Swing through with Science: a project to support transition from primary to secondary school through science; the secondary perspective

Susan Burr, Frances Simpson,

Faculty of Education, University of Strathclyde

Paper presented at the Association for Science Education Conference, British Education Research Association, Science Interest Group

University of Birmingham4thJanuary 2007

Funded with help from AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust

Abstract

For a number of years in Scotland there has been considerable concern about the transition of pupils from primary to secondary school. In science in particular there is a ‘loss of momentum’ from P7 to S2. This problem has been attributed to insufficient account being taken of pupils’ previous learning.

This project uses bridging materials, ‘sciencepassport’, to improve both the links between teaching staff and the children’s experience of science during transition. This passport, used throughout P7, will then progress with the pupil into S1 where it will serve as a record of a pupil’s prior attainment, providing evidence for the secondary staff and as a pupil ‘aide memoir’. The passport also includes some introductory units which could act as a launch pad for the S1 science curriculum.

The project is working with four clusters in the central belt of Scotland. Using questionnaires, the attitudes to science, of both the S1pupils and their teachers have been recorded. A number of teachers were also interviewed.

This paper highlights that pupils enjoy the practical nature of science. There is little evidence that secondary science teachers know about primary science. They prefer to have a fresh start in S1. Although they support the practical nature of the course there are uncertainties about whole investigations.

.

Introduction

Swing through with Scienceaims to help schools to work together in clusters to enhance the transition experience in science for their pupils using a science passport. Whilst we intend to monitor the pupil and teacher attitudes throughout the process, one of our main aims is to promote teachers working together.

Primary 7 pupils will use the ‘passport’ during their final year in primary school. The manner in which it is used will be determined by individual teachers. Pupils will take this passport with them to secondary school. The passport is made up of a range of formative assessment type activities and consists of two parts.

The primary part provides

  • materials that allow P7 pupils to celebrate their achievements in Science
  • a formative record for P7 pupils to take with them to their new secondary school

The secondary part consists of a number of short introductory units that build on the science already done in primary.

We hope that the project and its passport will

  • enhance progression of pupils from P7 to S1
  • improve the experience of moving to secondary school through science
  • maintain pupils’ enthusiasm for science across the transition and on into S1

We hope also that it will.

  • enhance the relationship between primary seven and secondary science staff
  • improve primary staff confidence in teaching science knowledge, understanding and skills

This second paper follows on from our initial paper (Burr and Simpson 2007) reporting the findings from primary 7 pupils and teachers before using the passport.

Background

Previous research (Galton 2003) suggests that one of the main benefits from this kind of project is not perhaps the improvement in attainment but improved teaching and learning in both sectors coming from the joined up thinking of primary and secondary teachers.A number of studies have highlighted the lack of progress of pupils when moving from primary to secondary school.

In HMIE Ensuring effective transitions (2006) the Chief Inspector stated that

“an effective transition should guarantee continuity and progression

in children’s learning”

Previous HMIE reports such as Improving Achievement in Science (2005) highlighted major gaps in the coordination of the curriculum from P7 to S1, raising serious concerns about the lack of progression and continuity in pupils learning.

The 6thAssessment of Achievement Programme (AAP) survey (2003) assessed pupil attainment in both Knowledge and Understanding (KU) and Skills strands. It also explored pupils informed attitudes to science and pupil experiences in science. It did not specifically study transition but many of the issues it highlighted will have an impact. The report highlighted a number of issues that would impact on future developments in the teaching and learning of primary and S1/2 science. The survey also showed that pupil motivation towards science declined from P5 to S2.

“ the majority(75-80%) of P7/S2 pupils failed to show evidence of basic attainment (over half the marks scored at their target levels; levels D and E”

The survey findings suggest that transition arrangements, and the extent to which schools achieve continuity and progression will become increasingly important.

A number of studies have looked at various factors that might affect transition in science.

Braund and Driver (2002) at YorkUniversity investigated what pupils think about practical work. Their main findings showed a failing of schools to build on previous competences. Primary pupils have a positive attitude to practical work and expected that practical would be a major part of the secondary experience. Clarkson and Wright (1992) stated that many teachers felt that little or nothing was gained from practical work in secondary science as far as the learning of scientific concepts was concerned. If S1 science (yr7 in England) is merely a repetition of basic skills and not the exciting and new work they expect, then this could have a demotivating effect on pupils.

Braud and Driver (2004) decided to use bridging tasks to improve transition. These units, examples of which include Fizzy Drinks and Bread, offer stimulating projects for pupils moving from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage3 (KS2 to KS3). The aim is to “provide work that is significantly different but forms a valid experience for Yr 7 pupils, recognising the level of practical skills and concept of learning that have occurred before and moves pupils on from this”.

