Science teachers rewriting Science education
What makes us different?
- We're teachers. We know, in minute detail, from daily experience what is working and what desperately needs fixing. We have a high opinion of the opinion of teachers. All the contributors to this project are practicing science teachers.
- We believe that the needs of future scientists/doctors/engineers/etc are not being met by the current differentiated versions of the same course. As a start, we are developing a course which will be a good A-level training, but which can be used alongside current GCSE courses and exams.
- We believe that providing for the differing needs of future scientists begins in year 8; year 10 is too late. We are constructing a single-stage, 5-year science curriculum.
- We are following a logical process of bottom-up curriculum design and this collaborative site both documents the progress of and the evidence for consensus ideas.
- We advocate the need for "critical thinking", the importance of appreciating evidence and a proper development of the ideas of what science is and how science progresses — not the over-simplification that "how science works" has become.
- We value an evidence-based approach to teaching science that rests upon scientifically-valid research. We structure the curriculum to exhibit a logical ordering of concepts that tell coherent 'stories'. Concrete and abstract concepts are recognised and dealt with appropriately.
- We recognise the importance of a properly constructed curriculum in bringing long-term stability to Science education — removing the constant cycle of change that undermines our capacity to teach.
Progress to date
So far, we have
- proposed a definition of Science
- proposed a set of aims of Science education
- assessed the efficacy of current Science education in the light of these aims
- begun to discuss the broad principles of a new Science curriculum
What do you think?
Please, contribute your opinion to let us know: this project is being
driven forwards by challenge and constructive criticism!
Ever better: JOIN US!
Milestones
Fight Club: Is the Science curriculum serving the needs of future scientists?
The Times Online Live Debate
4 March 2010
Alom debates with David McVean, QCDA
Learn more and read online
Science and Mathematics Secondary Education for the 21st Century
Report of the BIS Science and Learning Expert Group
February 2010
Andrew and Stu were able to contribute to the Group's consultation process
Download full report (pdf)
Scientist condemns QCDA
24 January 2010
Michael de Podesta: Lunatics have taken over the asylum learn more
Alom takes part in public debate with Science Minister
30 November 2009
Watch Alom take the opportunity to get his point across to Lord Drayson at a public debate hosted by Professor Brian Cox: Blue skies ahead? The prospects for UK science (from the 11-minute and 52-minute marks)
HowScience in the press…
Letter from Andrew
The TES, 5 March 2010
Read online
Letter from Andrew
The TES, 29 January 2010
Read online
Letter from Michael de Podesta
The Guardian, 26 January 2010
Read online
Letter from Andrew
The Telegraph, 26 January 2010
Read online
Letter from Stuart
The TES, 19 October 2009
Read in full online or an editted version of below:
We, like several other science teachers we have spoken to, have become worried about the downward spiral of science education in this country.
In 2002, the House of Commons science and technology committee described science education as failing to inspire or prepare students for study post-16 or even to provide a general science education at all.
Partially in response to this, new science curricula were developed and introduced in 2006. While it is fair to acknowledge that this has yielded some successes, it is equally fair to acknowledge that since their release, the new specifications and assessments have been criticised harshly by some - including Ofqual - for letting down the students who we would hope would go on to become our scientists, engineers and doctors of the future. Unfortunately, some of the committee's criticisms are still valid today, seven years on.
This summer, the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency quietly sought the opinions of science teachers regarding a review of these "new" statutory science criteria. The low levels of marketing and user-friendliness of the consultation, however, have frustrated many of us who were aware of the process. Further, it would appear that only minor changes will be made to the criteria, sealing the fate of our scientists and engineers of the future for perhaps another five years.
Apathetic and accepting as teachers can sometimes be, the seeming lack of interest by government in the views of the science teaching profession have finally goaded us into some positive action.
