and-autism-major-study-concludes (Accessed: 10 February 2016)

Deer, B. (2009) MMR doctor Andrew Wakefield fixed data on autism. Available at: http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/public/news/article148992.ece (Accessed: 10 February 2016)

Deer, B. (2011) The medical establishment shielded Andrew Wakefield from fraud claims. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2011/jan/12/andrew-wakefield-fraud-mmr-autism (Accessed: 10 February 2016)

Durant, J (1994). What is scientificc literacy?. European Review, 2, pp 83-89 doi:10.1017/S1062798700000922

IJESE, 2009 Scientific Literacy and Thailand Science Education http://www.acarindex.com/dosyalar/makale/acarindex-1423903863.pdf (Accessed 13th February 2016)

Smith, R. (2010) Andrew Wakefield – the man behind the MMR controversy. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/7091767/Andrew-Wakefield-the-man-behind-the-MMR-controversy.html (Accessed: 10 February 2016)

Staying Safe Online

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We recently had an input about the ICT time children get in primary school and how we can develop their ICT skills. The importance of internet safety was highlighted in this input and how we should always make sure the children have had an internet safety input before they are “let loose”. With that in mind, I created this short presentation:

I feel that the bright colours would attract and hold the children’s interest (hopefully!!) throughout the video – hoping that they are taking in the tips given.

I used Animoto to create this presentation. I think that Animoto and other presentation making applications are good for developing ICT skills. Children will create a presentation on a topic (Whether this be given to them or an individual choice) which means that they will have to research the topic – thus developing their internet search skills. The will be able to develop the skills of using a presentation making software and will know how to insert pictures, music and text into the presentation. They will also be able to develop their visual and oral communication skills and listening skills.

Getting in touch with my creative side

The Enquiring Practitioner

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As stated by the GTCS: “Practitioner enquiry, as defined by Menter et al (2011), is a ‘finding out’ or an investigation with a rationale and approach that can be explained or defended. The findings can then be shared so it becomes more than reflection or personal enquiry.”

I believe that an enquiring practitioner is someone who is willing to reflect upon their work and the work of others in order to develop their skills and to benefit others. An enquiring practitioner is about being open minded to try new things; being adaptive – understanding that some things might not work and being able to change that from your own knowledge or from the knowledge of someone else and, having the ability to be critical of themselves and their own work as well as the work of others (GTCS). It should also be about life-long learning and the willingness to develop your teaching skills as time goes on. I also believe that an enquiring practitioner is someone who has a desire to increase their knowledge and skills, for example, a lesson may not have gone as planned in the sense that a large proportion of the class has not been able to grasp the topic. An enquiring practitioner may discuss this lesson with other teachers and talk about possible reasons why it didn’t go as planned; the other teachers may be able to help said teacher through their own experiences of a lesson of the same topic and what worked well for them. It’s about not being afraid to admit to things that have not worked so well and welcoming new ways of thinking.

Some benefits of being an enquiring practitioner have been noted on the GTCS website. These include:

Enable those within the teaching profession to work together to enhance the education system.
Enable teachers to bring about important alterations in teaching and education and thus greatly increasing the quality of pupils’ learning experiences in a learning environment.
Influence the progression of schools, colleges, universities and agencies as educational establishments for the educators who work there and for the pupils.

Some other benefits may include:

Increases learning as more learning happens when working in a team.
Further development of team working skills.
Allows questioning which gives access to deeper understanding.
Improves pupil attainment and achievement.

There can also be negatives to this (some of these are noted on GTCS website):

Dishonesty – some people may lie about what has worked.
No open mindedness in the sense that some teachers might not want to change their practices.
Seeing it as a chore and not something that is worthwhile.
Not accessing the questioning of its importance to give a deeper understanding.
Some people might be offended by suggestions of how they can do something differently or improve something and feel as if others are putting them down.
Not being critical of self.

