Primary Connections
Primary Connections: A new approach to
primary science and to teacher professional learning
Professor Mark W Hackling
Edith Cowan University
2006 TRIAL
Boosting science learning
Building human capital for a knowledge-based economy
Innovation depends on curiosity, creativity and scientific literacy
Scientific literacy delivers a triple bottom line
2006 TRIAL
Purpose of primary science education
To provide opportunities for children to know science as:
• a body of knowledge
• a way to know, and
• as a human endeavour
(Draft NSOL, 2006)
2006 TRIAL
Scientific literacy
Scientific literacy is a high priority for all citizens, helping them
to be interested in, and understand the world around them,
to engage in the discourses of and about science,
to be sceptical and questioning of claims made by others about scientific matters,
to be able to identify questions, investigate and draw evidence- based conclusions, and
to make informed decisions about the environment and their own health and well-being.
(Hackling, Goodrum, & Rennie, 2001, p. 7)
2006 TRIAL
Science is a priority for government
National review of the teaching and learning of science TIMSS and PISA
National assessments of Year 6 scientific literacy Science Education Assessment Resources
Science learning objects ASISTM project
Primary Connections
National Consistency in Curriculum Outcomes – NSOL for Science
2006 TRIAL
Science is a priority for parents
Parents were asked to rate the importance of subjects for their primary school children
Parents rated Science third in importance after English and Mathematics (ASTEC, 1997)
2006 TRIAL
Gap between the rhetoric and the status of science in primary schools
40% of teachers indicated their schools were poorly equipped for teaching science
37% of teachers indicated their science budget was inadequate or they had no budget
36% indicated their school had no science coordinator 30% of schools do not report science achievement to
parents
(Hackling & Prain, 2005)
2006 TRIAL
Concerns about primary science
Teacher confidence
Many primary teachers lack confidence, competence, self-efficacy with science teaching (e.g. Yates &
Goodrum, 1990; Hackling & Prain, 2005)
Concerns about adequacy of pre-service education
(Lawrance & Palmer, 2003) and PCK (Gess-Newsome, 1999)
2006 TRIAL
Concerns about primary science
Science teaching time
Primary teachers spend less time on Science than all other subjects except LOTE
41 minutes per week spent on Science on average across K-7
2.7% of total weekly teaching time (Angus et al, 2004)
2006 TRIAL
Concerns about primary science
Student achievement
Less than 60% of Year 6 students in 6 of 8 jurisdictions attained the proficiency standard in the 2003 national assessments of scientific literacy (MCEETYA, 2005)
The science achievement of Australian Year 4 students on the international TIMSS tests has remained static from 1994 to 2002.
Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, England, USA and Latvia scored significantly higher than Australia (Thomson & Fleming, 2004)
2006 TRIAL
The chain reaction
Low Low confidence Low Little Low science and self-efficacy science opportunity science
PCK teaching for learning achievement time
2006 TRIAL
Primary Connections background
Primary Connections:
aims to improve learning outcomes in science and literacy
developed by the AAS with the support of all states and territories and funded by the Australian
Government’s DEST
a professional learning program with curriculum resources
2006 TRIAL
Key features of the curriculum units
Literacy focuses to develop literacies of science Inquiry and investigative approach
5Es teaching and learning model
Assessment embedded with teaching and learning Cooperative learning strategies
Teacher background information
2006 TRIAL
Literacies of science
The literacy practices associated with the
interpretation, construction and communication of multimodal science texts comprise the
literacies of science
For example, the conventions used by
scientists to represent drawings, tables of data, graphs, force-arrow diagrams
2006 TRIAL
Scientific drawing
2006 TRIAL
A force-arrow diagram
A ball floating in water
2006 TRIAL
A mutually supportive relationship
Primary Connections units engage students in activities that reflect the mutually supportive relationship between science and literacy.
Measuring and recording observations of broad bean seed germination in a science journal
Creating a labelled diagram to
represent understanding of parts of a germinating broad bean seed
2006 TRIAL
Primary Connections teaching and learning model
Phase Focus
ENGAGE Engage students and elicit prior knowledge Diagnostic assessment
EXPLORE Provide hands-on experience of the phenomenon
EXPLAIN Develop science explanations for experiences and representations of developing conceptual understanding
Formative assessment
ELABORATE Extend understandings to a new context or make connections to additional concepts through a student-planned investigation
Summative assessment of the investigating outcome
EVALUATE Students re-represent understandings and reflect on their learning journey
Summative assessment of the conceptual outcomes
2006 TRIAL
The 5 Es
View Questioning Minds Part Three:
The Five Es
2006 TRIAL
Inquiry model
2006 TRIAL
Primary Connections organisation:
Stages, years and outcome levels
Primary Connections
stage
Years of schooling Outcome levels*
Early Stage 1 1 <1-1
Stage 1 2-3 1-2
Stage 2 4-5 2-3
Stage 3 6-7 3-4
* Levels are based on the National Scientific Literacy Progress Map
2006 TRIAL
Primary Connections unit map
Stage E&B E&C L&L N&PM ES 1 Weather On the move
S 1 Water
works
Push-pull power
Material matters
S 2 Spinning in space
Plants in action
All sorts of stuff
S 3 Electric
circuits
Micro
organisms
Build it better
2006 TRIAL
Award winning quality
Primary Connections has won the 2006 Australian Publishers Association Award for Excellence in
Educational Publishing in the Primary Teaching and Learning category.
