1

AusVELS Unpacking Secondary Years

Science

Maria James22 August 2013

2

Getting started

What is your most ‘burning’ question?

3

Education research: content

Research by Nuthall shows half (and perhaps more) of all material taught in any class is already known by the students.

Nuthall (2005), The cultural myths and realities of classroom teaching and learning: a personal journey?, in Teachers College Record, 107 (5), 902-903.

4

Assessment

“ … the fundamental purpose of assessment is to establish where learners are in their learning at the time of assessment.”

Masters G (2013), ‘Reforming Educational Assessment: Imperatives, principles and challenges’, Australian Education Review, 5-6

5

Prior knowledge

How familiar are you with AusVELS Science?

A Wouldn’t even know where to find itB Looked at it quickly just before this sessionC Have spent some time reading it D Have spent some time working with itE Have spent significant time working with it

6

Science research: The ROSE Project

The Relevance of Science Education (ROSE) project surveyed students from many countries.

Findings include:•The more developed a country, the less positive the view of science by students•In the UK, 14-to 15-year-old students were surveyed:

– 11% agreed with ‘I like school science better than other subjects’ – 8% agreed with ‘I would like to become a scientist’

•These figures are consistent with studies in Australia (for example, PISA results)

Sjoberg S & Schreiner C (2005), How do learners in different countries relate to science and technology?, Asia Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, 6 (2), 1-17.

7

International testing: TIMMS Year 8 ScienceCountry/State 1994/5 mean 2002/3 mean 2010/11 mean

Singapore 580 (5.5) 578 (4.3) 590 (4.3)

Finland 552 (2.5)

England 533 (3.6) 544 (4.1) 533 (4.9)

USA 513 (5.6) 527 (3.1) 525 (2.6)

ACT 529 (12.7) 551 9.2

NSW 517 8.2 532 10.1

Australia 514 (3.9) 527 (3.8) 519 (4.8)

Victoria 497 (6.2) 513 (7.5)

New Zealand 511 (4.9) 520 (5.0) 512 (4.6)

Norway 514 (2.4) 492 (2.2) 494 (2.6)

Malaysia 510 (3.7) 426 (6.3)

Notes : 1. standard errors shown in parentheses 2. statistically significant differences from 2011 mean shown in red (positive) or in purple (negative)

8

International testing: PISA (15-year-olds)Country/state 2006 mean score 2009 mean score

Finland 563 (2.0) 554 (2.3)

New Zealand 530 (2.7) 532 (2.6)

ACT 549 (4.9) 546 (6.0)

Western Australia 543 (6.8) 539 (7.3)

New South Wales 535 (4.6) 531 (5.7)

Queensland 522 (4.2) 530 (7.5)

Australia 527 (2.3) 527 (2.5)

Victoria 513 (4.9) 521 (4.9)

United Kingdom 515 (2.3) 514 (2.5)

United States 489 (4.2) 502 (3.6)

Norway 487 (3.1) 500 (2.6)

Average 498 (0.5) 501 (0.5)

Note: Standard errors for means are shown in parentheses.

9

A research base for Australian Curriculum: Science

The framing paper for the Australian Curriculum: Science draws on two particular research reports which synthesise national and international research on school science education: •Australian School Science Education National Action Plan 2008-2012 (Goodrum & Rennie, 2007) •Re-imagining Science Education: Engaging students in science for Australia’s future (Tytler, 2007)

10

Research: Fensham

A study of Beijing’s heads of the top 11 science research institutions to determine desirable qualities for their scientists, beyond knowledge, listed the following:

Rank Desired quality

Most important Creativity

Very important Personal interest in science; perseverance; willingness and desire to inquire

Important Ability to communicate; social concern; team spirit

Fensham P (2004). Engagement with science: An international issue that goes beyond knowledge. Paper presented at the SMEC Conference.

11

Urban legends and investigable questions

‘Science is a dynamic, forward-looking, collaborative human endeavour arising from our curiosity and interest.’

From the Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Science paper, May 2009.

• Can the unaided human voice shatter glass?

• Can diving underwater protect a person from gunfire?

• Is grass still green at night?

Sport … music … updating Facebook

profiles … latest diet fads … catching up with friends at the weekend … pets …

Science?

Hmm… an inquiry

approach!

12

Where can I find AusVELS?

