The Australian science curriculum

The Australian Science Curriculum has appeared at a time when there is widespread concern for the quality of science teaching and learning in Australia and the engagement of students in learning science, leading to calls for significant reform. The new curriculum thus carries the hopes of reform-minded scientists and educators for a change in the way science in schools can support teaching practices that engage students in quality learning. This analysis will examine whether it is an adequate vehicle for doing this. Will it live up to our expectations?

Developing leaders of change in the teaching of large university chemistry classes

Final report of the the Active Learning in University Science (ALIUS) project.

This project aims to establish a new direction in first year chemistry teaching – away from didactic teaching methods in large lecture style teaching to more active, student centred learning experiences. Initially six universities have been involved in practice-based innovation: Charles Sturt University (NSW), The University of Sydney (NSW), Curtin University of Technology (WA), The University of Adelaide (SA), Deakin University (Vic), University of Tasmania (Tas).

Three domains have been identified as the architecture upon which sustainable L&T innovation will be built. These domains include Learning and Teaching innovation in project leaders’ and colleagues’ classrooms, development of project leaders as Science Learning Leaders, and creation of a Science Learning Hub to serve as a locus and catalyst for the development of a science teaching community of practice.

Progress against specified outcomes and deliverables

Learning and Teaching Innovation

The purpose of this domain is to improve student learning, engagement, retention and performance in large chemistry classes through increased use of student-centred teaching practice.
• The Project is named: ALIUS (Active Learning in University Science) - Leading Change in Australian Science Teaching
• All six ALIUS universities have now implemented Teaching Innovation into ALIUS team member classrooms
• Chemistry colleagues at three ALIUS universities have now implemented Teaching Innovation into their classrooms
• The ALIUS member in physics has implemented Teaching Innovations into his classrooms
• Chemistry colleagues at three ALIUS institutions have tried some Teaching Innovations in their classrooms
• Non-chemistry colleagues at four ALIUS institutions have tried, or expressed an interest in trying, Teaching Innovations in their classrooms
• The POGIL method has proved to be a useful model for Teaching Innovation in the classroom
• Many classroom resources have been developed and used at several ALIUS institutions; some of these have been submitted to the ALIUS database for public access. The remainder will continue to submitted
• Two seminars about Teaching Innovation have been developed, critiqued, revised, and presented at five ALIUS universities and three non-ALIUS universities
• Particular issues associated with implementing Teaching Innovations in Australian classrooms have been identified and possible solutions developed
• ALIUS members have worked with Learning and Teaching Centres at their universities to share methods.

Developing Science Learning Leaders

The purpose of this domain is to develop leadership capacity in the project leaders to equip them with skills to lead change first at their institutions, followed by developing leaders and leading change at other local institutions
• ALIUS members participated in Leadership Professional Development sessions with Craig McInnis and Colin Mason; both these sessions were found to be valuable and provide context and direction for the members and the ALIUS team
• The passion of an ‘early adopter’ was found to be a significant element in each node of the distributed framework
• Members developed an awareness of the necessity to build both the ‘sense of urgency’ and the ‘guiding coalition’ at each node
• ALIUS found the success of the distributed framework is strongly influenced by the relational aspects of the team.

Create a Science Learning Hub

The online Hub serves as a local and national clearinghouse for development of institutional Learning Leaders and dissemination of L&T innovation.
• The ALIUS website is now active and being populated with resources
• The sharing resource database structure is finalised and being populated with contributed materials.

Lessons Learnt

In order to bring about change in teaching practice it is necessary to:
• demonstrate a convincing benefit to student learning
• show that beyond an initial input of effort classroom innovations will not take more time than what is now done
• maintain a prominent exposure among colleagues - repeatedly give seminars, workshops, and everyday conversations; talk about teaching innovation; talk about easy tools to use; invite people to your classroom; engage colleagues in regular peer review of classroom practice
• have support from people already present in leadership roles to lead change in teaching practice
• have a project leader, someone for whom the project is paramount and will push it forward
• find a project manager, even with money budgeted
• meet face-to-face.