Other work suggests that there are a variety of reasons given for pupils not progressing

”pupil’s anxieties about their new environment, differing teaching styles, teachers’ ignorance of each others curriculum content and approaches and teachers distrust”

(Galton, Gray and Ruddock 1999). Their recommendations include the need to develop mechanisms to allow:

•pupils to be able to ask questions about: things they don’t understand; concerns about classroom learning; teachers’ expectations

•the school to provide for a range of learning styles

•teachers need to be able to evaluate the effect of their interventions on pupils progress

.

Further work by Galton, et al (2003) concentrated on the transfer process (moving from one school to another). Their conclusions were that the year 7 curriculum was not challenging enough and that progress in attainment did not go along with positive attitudes to science. There was a need to direct efforts to the academic aspects of transfer; initiatives should sustain the excitement of learning throughout all years. Post transfer pupils should be helped to develop a language for thinking and talking about their learning. Schools should recognise pupil maturity and give them responsibility.

In Northern Ireland, Jarman (1997) investigated continuity in science after the introduction of the NI curriculum. She found that only a few of the teachers surveyed had taken account of pupil’s earlier work. Many secondary teachers used the diversity of primary experience as an excuse to ‘start again’. There was a feeling that the enhanced knowledge and the patchy nature of this knowledge produced problems for the management of learning. Many secondary teachers from her survey and not just those who were dismissive of primary science also commented on the ‘done it don’t know ‘ syndrome

Many schools showed an initial enthusiasm for Primary/Secondary liaison but this fell off as other work became took priority.

Jarman also speculates that science in primary, due to the materials and presentation, may be remembered as episodic memory. This leads to incomplete recall based mainly on experience and context. In secondary school science is remembered as semantic memory. This mismatch can lead to pupils ‘not remembering having done’ a particular piece of science.

Other reservations centred on primary teachers lack of expertise and of the possibility of the communication of misconceptions. Some secondary teachers showed very negative attitudes, eight out fifty said they had ‘stolen wee gems’ four said ‘science should be left to the secondary school’

.

Other studies in Australia, (Ferguson and Fraser 1998) investigated the different learning environment in primary and secondary schools, the role of gender and school size were investigated. Although girls’ perceptions deteriorate they were more positive than the boys. They rated a good relationship with the teacher, based on tolerance and understanding, as particularly important. They perceived these qualities as deficient in post transition teachers.

Students in another survey (Speering and Rennie 1996), especially the girls, showed a decline in positive attitudes to science . They did not like the teaching and learning strategies used and did not like the different teacher student relationship.

Primary and secondary schools have different approaches to teaching and learning and it might be that these differences contribute to the lack of progression highlighted by these reports and other workers. Stevenson (1999) has compared the primary and secondary experience of pupils see table 1.1

Table1.1 showing comparison of primary and secondary teaching ( Stevenson)

Primary / Secondary
Familiar teacher / Teacher may only see the children for 2/3 lessons a week
Generalist teacher / Specialist teacher
Familiar classroom / Specialist room – laboratory
Everyday simple equipment / Unfamiliar, more dangerous/difficult equipment
Simple measuring / More accurate measuring
Everyday materials / Specialist materials
Concrete ideas / More abstract ideas
More cross curricular / Less cross curricular
Possibility of activities spread throughout the day / Fixed time periods
Greater focus on children talking / Greater focus on children writing
Use of story and context / Focus on assessment
Variety of recording approaches. / Emphasis on written recording.

Methodology

A number of questionnaires were constructed to collect information about the attitudes of both teachers and pupils in primary 7 and secondary 1 to science. This paper focuses on S1 pupils and their teachers.

The research questions posed were:

  1. What are the current attitudes of S1 pupils towards science?

these included:

Enjoyment of science

Teaching and learning of science

Expectation of science in secondary

Science as a career

2. What are the current attitudes of S1 teachers to teaching science?

a. What is their current confidence in teaching science in the following areas

Knowledge of science

Carrying our investigations

Teaching approaches

CPD

b. What is their opinion of primary science in terms of:

Content

Assessment

c. What are their opinions of their S1 course?

d. What are their opinions of the current transition support?

All pupils in the current S1 were asked to complete a questionnaire (see table1.2) in October/November 2006, this acts as a control group and has also proved helpful in the fine tuning of the organization of the project. Their teachers also completed a questionnaire and were interviewed. The interviews were semi structured exploring thesame themes as the questionnaire but with the opportunity to discuss issues in detail and to bring up any other areas of interest. The interviews also asked teachers what they hoped to gain from using the passport. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. To ensure reliability both researchers listened to the recordings and contributed to the subsequent analysis.

Development of swing through with science passport

The original idea for a passport came from a range of materials that were produced by the Association for Science Education for Science Year (2002). The Swing through withScience passport (Simpson and Burr 2006) consists of a booklet containing a range of formative assessment type activities.

