Changing Earth science teaching in UK schools through inservice teacher training

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Changing Earth science teachingin UK schools
throughin-service teacher training

• Susannah Lydon
• Chris King
• Keele University, UK

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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

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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

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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

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Training workshops

• 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

INSET in-service training
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11-14 (Key Stage 3)

• Key Stage 3 Double Science
• Sc3 Materials and their properties
• 2. Changing materials
• Geological changes
• d) how forces generated by expansion, contraction
  and the freezing of water can lead to the
  physical weathering of rocks
• e) 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

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Dynamic Rock Cycle
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Rock cycle materials
back
9
Weathering
back
10
Erosion/ transportation
back
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Deposition
back
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Compaction/ cementation
back
13
Crystallisation
back
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Folding/faulting/uplift
back
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Dynamic Rock Cycle

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

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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 (n1344)

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The workshop has improved my Earth science
knowledge and understanding

Likert scale where 1 is strongly agree, 5 is
strongly disagree
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The workshop has given me new ideas for ways of
teaching Earth science

Likert scale where 1 is strongly agree, 5 is
strongly disagree
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The workshop has improved my confidence in
teaching Earth science

Likert scale where 1 is strongly agree, 5 is
strongly disagree
20
The workshop will increase the amount of Earth
science practical work I teach

Likert scale where 1 is strongly agree, 5 is
strongly disagree
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The workshop will increase the amount of Earth
science investigational work I teach

Likert scale where 1 is strongly agree, 5 is
strongly disagree
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The workshop will increase the total amount of
Earth science I teach

Likert scale where 1 is strongly agree, 5 is
strongly disagree
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The workshop will increase the amount of Earth
science out of doors I teach(n234)

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

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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!

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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.

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How it changed their outlook

• 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.

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How it changed their outlook

• 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.

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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

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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.

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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

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How it would improve theirEarth science teaching

• 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

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How it would improve theirEarth science teaching

• 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!

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How it would improve theirEarth science teaching

• 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

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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

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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

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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)

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Activities in use before and after workshop
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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 Work A 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
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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

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For further information, please email
s.j.lydon_at_educ.keele.ac.uk
EARTH SCIENCEEDUCATION UNIT

• supported by