A vision of Continuing Professional Development in the UK

Miranda StephensonDeputy Director, National Science Learning Centre

Structure of presentation

What has brought about the National Network of Science Learning Centres?

What is the role of the Science Learning Centres?

What does the Continuing Professional Development programme comprise?

What are the future challenges for us?

What has brought about the National Network of Science Learning Centres?

The government's position:

“ Our ambition is for the UK to become the science capital of the world. We are well on the way. I believe we can be the best."

The Prime Minister, 17 November 2004

Science is advancing very fast

Moore’s Law: Computing power doubles every 18 months

“Genetic information doubles every 16 months”

Dr Richard Durbin FRS

Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

Mathematics and Science in Secondary Schools: The deployment of teachers and support staff to deliver the curriculum.

NFER, commissioned by DfES, 2006

Data came from a study of mathematics and science departments in one in four maintained secondary schools in England during 2004/5.

Main findings (1)Of all teachers of science

- 44% are Biology specialists

- 25% are Chemistry specialist

- 19% are Physics specialists

Among 11 – 16 schools, 25% have no Physics specialists at

all.

At AS/A2 level, the percentage of teaching time taken by those

with a degree in the subject concerned is

- 59% Biology

- 60% Chemistry

- 52% Physics

Main findings (2)Of those teaching double award GCSE Science:

- two thirds of those teaching Biology are specialists

- two-fifths of those teaching Chemistry are specialists

- less than two-fifths of those teaching Physics are

specialists

In deciding how to deploy specialist teachers, heads of

department give priority to courses that involve external

assessments.

- AS/A2

- GCSE

- Year 9

Main findings (3)

Non-specialist teachers are most likely to be found in

- the lowest attaining schools

- schools serving socio-economically deprived areas

- 11 – 16 schools

Around two fifths of science teachers were broadly satisfied

with their professional lives, whilst one-quarter were

dissatisfied.

Shortage of specialist staff emerges as a strong and

significant independent predictor of satisfaction by teachers.

The numbers taking A-Level maths/science aredeclining: some improvements in last 3 years but not in physics

-

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

Physics Chemistry Biology Maths

We are all scientists now(Sara Parkin, Forum for the Future)

It is essential to have young people prepared to become the engineers, research scientists and doctors of the future.

It is essential, but not enough. Developed countries also need a population who understand science, and are critically aware of its implications.

Labour Party Business Manifesto commitment (2001)

‘…our manifesto commitment to, with charitable and corporate involvement, establish a National Centre for Excellence in Science teaching to promote best practice.’

Wellcome’s position

Following research:

Teachers’ experience of and attitudes towards CPD

Report by ICM/ Edcom, August 2005

Sample: 837 teachers and senior managers in England

Four groups of teachers clustered by attitudes to CPD

CPD seekers 16%‘I would like the schools to be more involved in my future and developing me’Believers 38%‘There is a real range of CPD on offer. It’s all about improving the teaching and learning experience’Sceptics 12%You rarely get the chance to do something that will genuinely help you or is tailored to your needs’Agnostics 33%‘CPD is always done on the cheap – I’d like to learn from a real expert’

Teachers’ experience of and attitudes towards CPD

Approximately half of secondary school teachers claimed not to have engaged in subject-related CPD in the past 5 years.

Teachers’ experience of and attitudes towards CPD

Respondents who had attended subject related CPD tended to initiate it themselves and feel that they gained more from it than other CPD.

Teachers’ experience of and attitudes towards CPD

Secondary Heads of Science emerge as a group that need greater levels of investment and confidence building

Teachers’ experience of and attitudes towards CPD

Low levels of CPD satisfaction across all types of teachers.

The Science Learning Centres

• Regional Centres: £26 million from the DfES. Nine Regional Centres for England. Funding for 5 years.

• National Centre: £25 million from the Wellcome Trust. To be at York, run by the White Rose Consortium Universities (Leeds, Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam and York). For the whole of the UK.

Funding for 10 years – 5 years minimum.

What is the role of the Science Learning Centres?

Mission for the Science Learning Centres

World class science education for world class science

by securing and updating subject knowledge and extending teaching skills

The National Network of Science Learning Centres

North East University of Durham

National Centre University of York Yorkshire and Humber Sheffield Hallam Uni.

East Midlands University of Leicester

East of EnglandUniversity of Hertfordshire

London Institute of Education

South EastUniversity of Southampton

North WestManchester

Metropolitan University

West Midlands Keele University

South West @Bristol

Aims

1. Increase participation in

science at post-16

2. develop scientific literacy

for all pupils

Enthusing and inspiring teachers to engage pupils in science

Developing and extending teaching skills

Having an impact in schoolsby

Continuing Professional Development for science teachers

• Of a quality to match the CPD available in business and the professions

• Reconnecting science teachers with their subject• Updating and extending teaching skills• Relevant to the needs of individual schools

NOTE: our model draws on academic input, but is a ‘commercial endeavour’. It eventually must sustain itself.