Dissemination
• Seminars presented 19 times including over 400 individuals and more than 24 Australian universities
• Workshops presented 25 times, over 80 participants at 11 Australian and two New Zealand Universities
• Two articles published in Chemistry in Australia, the Australian Chemistry Industry Journal of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute
• One refereed paper published in the Journal of Learning Design.

Characterising secondary school teacher imperatives as subject (signature) pedagogies : a pedagogy of support in maths and a pedagogy of engagement in science

The ideas of Lee Shulman have played a major role in reconceptualising pedagogical description. In 2005, Shulman described a construct called “signature pedagogies” in order to describe recognisable and distinctive pedagogies used to prepare future practitioners for their profession. As a broader application of Shulman’s ideas, this paper asks, what is the efficacy of describing pedagogies that have become entrenched in secondary school subjects as signature pedagogies? Approached from a cultural perspective these questions are examined by comparing the subject cultures of junior school maths and science as experienced by, and represented in the classrooms of, a small number of teachers from two secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. In this research, subject culture is underpinned by shared basic assumptions that govern the dominance of certain “subject paradigms” (what should be taught) and “subject pedagogies” (how this should be taught) (Ball & Lacey, 1980). In this secondary school setting, the term signature pedagogies can be equated to the term subject pedagogies on the basis that both aim to characterise practice across the subject, or discipline, based on what was perceived as central to the task of teaching and learning. The paper draws on classroom observation and teacher interview data to show how six teachers positioned two aspects of their teaching in relation to what they believed was central in shaping their maths and science teaching: the effect of the arrangement of curriculum content on teachers’ conceptualisations of the teaching task; and a pedagogical imperative to engage students through activity-based learning experiences. The cultural expectations surrounding these two aspects of teaching appear to have a strong influence on practice, and in some senses teachers’ pedagogical responses were clear. These common responses are what I am calling “subject pedagogies” (see Ball & Lacey, 1980) because there was general agreement about what was central to the teaching task. Two subject pedagogies were seen to represent strong discourses occurring in both subjects: a “Pedagogy of Support” in maths, and “Pedagogy of Engagement” in science. Their established and shared character resembled Shulman’s posited “signature pedagogies” (Shulman, 2005). The data shows that by evaluating cultural practices that teachers have in common, and assumptions underpinning these, there is potential for highlighting imbalances, strengths and weaknesses, and connections and disconnections, associated with prevailing subject pedagogies.

The “new” science specialists

A Victorian government initiative called The Primary Science Specialists Professional Learning Program is designed to tackle students' falling interest in science by investing in the building of teacher capacity. The aims of the initiative are: to improve the science knowledge base of all teachers and therefore increase teachers' capacity to engage students in their learning of science; to increase student interest, aspirations and participation in science and to raise the level of science achievement. The role of the "new" science specialist is not necessarily to teach science to all students, rather to promote science, organise the teaching programs and resources for teaching science and support other teachers in teaching science in their school. The results, to date, show that by creating the role of science specialists in primary schools, and investing in science as a specialised knowledge area, science can be promoted, science teaching resources better managed, and teachers who are not confident in science, mentored. In this way, the impact of promoting and improving the teaching of science can extend from the science specialists to other teachers, to students, the school and the wider community.

The pedagogy of using video to develop reflective practice in learning to teach science

Purpose The purpose of this chapter is to identify the pedagogical approaches that foster critical reflection using video among the preservice teachers during tutorials. Methodology/approach The research is situated in a school-based teaching programme in which pairs of pre-service teachers taught small groups of primary aged children over a period of seven weeks. Volunteer pre-service teachers videotaped their lessons and selected video excerpts to share with their peers in the tutorial. The educator guided the preservice teachers’ reflection using the video. A case study drawing on interviews with pre-service teachers and audio recordings of tutorials, charted the development of pedagogical decisions made by the educators to promote reflection.Findings The pre-service teachers had difficulties undertaking deep reflection of their own and peers’ teaching practice. The response by educators was to promote collaboration among pre-service teachers by discussing specific aspects of the teaching in small groups and to use a jigsaw approach. This enabled a deeper analysis of particular elements of the lesson that were then integrated to produce a more holistic understanding of the teaching. The video data is most suitable for reflection and provides valuable evidence for pre-service teachers to develop their practice. Practical implications For pre-service teachers to develop effective skills to analyse their own practice they need to experience teaching in a safe but challenging environment, over a sustained period; have opportunities to develop a shared understanding of what constitutes quality teaching; have opportunities to critically analyse their teaching in discussion with peers and educators and be able to be guided by a framework of reflective strategies.