The booklet has been adapted to support the different schemes of work within the cluster schools taking part in the project. Each cluster therefore has an individual passport to fit in with their scheme of work.

The authors in their experience of working with a wide range of schools felt that the materials offered to pupils at the start of S1 were not challenging enough. Many S1 science teachers feel that pupils must be introduced to ‘working in a lab’ and this topic often extends for many weeks. Other people including Stevenson (1999) agree that “schools are only partially successful in building on pupils” prior attainment. In particular “introductory units are often lacking in demand”. We would also agree that these units are more likely to disadvantage the more able pupils who come with great energy and enthusiasm for science. New material was therefore also written for the secondary schools providing a series of individual projects building on the Primary topics (level C and D, 5-14 ES guidelines). In a series of small investigations, the basics of working in a specialist science room, using laboratory equipment, calculations etc are covered within the context of soil analysis. Another topic builds on previous work on classification dealing with the making of biological keys. This part of the passport also included extra items to fit in with the existing courses in schools.

Fig 1.1 : part of the primary passport

At the request of the individual secondary schools, other items were added, these kept in mind the formative nature of the primary part of passport and the major aim of providing progression for S1 pupils. Figs 2.1, 2.2, show a selection of the activities from the secondary part of the passport.

Fig 2.1 part of the soil investigation from the secondary part of the passport.

Soil: find out what it’s all about
Aim: to compare the size of particles in sandy and clay soils
Take a small sample of clay soil, add a little water and rub the soil between your fingers. What does it feel like? smooth, sticky or gritty
Take a small sample of sandy soil, add a little water and rub the soil between your fingers.
What does it feel like? smooth, sticky or gritty
Take a small sample of each soil, place on a microscope slide and examine under the microscope at low power. Draw what you see.

Other parts of the investigation compare the drainage of soils, the organic matter content and finally pupils are asked to link the structure of the soil with the information they have found out.

Fig 2.2 part of classification activity from secondary passport.

Observing and recording
To make a key we need to be able to see differences between a group of objects or living things.
Before you can make any sort of key you must be able to look at and record different features of a living organism.
Looking at leaves (picture card 1or leaves)
Look at each leaf in turn and record details of its shape in the table below.
Name of leaf / Shape: broad leaves or very narrow leaves( needles) / Shape of broad leaves:
broad or long and thin / Edge of leaf :
Prickles / Lobes / Saw like
serrated
Hazel
Scot’s pine
Oak
Holly
Beech
Sycamore

Are there other features that you could use? ………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………….

Using the information you have collected construct a family tree key

An example is given below

Pupil Questionnaires

The secondary questionnaire, see table1.2, used a three point scale to investigate the opinions of 210, S1 pupils in the 4 secondary schools involved in the study. Areas that were investigated were enjoyment of science (q1,6,9,10) , working style (q2,3,4,9), difficulties (q5,6,7), expectations of S1 secondary science (q10,11,12,13,14,15), general feelings about secondary school/science (q10,14,15) career expectations (q15,16)

Primary and secondary questionnaires both used q 1-9, q 10 -16 were reworded but explored the same ideas.

Table 1.2 : S1 pupil questionnaire

I agree / I do not agree or disagree / I disagree
2.1 / I enjoy science lessons
2.2 / I like to do lots of experiments
2.3 / I like working in groups
2.4 / I like to work on my own
2.5 / I find science difficult
2.6 / I get bored in science
2.7 / I find the writing difficult in science
2.8 / I find the number work difficult in science
2.9 / I enjoy working out problems in science
2.10 / Science in secondary school is not as exciting as I thought it was going to be
2.11 / I have done lots of new science experiments in S1
2.12 / Science in secondary school is very different from the science I did in primary school
2.13 / I like working in a science lab
with science equipment
2.14 / I have found out about new science ideas in S1
2.15 / I would like to continue to study science throughout my secondary school career
2.16 / I hope to be a scientist when I leave school

As a base line pupils currently in S1 were asked to complete the secondary questionnaire in October 2006 of their S1 year. These are the results reported on in this paper.

Pupils currently using the passport will complete a similar questionnaire in S1.

Pupils were also asked to complete the open question

Science is all about………

Teachers views

All S1teachers involved in the project were interviewed. The interviews were semi structured but supplementary questions could be asked and new ideas explored. All the interviews were recorded and notes made as soon as possible after the interview. Both researchers listen and checked the notes made.

The ideas explored were:

  • Confidence in teaching science
  • Style of teaching
  • Opinions on primary science
  • Work with primary schools
  • Opinions on S1 science and the course taught.

The S1 teachers were also given a questionnaire to complete with a 5-point scale. Questions 1 to 7 were the same for both primary and secondary teachers