Practical work: the essence of school science

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Practical work the essence of school science
John Holman National Science Learning Centre
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Sputnik 1, Launched by USSR, October 1957
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Practical work survey

• Carried out by the Science Learning Centres as
  part of the Getting Practical project with the
  Association for Science Education
• Published March 2010
• 1339 responses from science teachers and
  technicians
• Analysis and report by Kirstie Hampson

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Top reasons for doing practical work

• Helping learners to understand scientific
  concepts (88)
• Making phenomena more real i.e. linking theory to
  practice (84)
• Helping learners to develop skills e.g.
  observation, using equipment (82)
• Motivating learners (81)
• Helping learners to develop understanding of
  scientific enquiry (80)

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Percentage of teachers undertaking practical work
for more than 40 of teaching time

• Key Stage 3 63
• Key Stage 4 43
• Post 16 28

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What factors hinder you from undertaking
practical work?

• Curriculum pressure i.e. curriculum too full
  (69)
• Curriculum pressure i.e. assessment demands too
  frequent (41)
• Poor learner behaviour (29)
• Lack of funding for or availability of suitable
  equipment (25 and 20 respectively)
• Lack of time to research suitable ideas for
  practical work (21)
• Health and safety (lt10)

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Pressure from timetabling and results precludes
practicals unless they are directly related to
coursework
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Factors contributing to effective practical work

• The availability of quality equipment and good
  laboratory layout (33)
• Learner engagement and good behaviour (23)
• Time to plan and prepare beforehand and time to
  carry out the work (21)
• Support from technicians and teaching assistants
  (20)
• Clear purpose for the practical, strong links to
  theory and relevance to the topic or curriculum
  (20)

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What additional support would make your practical
work more effective?

• Smaller class sizes (67)
• More time for planning (57)
• A less content-heavy curriculum (43)
• Easy access to new ideas (43)
• More technicians and teaching assistants (19)

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Can I make a plea for better pay and conditions
for technicians so we can keep them?
Teacher Respondent
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Professional development in practical work

• 45 of respondents wanted more CPD
• 30 specify CPD relating to subject knowledge
• 15 specify CPD relating to classroom management

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For a good overview of the purposes of practical
work in school science

• Robin Millar, for the US National Academy of
  Science Millar, R. (2004). The role of
  practical work in the teaching and learning of
  science
• Available at http//www7.nationalacademies.org/b
  ose/Millar_draftpaper_Jun_04.pdf

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Science without practical work is like literature
without books
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Science Learning Centres survey on dissection

• Published Summer 2009
• Responses from 242 institutions

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Science Learning Centres survey on dissection

• 95 of institutions do some form of dissection
• - KS3 79
• - KS4 94
• - Post 16 91
• Only 19 of institutions do whole animal
  dissection
• Two thirds of respondents feel they do not do
  enough dissection

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How the worlds best-performing school systems
come out on top McKinsey, September 2007

• Above all, the top performing systems
  demonstrate that the quality of an education
  system depends ultimately on the quality of its
  teachers

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Future challenges

• Trend to shorter lessons and compartmentalised
  curricula - militates against longer learning
  experiences
• Keeping up with developments in modern biology
• Pressures from exams and rarely cover on field
  work and CPD
• Economic pressures, leading to reductions in
  technicians, staffing and equipment budgets and
  increase in class sizes.