Draft, revise, trial in 55 trial schools, feedback, revise, publish – 15 months
2006 TRIAL
Primary Connections professional learning model
Teacher professional
learning Staged
professional learning workshops
Curriculum resources
Reflection on practice Practice
Principles of learning and teaching
2006 TRIAL
1. Students are supported and challenged to develop deep levels of thinking
2. Science is linked with students’ lives, perspectives and interests 3. Learning connects with communities and practice beyond the
classroom
4. The learning environment promotes independence, and collaboration
5. Assessment practices are an integral part of teaching and learning
Primary Connections pedagogical
principles
2006 TRIAL
Professional learning modules
• An introduction to Primary Connections (one day, whole school workshop)
• School coordinators workshop (one day workshop)
• Auditing (90 minute workshop)
• Literacies of science (90 minute workshop)
• Investigating (90 minute workshop)
• Assessment (90 minute workshop) Questioning Minds DVD
Professional learning resources
2006 TRIAL
Initial teacher education and ongoing professional learning
Initial teacher education
University
science educators Curriculum
resources
Ongoing
professional learning Professional
learning resources
Professional learning facilitators
2006 TRIAL
2005 Trial of Primary Connections
• 56 schools, 106 teachers and >3000 students
• trial schools from all jurisdictions and sectors, metro, regional and rural schools
• teachers completed 5 + 1 + 1 + 1 days PD
• taught supplied units in Terms 1 and 3
• taught teacher developed units in Term 2
• data gathered by teacher and student questionnaires, case studies, analysis of students’ work samples
2006 TRIAL
Teachers’ confidence
Teachers’ confidence with nine science and literacy
teaching strategies was assessed on a five point scale.
Mean confidence scores increased significantly (p < .05) from 3.34 /5 at the beginning of the program to 4.04 /5 at the end of Term 2.
2006 TRIAL
Teachers’ Self-efficacy
(n = 89)Total self-
efficacy score
Initial survey
(2004)
End of summer
school
Mid Term 1,
2005
End Term 1, 2005
End Term 2, 2005
1-10 0 0 0 0 0
11-20 2 0 0 0 0
21-30 20 10 4 3 1
31-40 50 49 52 54 49
41-50 17 30 33 32 39
Mean total self
efficacy score 35* 38 39 40 41*
S.D. 6.8 5.4 4.5 4.6 4.5
A 10 item self-efficacy scale was assembled using items selected from Riggs and Knochs (1990) Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument * (p.<.05).
2006 TRIAL
Science teaching time
(n = 89)Per cent of teachers Minutes of science
taught per week Before (2004) Using PC (2005)
60 minutes or more 33.0 72.7
Between 30 and 60 minutes
39.8 26.1
Less than 30 minutes 23.9 1.4
Rarely taught science 3.4 0
2006 TRIAL
Time of day when science taught
(n = 89)Per cent of teachers Time of day when
science taught
Before (2004) Using PC (2005)
Morning 6.8 8.0
Afternoon 69.3 18.2
Morning and afternoon 23.9 73.9
2006 TRIAL
Teaching practice
96 of 97 teachers said their teaching had improved
Teachers reported an increase in:
• teaching literacies of science
• hands-on activities
• use of diagnostic assessment
2006 TRIAL
Teachers’ perceptions of students’
response to PC
Students’ response to activities (n = 88) Very
negative
Negative OK Positive Very
positive
1 2 8 31 46
31 46
10 0
0
Very positive Positive
OK Negative
Very negative
Students’ response to learning approach (n = 87)
2006 TRIAL
Students’ perceptions of PC
(n = 538)Per cent of cohort with this response
Unit studied Weather N = 132
Push, Pull PowerN = 108
Plants in
Action N = 160
Build it Better N = 138
Have you enjoyed science this term?
Yes 82 63 77 49
Ok 11 27 21 41
No 8 10 2 10
How much have you learned in science this term?
Lots 71 70 68 38
Some 15 23 30 50
Little 14 6 3 12
2006 TRIAL
Teachers’ perceptions of amount and quality of science learning
Amount of science learning
Less than last term Same as last term Better than last term
1 18 66 (78%)
66 (79%) 17
1
Better than last term Same as last term
Less than last term
Quality of science learning
2006 TRIAL
Achievement gains
(n = 72)Achievement level and score
Frequency
Engage lesson Evaluate lesson
1a (1) 11 0
2d (2) 16 3
2c (3) 41 5
2a (4) 3 8
3d (5) 1 15
3c (6) 0 22
3a (7) 0 15
4d (8) 0 4
Mean score 2.54 * 5.51 *
2006 TRIAL
The chain reaction
Increased Increased Increased Increased Increased science self-efficacy science opportunity science
PCK teaching for learning achievement time
Improved practice
2006 TRIAL
Boosting science learning in primary schools: What does it take?
Making science a priority
Advocacy from influential champions
Support teachers with professional learning and
curriculum resources that are conceptually sound and demonstrated through research to be effective
National collaboration
2006 TRIAL
Some useful web sites
Primary Connections
http://www.science.org.au/primaryconnections/
Science Education Assessment Resources http://cms.curriculum.edu.au/sear/
