The start of the new academic year is always an exciting time. Enthusiastic students (on the whole), rested teachers (mostly), new books and a world of potential ahead of us. This year, of course, things are a bit different. Across the world, students are starting new courses or looking ahead to exams against the backdrop […]
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Modelling is something that we are doing lesson in, lesson out. Day in, day out. Come rain or shine, we’re modelling something! Despite the fact that it is something that we do several times a day and dozens of times a week, it is still something that we can improve on as a teaching profession. […]
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Paradoxically, being at home for twelve months has made the world more accessible for those students, who have access to a solid internet connection. Virtual field trips, virtual concerts and museum visits have opened the doors of possibility for intercultural understanding. Nowhere is this more relevant than in the language classroom, where an insight into […]
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“Sir, is it true that…?” “Sir, I saw this TikTok where…” “Sir, my mate says…” A day in the life of a cog in the machine of our science education system, one I think most science teachers could empathise with. These questions are enthralling and exciting, and the students want to know more. But there’s […]
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As if Covid didn’t present enough problems – we have noticed a frightening increase in the number of students who have completely disengaged with reading. I blame the pandemic for this because the National Literacy Trust’s annual survey found: ‘some children and young people reported that a lack of access to books (with schools and […]
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In ‘ Bridging the Word Gap at Transition: The Oxford Language Report 2020 ’ the team of researchers found that students transitioning from primary to secondary school are exposed to up to four times as much new vocabulary as at primary school. Compound this with the existing challenges around literacy skills and reading ages, COVID gaps and the emotional challenges of transition and it is easy to […]
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As the summer holidays draw to an end, I’m starting to think about adjusting back to a life of to-do lists. As a teacher, form tutor and Head of Department, being organised has always been critical for me. There is so many plates to spin as a teacher that I don’t think I could survive […]
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The science education research literature can be read as identifying major concerns and directions for reform: the need to support deeper knowledge of disciplinary concepts and practices; the need to engage students’ interest in science; social justice concerns with engagement in science futures; learning to engage with science in authentic, interdisciplinary and societally significant contexts. […]
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The Evolution of Science Education Survey conducted by Oxford University Press provides a timely account of science professionals’ views of the core purposes of science education as well as the challenges and opportunities facing science education. Numerous findings from the survey are noteworthy. Skills A great number of those surveyed considered skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving as important […]
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Our world is changing much faster than science education. Furthermore, during the global Covid-19 pandemic, technology use accelerated in education, amplifying significant inequities and gaps across all education systems. Public trust in science was crucial for containing spread of the virus and driving vaccine adoption. Around the world, for the very first time, everyone experienced […]
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