Establishing school university partnerships to teach science – Does what worked for us work for you?

Concerns over the quality and amount of science teaching in Australian primary schools has led to a concentration of research on the methods of delivery of science education. There is a growing interest in both Australian and International contexts on building teacher knowledge and confidence to teach science, how science is taught at the primary school level and also how pre-service teachers are prepared to teach science. The Science Teacher Education Partnerships with Schools (STEPS) project is one response to these concerns. The STEPS project is a collaboration of five Australian universities that each independently set-up their own school-based partnership approaches with schools to deliver their science education programs. Each university aimed to provide pre-service teachers with the genuine experience of teaching science while being supported by university teaching staff. The project has drawn on feedback from pre-service teachers, teachers, principals and teacher educators involved at the five universities to examine the prevailing practices and led to the development of a set of tools and process, referred to as the Interpretive Framework (IF)(Hobbs et al. 2015). The IF describes how to create and maintain effective partnerships with schools, based on this research. This current paper reports on a survey conducted in 2014 which aimed to feedback from teacher educators across Australia to explore the extent to which school-based teaching opportunities in science for PSTs were in use across the country and to identify the range of approaches and theories driving their practices. Some respondents were followed up for interview and key factors were analysed and reported here. These data will be used to further refine the IF.

Effective mathematics learning environments : primary teachers' beliefs and practices

A first priority for changing teaching practice is to make problematic for teachers aspects of their current practice. As part of a project on improving mathematics and science teaching in the middle years of schooling, teachers were asked to rate their practice against components of effective teaching and learning and to rate each of these according to their perceived importance. Findings suggest that primary teachers endorsed the components as representing effective practice, scoring most components higher than their actual practice. Gaps were particularly evident for items relating to challenging students conceptually and higher-order thinking, with these becoming the basis for some of the action planning for change.

Continuous professional learning through school based strategic planning

There is ample evidence that in many countries school science is in difficulty, with declining student attitudes and uptake of science. This presentation argues that a key to addressing the problem lies in transforming teachers’ classroom practice, and that pedagogical innovation is best supported within a school context. Evidence for effective change will draw on the School Innovation in Science (SIS) initiative in Victoria, which has developed and evaluated a model to improve science teaching and learning across a school system. The model involves a framework for describing effective teaching and learning, and a strategy that allows schools flexibility to develop their practice to suit local conditions and to maintain ownership of the change process. SIS has proved successful in improving science teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools. Experience from SIS and related projects, from a national Australian science and literacy project, and from system wide science initiatives in Europe, will be used to explore the factors that affect the success and the path of innovation in schools.

Educating for the future : technological advantages?

Educating students for the future involves providing them with skills to cope with technological change. Schools and teachers have been adapting their practices in mathematics and science to incorporate information and communication technology (ICT) as a routine aspect of learning. However, recent research indicates that not all students have equal access to the technologies they need. A number of reasons are investigated: the location of the schools (regional and rural settings), the capabilities of the teachers and access by staff and students to high quality resources. This paper presents the findings of this research.

