Putting Research into Practice: the EPSE Project Jenny Lewis CSSME [Phil Scott; John Leach; Andy Hind; Jaume Ametller; all the teachers who worked with us]

Alternative/everyday Conceptions Learning Demand ‘Communicative Approach’ EPSE Evidence based Practice in Science Education Research informed design, implementation and evaluation of teaching sequences

Analyse the learning demand

Specify the teaching goals For example to introduce, and support the development of, the ideas that: – an electric current consists of a flow of charge. – the electric current has the job of transferring energy to draw attention to, and to emphasise, the ideas that: – the electric current does not get used up – it is the energy which is transferred in resistances to make things work. 4

Different kinds of teacher-student talk 5 Presentation Q&A I-R-E Discussing Probing Supporting I-R-P-R-P-R… Review Presentation ‘lecture’ Focus on science view (Authoritative) Taking account of pupils’ understanding (Dialogic) Interactive Non- interactive

Patterns of talk: plant nutrition sequence Lesson 1 Uses ‘What if..’ scenarios and brainstorming to explore and make explicit students’ ideas about food. Interactive dialogic Lesson 2 Presents a simple explanation of photosynthesis for students to challenge through discussion of ‘I don’t believe it’ statements. Interactive dialogic [non-interactive dialogic] Lesson 3 Uses 3 practical activities to make the key science ideas more plausible: Demonstration: gas + liquid can produce a solid Investigation: does gas have mass? Atomic Jigsaw: glucose from CO 2 and H 2 O Mixing non/interactive; dialogic/authoritative Lesson 4 Presentation and consolidation of the science explanation; revisiting the ‘What if’s..’ Interactive authoritative Lesson 5 Explains the use of minerals from the soil; compares and contrasts animal and plant nutrition. Interactive authoritative

Did the students learn anything? Did they learn more? How did we know?

8 Evaluation of the learning outcomes Pre, post and delayed post test written questions with case study and control groups Responses were coded for: – correct or incorrect prediction (about the behaviour of a simple circuit) – the extent to which a scientific model was drawn upon in the explanation (‘no use of’, ‘some or inconsistent use of’, ‘use of most aspects of’ the scientific model)

9 ‘Case study’ and ‘Comparison group’: student explanations in the post-test

Role and response of teachers

Writing the sequence Brief Teacher friendly language Signposting (the icons)

12 Teacher-student talk Carbon dioxide ?

Analysis of teacher talk T2: Plant nutrition lesson 1 T2: lesson on enzymes T1: Plant nutrition lesson 1

Putting it into practice Attitudes Understanding of the rationale Teaching as intended? How it felt at the time On reflection

1.Plant nutrition: from common sense to scientific views 2.Key concepts in genetics 3.The biological basis of behaviour 4.Explaining how electric circuits work 5.Voltage, energy and power in electric circuits 6.Force and motion 7.Light 8.Explaining change processes using a simple particle model of matter 9.Modelling matter: the nature of bond