Who are the Centres for?

Secondary science teachersSecondary heads of sciencePrimary science teachersPrimary science coordinatorsFurther Education lecturersScience techniciansOther support staff in the science classroomCitizenship teachers

Common approaches

Marketing

Web portal: www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk

Quality

Business development

Programme

QualityQuality process adopted by all Centres involves scrutiny of the:

Planning procedures (including identification of those who will deliver the courses)

Delivery of the courses

Evaluation of the impact back in school/college on:• The participants’ practice• Their colleagues practice• Students’ practice

Strategic principles

• Supporting creativity, diversity and innovation in CPD provision, and in school science teaching

• Consistency with evidence from research, scholarship and professional experience

• Consistency with practitioners’ perceived CPD needs

• Development through systematic evaluation • Regional and National co-ordination

The continuing professional development of science teachers: a discussion paper (submitted to School Science Review)

Characteristics of effective CPD

• Content seen by teachers as centrally relevant to their core activity – teaching science to their pupils in their school

• Groups of teachers work in collaboration on shared problems.

• Teachers accumulate, articulate and communicate professional knowledge

• CPD is embedded in the culture of the institutions in which teachers work.

The continuing professional development of science teachers: a discussion paper (submitted to School Science Review)

Characteristics of effective CPD (Teaching and Development Agency)

• Strongly focussed on the subject• Strongly focussed on the realities of the

classroom• Strongly focussed on the individual’s needs• Strongly focussed on the school’s needs• Supported by mentors and coaches• Sustained over time

What does the Continuing Professional Development programme comprise?

Each Centre is responsible for their own programme.

Increasingly the Centres are working together on common courses, whilst retaining their own separate courses. Common courses include:

Implementation of the new GCSE specificationsRCUK: Contemporary scienceIOP: Girls into physicsPrimary courses

Common characteristics across the network

Innovation and creativity

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK)

Contemporary science

Leadership

Science Learning Centre: Yorkshire and HumberBased at Sheffield Hallam

University in purpose-built

facilities• 5 well equipped teaching rooms (inc.

2 labs.)

Outreach venues through out the

region

Satellite centres at:• John Leggott Sixth From College• Eureka Children's Museum

Examples of regional activityCore programme of courses

– How science works – suite of 3 courses developed across the network– Developing chemistry topics: The atmosphere, global warming and climate change– Thinking Skills– Technician's Development Programme– Practical and enquiry skills with ICT: Data logging

Bespoke CPD– Cluster days: Changes to GCSE 2006– School based activity (secondary): How science works – debate and discussion– School based activity (secondary): Science investigations in the primary classroom

Events/partnerships– ASE Northern Science Conference - 23rd June– AST science teacher network– SETPOINT CPD: Build-IT– IoP Girls in Physics

professional development for science teaching

Science Learning Centre Yorkshire and the Humber

Courses at the National Science Learning CentreWhat makes them different to the regional centres

Residential - therefore longer and more intensive

Emphasis on leadership

Two models:

• Single residential period, followed up with mentoring

• Two residential periods with a school/college based task

between the residential periods, supported by mentoring.

The National Science Learning Centre:• An £11 million purpose-built

centre dedicate to the professional development of the science education community. With laboratories, a resource centre, teaching rooms, 300-seat auditorium and its own restaurant and 64-bed hotel

• Dedicated staff including science education experts, technicians, IT specialists and marketing expertise

The National Science Learning Centre’s programme

Courses cover:• the full subject range: primary science, chemistry, physics,

biology, earth science, astronomy and psychology• Subjects for participants at different stages of their career, e.g. a

summer school for newly qualified teachers, development of classroom teachers, courses for those with specific responsibilities in the department, a course for new and aspiring heads of department, courses for heads of department and science coordinators

• Conferences and symposia on science education• training for school laboratory technicians and classroom

assistants• Nearly 3200 training days will be delivered in 2005/6

Some courses at the NSLC

• Alternative pathways in 14-19 science • Post-16 Chemistry• Science for All: gifted and talented pupils• Inspiring Learning through ICT• How science works: contemporary and controversial

science• Inspiring science learning through demonstrations

Inspiring Science Learning through Demonstrations, 2.11.05

Inspiring Science Learning through Demonstrations, 2.11.05

“The course has exceeded expectations”

“WOW – Inspirational”

“Fantastic – so many simple encouraging short and safe examples”

“A chance to see fun physics – its often represented as hard and dull”

“Visiting the resource centre (was valuable) – even in its early days it’s full of useful resources”

What are the future challenges for us?Attracting participants onto our courses

Achieving sustainability (that is not relying on DfES or Wellcome funding)

Measurement of impact on teachers’ and technicians’ practice

Measurement of change in student response to science

Contacts

• Science Learning Centres website www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk

• National Centre administrator Maureen Legge ML504@york.ac.uk

• National Centre director John Holman jsh4@york.ac.uk