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Research School Network: How Science Teachers Can Help Students Tackle GCSE Exam Questions
How Science Teachers Can Help Students Tackle GCSE Exam Questions
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One of the most powerful tools we, as teachers, have in supporting our students is modelling our thinking. When we explicitly share the strategies we use to approach a problem or task, we reveal the thought processes of an effective learner. Research evidence shows this can make a real difference for students, particularly those preparing for their exams.
Take, for example, a typical Biology exam (Edexcel) question on photosynthesis: ‘Explain how the rate of photosynthesis is affected by light intensity.(3marks)’ Rather than simply showing or asking for the answer, we can model our thinking aloud. The example below would usually be modelled under a visualiser as a visual and verbal scaffold with students initially just watching and listening to the teacher model in an ‘I do’ situation before moving into a ‘we do/you do’.
“Before I put pen to paper I’m going to clearly read the question and its available marks. ‘Explain how the rate of photosynthesis is affected by light intensity.’ and it’s worth 3 marks.
First,I need to identify the command word of the question. This is an explain question- I’m going to underline explain and I now know I need a description and then to say how, what or why to follow it up.
From here, I need to identify the key terms — ‘rate of photosynthesis’ and ‘light intensity’.I’m also going to underline these.
Next, I recall what I know: light provides energy for photosynthesis- I’m going to write this down as a full sentence. This is my description of linking the two key terms and should score me a mark.
So now I need to build on this to explain the link between them. I recall that increasing light intensity should increase the rate, up to a point. Then I consider limiting factors, like carbon dioxide availability. I add these to my answer ‘so increasing the light intensity will increase the rate of photosynthesis, up to a point where other limiting factors such as temperature and carbon dioxide concentration will affect the rate. This should give me two marks, one for the increasing rate and another for the addition of limiting factors.
Finally, I re-read my question. Have I answered what the question has asked, have I checked the command word, have I included the key scientific vocabulary and enough detail for each mark?”
By making these metacognitive processes explicit, we give students a scaffold for thinking like a scientist. Research consistently shows that when teachers model their thinking, students develop better problem-solving strategies and stronger metacognitive skills. For example, studies by Zimmerman (2002) and White & Frederiksen (1998) found that students who observe effective modelling are more likely to plan, monitor, and evaluate their own learning, key skills for success in exam situations.
But there’s a balance to strike. If we give too much guidance, students may not engage in the necessary reflection themselves. Some ‘deliberate difficulty’ is required, creating gaps where students must think independently and monitor their learning. In the initial example this would be created by the we do and you do tasks where teachers would move into prompting and cluing students to encourage them to draw on their strategies before moving them to work independently and self scaffolding. Evidence suggests (EEF Special Educational Neets in Mainstream Schools Guidance Report: Recommendation 3) that scaffolding should be just enough to support learners without removing all cognitive challenge.
Practice is also crucial. Modelling works best when students immediately try similar questions themselves. After working through a modelled example, students can attempt comparable exam questions while the teacher observes and intervenes only when necessary. Over time, this gradual removal of scaffolding- from direct modelling to guided practice to independent work- helps students internalise these strategies, turning metacognitive thinking into an automatic part of their approach.
For instance, in chemistry calculation questions, we might first show a fully worked solution, highlight common errors, or even include a deliberate mistake for students to spot. Gradually, we step back, asking students to complete partially worked problems (we do) before expecting them to tackle similar questions independently (you do). Research shows that this ‘fading back’ of support strengthens students’ ability to transfer skills to new problems.
It’s also worth noting that some pupils may find it difficult to articulate their thought processes while completing a task. In these cases, metacognitive reflection may be more effective after task completion, when cognitive load is lower.
Modelling our thinking is about more than showing answers- it’s about showing how to think, plan, and monitor progress. For our GCSE science students, who often struggle with applying knowledge under exam conditions, this kind of guided thinking can be the difference between guessing and answering with confidence. Evidence shows that making thinking visible is not just good practice- it’s a strategy that can measurably improve learning outcomes.