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Australian Academy of Science

Professor Jenny GravesForeign Secretary

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Primary Connections: linking science with literacy

Vision: Engaged students – Confident and competent teachers

The purpose of Primary Connections: linking science with literacy is to: increase the quality and quantity of science teaching + learning in primary schools.

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Primary Connections - a two-pronged approach

Professional learning programmecomplimented by

curriculum resources

Funded by the Australian Government

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Making Connections – training manual and DVD

• Overview• Facilitation tools and techniques• Introduction to Primary

Connections• Science and literacy• 5Es• Investigating• Assessment• Cooperative learning• Indigenous perspective• Unit planning• Questioning Minds DVD• Reflecting and journaling

12 segments

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Trained leaders 2006 - 2008:

125 University lecturers (ie Tertiary Facilitators)

(2 days training)

880 Teacher leaders

(2 days training)

400 Facilitators

(3 days training)

2,700 workshops conducted by Academy staff and trained

facilitators

PrimaryConnections professional learning:

Building confidence and competence

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PrimaryConnections Curriculum resources

2006

2008

2007

2009

•19 award winning units

•Background Science CD in every unit

•Links science with literacy

•Incorporates indigenous perspectives

•Supporting web resources:

Unit overviews

Assessment rubrics

Equipment lists

‘How to’ appendices

Award winning units

Category winner

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Science and literacy – a mutually supportive relationship

Measuring and recording observations of broad bean seed germination in a science journal

Creating a labelled diagram to represent understanding of parts of a germinating broad bean seed

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What is the evidence of impact?Stage 3 Research Report No 15 (June 2008)

STUDENTS

Reported a greater perception of frequency of science lessons

Were significantly more curious during science lessons

Were more likely to affirm that they learned interesting things in science

• Is the achievement on literacies of science and science processes by Primary Connections students greater than that of students from non-Primary Connections classes in equivalent schools?

Jurisdiction Number of students

Number of schools

WA 1113 18

Queensland 354 8

Total 1467 26

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Means of processes of science scores for sub-groups of year 5-7 students for primary school tests

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

All ATSI LBOTE Males Females

Primary Connections

Comparison

Overall results

** ** ** ** p<.01

Means of processes of science scores for sub-groups of year 5-7 students

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Means of literacies of science scores for sub-groups of year 5-7 students for primary school tests

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

All ATSI LBOTE Males Females

Primary Connections

Comparison

Overall results

** ** ** ** **** p<.01

Means of literacies of science scores for sub-groups of year 5-7 students

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Primary Connections Unit distribution

Total Unit Distribution by Period

-

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

200,000

Distribution Period

Un

it D

istr

ibu

tio

n V

olu

me

TOTAL:176,101

Over 176,000 units distributed to 20 August 2009ie 48% Australian primary schools

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International

Malaysian and Thai representatives attended a 2 day Curriculum Leader Program with Australian teachers in Sydney and Melbourne in 2008. The Inter Academy Panel has providedUS $ 50,000 in seed funding to conduct a Primary Connections workshop in Singapore mid - 2010 with FASAS and the Association of Academies of Sciences in Asia (AASA) as partners.

The Primary Connections team with Asian delegates 2008

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Singapore workshop mid 2010

• 3 – day workshop

• June 2010 school holiday period

• Focus on training teacher-leaders to help others teach science

• There will be time on the last day for strategic planning

• All costs for the conference will be covered by the IAP grant

• Participants will need to fund their own travel and accommodation

www.science.org.au/primary connections