Module EDUS2511: SCIENCE FOR PRIMARY TEACHING 2

Department: EDUCATION [Queen's Campus, Stockton]

EDUS2511: SCIENCE FOR PRIMARY TEACHING 2

Prerequisites

• Science for Primary Teaching 1 (EDUS1591).

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To develop a framework for understanding Life Science, to enable students to make informed judgements on the quality of scientific data.
• consider how to apply this understanding in the context of primary children's thinking, the primary science curriculum and classroom practice.

Content

• The Concept of Life Processes: a framework that includes a definition of systems, maintenance and negative feedback.
• inter-relationships between different systems.
• the consequences of changes to systems, substances required by systems.
• Concept of Scientific Enquiry: the concepts of evidence underpinning procedural understanding to enable judgements of the validity and reliability of empirical data.
• validity as shown to depend on the variable structure, sample selection, accuracy of instruments and range of the independent variable.
• reliability as shown to depend on the instrument precision, resolution and readability, the inherent variation in an event and sample size.
• Science Education and Application: scientific enquiry in the National Curriculum.
• planning for teaching and learning in primary science - organising and managing classroom science, resources, planning for differentiation, links to assessment.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of key scientific ideas relating to the collection of valid and reliable evidence.
• demonstrate an ability to collect, present and judge the quality of their own empirical data.
• demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of systems at different level of organisation in biology, demonstrate an ability to apply the ideas of systems maintenance and systems change to biological systems.
• demonstrate an ability to apply the above ideas in new situations, demonstrate an ability to construct a coherent argument in the above contexts.
• Subject Application: reflect critically upon how these concepts of Life Processes and Biological Systems relate to the National Curriculum requirements in schools.
• show knowledge and understanding of how aspects of educational theory relate to the learning of science by primary age children.

• think critically and independently;
• analyse, synthesise and evaluate primary and/or secondary data;
• critically analyse literature on a variety of contemporary education issues;
• construct and sustain a reasoned argument.
• observe, record and relate educational practice to theory in primary schools and classrooms;
• and show a developing competence in applying this subject knowledge to the planning of teaching science in the primary classroom.
• and be able to observe, record and relate educational practice to theory in relation to the above ideas.

• communicate ideas, principles and theories effectively in a variety of ways;
• work effectively on given tasks and activities;
• use Information and Communications Technology in a variety of ways; and
• manage time and work to deadlines.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The course will be delivered through weekly lectures, taught workshops and fieldwork in primary classrooms.
• There will also be occasional seminar sessions where students will present their critical reflections on appropriate readings and research.
• Assessment of the understanding of the quality of data will be based on an investigation where students collect their own data.
• An assignment will assess outcomes related to planning for teaching and classroom practice.
• Remaining outcomes will be assessed by an examination.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Formative assessment (equivalent to a total of about 1500 words)

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University