VCAA websites

Curriculum website: http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/

Resources and implementation support website:http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/foundation10/curriculum/index.aspx

13

Age-relevant curriculum

Curriculum focus•Foundation – Level 2: awareness of self and the local world•Levels 3 – Level 6: recognising questions that can be investigated scientifically and investigating them•Levels 7-10: explaining phenomena involving science and its applications

14

Overarching ideas

Six overarching ideas underpin the development of AusVELS Science •Patterns, order and organisation•Form and function•Stability and change•Scale and measurement•Matter and energy•Systems

15

Strands and sub-strands in AusVELS Science

Science understanding

Science as a human

endeavour

Science inquiry skills

Biological sciences Nature and development of science

Questioning and predicting

Chemical sciences Planning and conducting

Earth and space sciences

Use and influence of science

Processing and analysing data and information

Physical sciences Evaluating

Communicating

strands

16

Science disciplines

Click on the “vote” button to indicate your science specialty:

1. Biology2. Chemistry3. Physics4. Multidisciplinary5. Forced to teach science by my principal even though not qualified.

17

AusVELS Science Level 7: Screen shot

http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Science/Curriculum/F-10#level=7

18

The Science as a Human Endeavour strand

Two sub-strandsNature and development of science

• How do scientific ideas develop?

Use and influence of science• How is science used in work and leisure?• How do science and technology affect our

environment and our lives?• What is the scope of science-related careers?

19

Revised standards: Level 7 and 8 biological science

• Science Understanding (SU):They analyse the relationship between structure and function at

cell, organ and body system levels. They use dichotomous keys to identify and classify living things. They explain how living organisms can be classified into major taxonomic groups based on observable similarities and differences. They predict the effect of environmental changes on feeding relationships.

• Science as a Human Endeavour (SHE): They discuss how science knowledge can be applied to generate

solutions to contemporary problems and explain how these solutions may impact on society.

20

Revised standards: Level 9 and 10 biological science

• ACARA achievement standard: They explain the processes that underpin

heredity ...

• AusVELS strengthened achievement standard:

They explain the role of DNA and genes in cell division and genetic inheritance.

21

Revised standards: Level 9 and 10 chemical science

• ACARA achievement standard: … students analyse how the periodic table organises

elements and use it to make predictions about the properties of elements.

• AusVELS strengthened achievement standard: They explain how similarities in the chemical behaviour of

elements and their compounds and their atomic structures are represented in the way the periodic table has been constructed. They compare the properties of a range of elements representative of the major groups and periods in the periodic table.

22

Revised standards: Level 9 and 10 physical science

• ACARA achievement standard: They apply relationships between force, mass and acceleration to predict changes in the motion of objects.

• AusVELS strengthened achievement standard: They give both qualitative and quantitative explanations of the relationships between distance, speed, acceleration, mass and force to predict and explain motion.

23

Inquiry-based curriculum

The Australian Curriculum: Science emphasises inquiry-based teaching and learning

Opportunities for student-led open inquiry should be provided within each phase of schooling

Teacher -driveninquiry

Student -driven inquiry

Semi -structured

inquiryLevel 5-6: With guidance, select appropriate investigation methods to answer questions or solve problems … decide which variable should be changed and measured in fair tests

Level 7-8:Collaboratively and individually plan and conduct a range of investigation types … in fair tests, measure and control variables, and select equipment to collect data with accuracy appropriate to the task

Level 9-10:Formulate questions or hypotheses that can be investigated scientifically … plan, select and use appropriate investigation methods… select and use appropriate equipment

24

A model for examining ideas about inquiry

1. Level of integration of skills and domain knowledge:•Skills taught as separate unit ‘the scientific method’•Science skills used to reinforce application of knowledge•Content and skills integrated through the unit•Context provided for content and skill integration

2. Level of student direction or choice/level of scaffolding needed:Prescribed processes independent task•Focus on reasoning ability•Focus on identifying variables•Assessing evidence and developing understanding•Report writing

25

Assessment of inquiry

• Assessment of students’ learning should include measures of inquiry expertise

• Consider the sub-strands of the Science Inquiry Skills (SIS) strand

• Importance of listening to students’ ideas as a measure of learning

• Role of student self-evaluation (e.g. SOLO taxonomy for assisting students identify the complexity of their thinking)

26

How familiar are you with SOLO taxonomy?

Please use the ‘vote’ button to enter your response to the above question:

1. Never heard about it2. Vaguely heard about it3. Started working with it4. Worked extensively with it

27

SOLO taxonomy

Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO)

•first described by John Biggs and Kevin Collis in Evaluating the Quality of Learning: The SOLO Taxonomy, New York Academic press, 1982•enables assessment of student work in terms of quality rather than how many bits of this and that a student described correctly

28

SOLO taxonomy levels

SOLO is divided into a number of levels of learning:•Prestructural where a child needs support in expressing an idea on the topic.•Unistructural where a child can express one relevant idea.•Multistructural where the child can express a number of relevant ideas e.g. defines, describes.•Relational where a child makes connections and links between these ideas e.g. compares & contrasts, analyses.•Extended abstract where a child thinks beyond the subject or takes the learning into a new context e.g. generalises, hypothesises.

