Course Resources Archive

The module will further develop students’ ability to teach aspects of primary science including topics related to scientific enquiry, life processes and living things, materials and physical processes. Alignment of the taught module with school placements will ensure that students have effective knowledge and understanding of statutory curriculum documentation to enable them to plan, teach, assess and evaluate effectively. It will enable further development of knowledge and understanding in science. The module will refine students’ awareness of theories of the way science is learnt and experienced by children, including the role and importance of developing a range of outcomes for children (for example Higher Order Thinking Skills and Scientific literacy) and other values, attitudes and behaviours which underpin Science. It will also enable students to recognise underachievement and respond positively and appropriately to individual and diverse learning needs through the planning, teaching, assessment and evaluation of science provision for all learners.

Students will be able to critically evaluate the range of teaching and learning approaches that characterise successful teaching in science, identifying where the use of ICT can enhance, enrich and enable learning.

This module will explore the teaching and learning of specific topics in primary science, for example: plants, animals, biodiversity, changing materials, forces, electricity and magnetism, energy, light and sound. Sessions will consist of lectures and workshops allowing the students to develop their knowledge of statutory curriculum documentation and non-statutory curriculum guidance. The module will build on the BE4007 module, exploring further the links between theory and practice allowing students to plan, teach, assess and evaluate provision effectively for groups and individual learners. The course will explicitly explore constructivist approaches to teaching primary science. Students will be expected to continue to develop their subject knowledge in science in response to auditing and reviewing their individual targets. This will be tracked throughout the year by continued use of the audit document and further use will be made of study groups to develop and enhance communication and reasoning skills, support one another with subject knowledge targets and allow group formative assessment tasks.

A student passing this module should be able to:

1. Demonstrate secure knowledge and understanding of the statutory curriculum documentation and non-statutory curriculum guidance in relation to primary science;

2. Embed research from current and established sources to demonstrate secure knowledge and understanding of theories and principles of learning and pedagogy (including constructivism) in primary science to underpin effective planning, individualised teaching and assessment on school placement;

3. Engage reflectively with experiential, investigative and problem-solving activities in workshops and through formative group and individual tasks to demonstrate secure understanding of key issues in teaching and learning a range of primary science topics;

4. Use an extended variety of strategies to promote and demonstrate progression in their own knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and investigative skills to underpin effective teaching in primary science;

5. Demonstrate secure understanding of the importance of values, attitudes and behaviours which underpin scientific thinking (including Higher Order Thinking Skills and Scientific literacy) within the context of a range of primary science topics;

6. Be able to recognise underachievement and respond positively and appropriately to individual and diverse learning needs through the planning, teaching, assessment and evaluation of the subject across all learners;

7. Secure knowledge and understanding of how ICT can support and enhance teaching and learning in science.

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.