Textual support for primary science teaching?

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to explore how the science teaching of five primary teachers (their planning, classroom implementation, assessment and evaluation) relates to their subject knowledge, perceived confidence in teaching, and the way they use published curriculum resource materials. Of the five teachers only one, who did not have a background in science, made systematic use of published curriculum materials. This scheme appears to have enabled her planning and assessment to resemble that of the teacher with a background in science. While planning was well supported by the materials, her classroom teaching shared features with the other teachers who were not science experts, using strategies to keep children's activities within the bounds of her subject knowledge. The features of curriculum materials which seem to have enabled this effective practice to develop are considered to be a clear statement of learning objectives, key science ideas and models of questions for formative assessment. It is proposed that if the national scheme of work produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority is to be as useful to teachers as it could be, LEAs or school science co‐ordinators should make a bridge between classroom practice and the scheme of work's objectives and activity suggestions by developing formative assessment questions to help teachers translate the activities into a form which will more actively involve the children in the important science ideas and processes.

KEY WORDS:

• curriculum materials
• primary science
• schemes of work
• science co‐ordinators