For me as a student teacher, I believe that this means I should be open to trying new things and open to advice, even right now in my first year of university. I also believe that this means having the ability to recognise that not everything you try will work and to persevere as you will get there in the end. I think it is about working on the advice given to me which will improve my knowledge and skills. It also means recognising that learning never stops and we can all work together in order to improve ourselves. I think this will be especially important when on placement as the teacher is already qualified and they can help and advise you from their own experiences at university and during their teaching career.

From http://www.gtcs.org.uk/professional-update/practitioner-enquiry/practitioner-enquiry.aspx

Here is the link to the practitioner enquiry information on the GTCS website:

GTCS – Practitioner Enquiry

Virtue of Teaching Videos

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Q1. What makes a teacher who makes a difference?

From watching the video I have been able to draw some conclusions about the aspects of teachers that make a difference. A teacher who makes a difference should be avidly involved in team work and should be willing to share information with others – the video mentioned a new curriculum one teacher discovered and she decided it was a great idea to share this with others, because of this they were able to upgrade their teaching degrees through workshops to include this new curriculum. To make a difference, a teacher should also be understanding of others; caring; approachable to their pupils, parents and fellow colleagues and they should be seen to “go the extra mile” in everything they do. In addition to this, a teacher who makes a difference should be willing to learn all the time and not just stop learning when they have obtained their degree. This links in with being aware of what is happening, so keeping up to date with methods of teaching and resources used for learning – which could include technological advances; I think these all show commitment and love of the work they undertake. Finally, a teacher who makes a difference should be dedicated, should discipline at the correct moments, they should be willing to make some sacrifices for the benefit of their pupils and they should definitely go home at the end of every day with a sense of satisfaction knowing that they have done the best they possibly could have for their pupils and that their pupils have increased their knowledge because of the work they have done..

I found this article, which shows what the pupils have to say about this:

Students view of what makes a perfect teacher.

Q2. Do you agree with what these teachers call professionalism?

I do agree with what these teachers call professionalism. The teachers talked about how teachers are becoming more accountable for their actions like other professions, for example a doctor. A doctor is accountable for their actions when treating patients and this is the same for teachers – they are accountable for their actions when educating and beyond. They also described how teachers are seen as role models and should have an appropriate attitude. They also said that a professional should be mindful of how they react to the way others speak to them, therefore not judging someone just because of their background. A professional should be an effective communicator and be able to communicate efficiently with all people of all ages. One teacher said in order for teachers to be professional they should keep up with their professional development by increasing their teaching and learning standards and they should be able to cater for the needs of their students in the class very, very well.

I do agree with what the teachers say about professionalism and it is evident that being a teacher is being part of a profession. A profession isn’t determined by the clothes you wear but by your attitude and attributes towards that profession.

Q3. What is the message here?

The message I receive from Chris Christie is that teachers are a very highly valued part of society. They go above and beyond for every student and show care and compassion. Chris also said that teachers should be paid what they deserve to be paid and more, however, I think most teachers are in this profession for many other things other than the pay they receive – satisfaction of seeing a pupil understand their work, watching the pupils grow and develop through time, knowing that you have given your students the time, the care, the support, the understanding to help them with their future. Teaching is about the things that don’t cost money!

The message I receive from Karen Lewis is that if you are the type of teacher whose work is only in the school and in the classroom then you are not a professional. A worker is someone who will clock in at the start of their shift and clock out at the end of their shift – they leave their work at work. From what Karen said, I believe that if you are a worker then you are not a professional. A professional doesn’t stop their work once they have clocked out. In order to be considered a professional as a teacher, you should spend time out with school hours planning lessons, researching for topics, marking work, trying to make sure that every pupil is benefiting from the lesson and ensuring that your lesson is fun – making sure every student wants to participate and no one is bored. There is more to teaching than educating in a classroom – it is educating in a classroom and everything else that is done to ensure that it goes smoothly that makes you a professional!

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