29

Scenarios for inquiry: Stinking fish

Hundreds of stinking dead fish dumped at Portarlington jetty have angered local fishermen.

Surfcoast Times, 2 September 2011

Newspaper articles can be edited so that students may be encouraged to generate questions/propose possible explanations/suggest methods of inquiry which involve collection of primary and secondary data/ differentiate between investigable and non-investigable questions.

30

Planning assessment: a sunscreen pill

British scientists, inspired by samples of coral taken

from the Great Barrier Reef, hope to produce a sunscreen in a pill that

gives weeks of protection after working out how

coral shields itself from the harmful ultraviolet rays in sunshine. The pill could be

tested on people in 5 years.

31

Themed units of work: integration of sub-strands

Opportunities for delivering science curriculum:•Themed units of work, e.g. driver education•Outside-class activities: e.g. school camps: ecosystems; astronomy; biology; water quality•Other school subjects: e.g. plate tectonics studied in Geography•School activities: e.g. guest speakers at school assemblies, linking “jeans for genes day” to a study of genetics

32

Driver education – links to the Science Understanding strand

Sub-strand Science understanding

Biological science

Multicellular organisms rely on coordinated and interdependentinternal systems to respond to changes to their environment

Chemical science

• Chemical reactions, including combustion and the reactions ofacids, are important in both nonliving and living systems and involveenergy transfer• Different types of chemical reactions are used to produce a range ofproducts and can occur at different rates

Earth and space sciences

Global systems, including the carbon cycle, rely on interactionsinvolving the biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere

Physical science

• Energy conservation in a system can be explained by describingenergy transfers and transformations• The motion of objects can be described and predicted using thelaws of physics

33

Driver education – Links to the Science as a Human Endeavour strand

Sub-strand: Nature and development of scienceAdvances in scientific understanding often rely on developments in technology and technological advances are often linked to scientific discoveries

Sub-strand: Use and influence of science•People can use scientific knowledge to evaluate whether they should accept claims, explanations or predictions•Advances in science and emerging sciences and technologies can significantly affect people’s lives, including generating new career opportunities

34

Driver education– links to the Science Inquiry Skills strand

Sub-strand Science Inquiry Skills

Questioning and predicting

Formulate questions or hypotheses that can be investigated scientifically

Planning and conducting

Plan, select and use appropriate investigation methods, including field work and laboratory experimentation, to collect reliable data; assess risk and address ethical issues associated with these methods

Processing and analysing data and information

Analyse patterns and trends in data, including describing relationshipsbetween variables and identifying inconsistencies

Evaluating Critically analyse the validity of information in secondary sourcesand evaluate the approaches used to solve problems

Communicating Communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular purpose,including constructing evidence-based arguments and using appropriate scientific language, conventions and representations

35

Linking science to literacy and numeracy

Bellarine, Great Ocean Road off-limits

Wind farms bannedThe Bellarine Peninsula and Great Ocean Road have been made no-go zones for wind farms under extensive new planning rules.In addition, developments will be blocked if they are within 5km of a major regional centre or within 2km of an existing dwelling unless the owner gives written consent.

The Surfcoast Times, 2 September 2011

Risks?

Benefits?

What do I think?What

does the community think?

How can I decide what to do?

Who should decide?

36

Planning assessment: ‘wicked problems’• Socio-scientific investigations involve a complexity (and hence the term

‘wicked problem’) which often make them difficult to utilise in the classroom. However, if students are to be taught how evidence is developed and used in science in authentic settings, this issue requires addressing.

• A solution: case studies may provide data from real situations, or simulated, to allow students to explore questions that might be posed, or which they generate themselves, through representations of the data and analysis.

Example:A data bank was made electronically available to students from an Antarctic expedition concerning body weight, breeding patterns and mortality of mutton birds. Students could then pose questions, construct hypotheses, make predictions and construct data sets to explore these.

Gott R, Duggan S & Roberts R (2000), The science investigation workshop (CD), Durham: University of Durham.

37

Contacts

Maria JamesCurriculum Manager, ScienceEmail: james.maria.m@edumail.vic.gov.auTelephone: 9032 1722

AusVELS Unit Email: vcaa.ausvels@edumail.vic.gov.au