Telecommunication technology and the professional development of teachers : challenge and opportunity

The thesis explores an effective model for using the internet in a distance training program for secondary school teachers. The professional development program, the dissertation, titled The Virtual University: Professional development for teachers, was initiated based on aspects of telecommunication technology and the professional development for Thai school teachers. The question of this program was “How could information technology be used in developing an appropriate professional development model for Thai teachers?” Prior to the project, the four research studies were conducted to formulate the related base line information and supported framework for the program development. The four researches are: (1) Telecommunication Technology in Thai Schools, (2) The Role of University on Science Teachers Development, (3) Computer Education Curriculum for Student Teachers: Theory and Practice, and (4) Teachers’ Perceptions of the Academic Link Project Between Schools and Universities for Teacher Professional Development. The first research study provides the information about the necessary basic factors for change in Thai secondary schools and the new insights and understandings about change in Thai schooling. The major findings were the understandings about teachers’ need for professional development, the available support in Thai school for professional development, and the limitations of professional development of teachers. The second research study provides the information about the roles of university faculty on initiation and operation of science teacher development programs, science teaching and learning resources centers, science instructional media design and production services, science teaching clinics, and science teachers’ associations. The third research study provides the conceptual framework for both preservice and inservice curriculum development program for teacher development. The last research study provides a base of descriptive information about the perspectives of school teachers towards the academic link project between schools and universities and the partnership which can assist in its establishment. The findings of these four research tasks were used for the formation of the framework of the dissertation. The EDNET Project, an example of teachers’ professional development through the information technology based training, was developed and implemented with ten school teachers in Khon Kaen.

Continuous professional learning through school based strategic planning

There is ample evidence that in many countries school science is in difficulty, with declining student attitudes and uptake of science. This presentation argues that a key to addressing the problem lies in transforming teachers’ classroom practice, and that pedagogical innovation is best supported within a school context. Evidence for effective change will draw on the School Innovation in Science (SIS) initiative in Victoria, which has developed and evaluated a model to improve science teaching and learning across a school system. The model involves a framework for describing effective teaching and learning, and a strategy that allows schools flexibility to develop their practice to suit local conditions and to maintain ownership of the change process. SIS has proved successful in improving science teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools. Experience from SIS and related projects, from a national Australian science and literacy project, and from system wide science initiatives in Europe, will be used to explore the factors that affect the success and the path of innovation in schools.

Negotiating place and space in a school-wide curriculum innovation: a place for the animals

School-wide curriculum innovations are complex fields of practice, held together by a cast of heterogeneous actors who put various and diverse discourses to work in their everyday efforts to shape their work. This paper draws upon ethnographic data collected in a large regional primary school that since the beginning of 2012 has implemented a school-wide science specialism. In this paper, we focus on one feature of the initiative - classroom animals. We explore the discursive construction of ‘classroom animals' in relation to teachers work and student learning, framing our discussion around three dichotomies found in the data that raise questions about: the nature of science education; what it means to be a good teacher in this context; and, what it means to be a good classroom animal. Tensions between canonical, disciplinary approaches to science education and broader, cross-curricular and critical approaches contribute to the broad context of this paper, and implications for embedding science teaching and learning in the everyday work of primary teachers and students are discussed.

Developing effective school and university partnerships for teacher education

The use of school-university partnerships to address the theory-practice divide in teacher education has recently come to attention in international teacher education studies (e.g. Darling-Hammond, 2005; Jones & Ryan, in press). School-university partnerships are particularly important in primary science teacher education as a means to overcome limited opportunities primary pre-service teachers have to observe and practice science teaching during their Practicum. Their opportunities are limited due to a lack of practising teachers who include science in their classroom teaching or who do not feel sufficiently competent to act as science mentors. This is generally attributable to low teacher confidence and knowledge of how to teach science (Jones & Carter, 2007).

This workshop will report on a study which is exploring existing approaches to school-university partnerships in science teacher education at 5 Australian universities. Utilising a multiple case study methodology (Yin, 2009), the project has examined the experiences of establishing, maintaining and developing these partnership and explored the benefits of the partnerships for pre-service teachers, practising teachers and schools.

A key outcome of the project is the development of an “Interpretive Framework” in which partnership practices were exemplified, contextualized and summarized, documenting key phases in the development of partnership arrangements. The Framework is currently undergoing validation with Australian universities. In this paper, the authors present the Framework to an braoder audience for comment and seek to explore its relevance and transferability to school-university partnerships in an international context.