We have launched this collaborative website so that science teachers can constructively share ideas regarding how to address the failings of the current system of science education and, more importantly, attempt to arrive at a viable better alternative. A science teachers' science curriculum, if you like. This may turn out to be a long-term project, but in the short-term may also produce ideas of immediate value to individual science teachers.
We think that it's time to stop moaning to each other in corridors and classrooms and use our skills to show Government what they are missing by not valuing our opinion when they write their curricula.
A version of this was published in the TES on 16th October.
And have you seen…
…our forums and our projects? At the moment we are surveying the profession's opinions on current Science education. Why not give us your views now?
We also have a public face for non-specialists: howscience.co.uk.
Building a community of passionate stakeholders
If you are excited by what we're about
and what we're doing,
we'd love for you to join us.
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In the news…
Fight Club: Is the Science curriculum serving the needs of future scientists?
The Times Online Live Debate, 4 March 2010
Alom debates with David McVean, QCDA
Learn more and read online
Secret downgrading of GCSE exam results
The Times, 28 February 2010
Read online
Science and maths exams "need shake up"
BBC News, 25 February 2010
Read online
Science and Mathematics Secondary Education for the 21st Century
Report of the BIS Science and Learning Expert Group, February 2010
Download full report (pdf)
Teach the bigger story of science
The Guardian, 17 February 2010
Read online
A-level physics is not available at one in four schools
The Times, 4 February 2010
Read online
The £100 billion schools scandal
The Times, 24 January 2010
Read online
Private schools shun GCSEs and A-levels
The Guardian, 15 January 2010
Read online
Independent schools 'abandoning modular A-levels'
BBC News, 15 January 2010
Read online
Science schools 'should select'
BBC News, 11 December 2009
Read online
Physics participation and policies: Lessons from abroad
Alan Smithers and Pamela Robinson (University of Buckingham), 11 December 2009
"… In organising school science education, countries face a dilemma: do they gear it mainly to the science professionals of the future or to science for citizens so that all can participate in a society’s decision-making about scientific issues? …"
Download executive summary
Learning lessons from the teachers
The Telegraph, 11 December 2009
Read online
Good grades in GCSE science to be harder to get
The Times, 5 December 2009
Read online
Science GCSEs are to include more demanding maths
BBC News, 4 December 2009
Read online
GCSE sciences: Ofqual's monitoring in 2008 and 2009
Ofqual, November 2009
Read online
GCSE science exam grades generous, watchdog says
BBC News, 20 November 2009
Read online
Evidence era to let schools call the shots?
The TES, 13 November 2009
Read online
Further revelations fuel GCSE fiasco, says chemistry chief
RSC, 10 November 2009
Read online
'Fine exam boards' that dumb down
BBC News, 6 November 2009
Read online
Power requires knowledge, Estelle Morris
The Guardian, 27 October 2009
Read online
Private side of Science
The TES, 9 October 2009
Read online
Are exams questions easier? FACTCHECK
Channel 4 Factcheck, 8 October 2009
Read online
Science uptake figures are 'science fiction', says report
The Telegraph, 27 September 2009
Read online
Science GCSE 'lacking in science'
BBC News, 16 July 2009
Read online
GCSE examinations project
SCORE, July 2009
Read online
The new GCSE science examinations
Findings from the monitoring of the new GCSE science specifications: 2007 to 2008
Ofqual, March 2009
Read online
Private Schools reject GCSE Science
The Guardian, 4 March 2009
Read online
Science lessons are failing to produce next generation of top British scientists
The Telegraph, 21 February 2009
Read online
The Five-Decade Challenge
A wake-up call for UK science education?
RSC, November 2008
Read online
Pass mark for science GCSE is forced down
The TES, 24 October 2008
Read online
Past Science papers stump pupils
BBC News, 9 July 2008
Read online
'Easier science' claim rejected
BBC News, 29 August 2007
Read online
Physicists protest at GCSE change
BBC News, 28 June 2007
Read online
Critics attack new science GCSE
BBC News, 11 October 2006
Read online
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