Research School Network: Improving Secondary Science Guidance Report – It’s not just for science teachers! A primary school teacher (and ELE) perspective on the EEF’s Improving Secondary Science guidance report.

Sarah Izon (ELE – Evidence Lead in Education – for the Aspirer Research School) talks about her experience unpicking the Secondary Science guidance report and applying it to her context as a primary practitioner.

During an Evidence Lead in Education training day, we were tasked with looking at some of the recent guidance reports that have been published by the EEF. Myself and two other colleagues were focusing on the Improving Secondary Science Guidance Report. Initially, I wasn’t sure how it would be relevant to me, being a primary teacher, however, I couldn’t have been more wrong. The report is full of transferable ideas and strategies and I found that I could relate to, and learn from, a number of the recommendations within the report.

For instance, the first recommendation is all about preconceptions – build on the ideas that pupils bring to lessons.

As I read the key messages within this I started to think about how easily the ideas link to maths, to reading, to writing, to geography and history – in fact, most subjects that are taught in primary and secondary.

Within the recommendation it talks about the importance of finding out what pupils already know about the concept or skill you will be teaching – their preconceptions and whether these are, in fact, misconceptions. This could be done through a quiz at the start of the topic; by asking the children to mind-map what they already know or through a ​‘cold’ task or write. Whatever way works for you and your pupils.

The knowledge you gain from this activity then needs to be followed by a teaching sequence that addresses any misconceptions. The report makes it clear that teachers need to explain to pupils that it is ok to have misconceptions. In fact, it mentions that the ​‘cognitive conflict’ pupils go through when having their preconceptions challenged is ​‘an effective way of moving pupils’ thinking, helping them to reconstruct their existing ideas.’ (page 10). I interpreted that as ​‘don’t panic if they are all thinking the wrong thing, it’s the start of a valuable learning process!’ What does need to be remembered though, is that in order for this new thinking to become more deeply embedded, teachers needs to provide the time and opportunity for pupils to keep revisiting and revising these new concepts and skills.

As you can see from just the first recommendation, this information is not just vital for secondary science, it is vital for all subjects. Similarly, recommendations 2, 4 and 7 are also incredibly versatile.

Recommendation 2: Self-regulation: Help pupils direct their own learning.

Recommendation 4: Memory: Support pupils to retain and retrieve knowledge.

Recommendation 7: Feedback: Use structured feedback to move on pupils’ thinking.

The whole report is full of a wealth of knowledge of research-informed practice that would benefit any teacher in any context. My main piece of advice on this guidance report – please don’t let the title put you off! You can find the guidance report HERE.