1. Progression in Science
Hannah Dennis & Megan Nisbet

2. The School
• St Andrews C of E Primary school in Maghull
• Year 5 Mixed ability class with SEN
• The school was set in an urban area near Liverpool which affected the children’s
progression.
• The school was very limited on resources which had an impact on the lessons
taught by the class teacher.
• OFSTED (2013:1) previously stated the school as inadequate however the school
has now progressed to good.

3. Progression
Progression is ‘about the short- term and long- term changes in children’s knowledge and
understanding which take place as they progress through various domains of learning’.
(Hughes, 1996: 17)
National curriculum: science framework challenges pupils and says using progression with
attainment is useful in deciding what work is suited to understanding.
• Why did we choose to look at progression?
• What were the main ways we focused on progression in the classroom?
‘It is essential that teachers find out what children know at the outset of learning, to
establish that understanding of scientific concepts’ (Hollins and Whitby, 2001: 74)

4. Observation 1 – Introduction to changing
states
• What were the children taught and how were they introduced to the new knowledge
and vocabulary?
• What was the progression in children’s understanding?
• Levin (2013) ‘Worksheet-based curricula dampen enthusiasm for learning.’
• Did any misconceptions arise?
Committee on Undergraduate Science Education (1997:27) ‘Even some of the best
students give the right answers but are only using correctly memorized words. When
questioned more closely, these students reveal their failure to understand fully the
underlying concepts.’

5. Observation 2 – Evaporation
‘Assessment for learning is a much simpler way of assessing children’s progress as it is worked
into every lesson by formative assessment.’ (Black et al, 2003:13)
This was evident at the start of the lesson with the white board activity, used as a learning tool
but showed progression.
• How was progression aided throughout the lesson?
Examples shown – putting abstract knowledge into context
Embedding knowledge by putting it into real life contexts ‘Applying knowledge in
real-life contexts can support deeper initial learning.’ (Hammond & Schwartz 2012: 92)
• Were misconceptions addressed from previous lesson? Did any new misconceptions surface?
‘Constructivism is a perception of the way learning takes place. Learning is an active process
involving the selection and integration of information by the learner.’ (Hollins and Whitby,
2001:64)

6. Taught lesson 1 – Condensation- Starter
What was the aim of the session?
How did the videos enhance their previous knowledge and help aid progression?
Gillard (2005:3) states ‘The constructivist view of science teaching views learning as an
active process during which the learner develops or constructs their own
understanding.’
Why did we include concept mapping within our lesson?

7. Vanides, et al. (2005)
‘Concept maps give students
an opportunity to think
about the connections
between the science terms
being learned, organize their
thoughts and visualize the
relationships between key
concepts in a systematic
way, and reflect on their
understanding. ‘

8. Taught lesson 1 – Condensation- Main
‘Other enquiry skills, such as prediction, measuring, classification and interpretation, develop from
observation: the type of activity, resources and interaction can determine how these skills are developed
and used.’ (Johnston, 2009:16)
‘The concept of learning styles had become a cornerstone of good practice. Its endorsed by the
government, reinforced by local authorities and taught at teacher training centres across the country.’
(Hastings, 2005: 1)

9. ‘ I think the boy is right
because I know that when
ice melts it turns into water
which would make the level
rise so it would overflow.
That’s why the table is
starting to get wet.’ (Child
A, 2014)
‘Teachers ask questions for a variety of purposes: to provoke children’s thinking, to find out
what children’s ideas are, to monitor and regulate progress in an activity, to control
behaviour, to check on understanding.’ (Harlen et al, 2003:27)

10. Taught lesson 1 – Condensation- Plenary
Why is it important to revisit the concept map at the end of the lesson?
How is progression and understanding aided when thinking about their home
environment?
Braund (2008: 8) ‘Bruner realised that construction of knowledge relies on a continual process
through which learners develop complexity of thinking by integrating new
experiences, observations and knowledge with what they already know and have experienced’
How did doing a quiz help aid the progression of the subject and help to
inform our future planning?
Black, et al. (2003:13) states that assessment for learning is a much simpler way of assessing
children’s progress as it is worked into every lesson by formative assessment.

11. Taught lesson 2 – The Water Cycle
Starter
‘The authors describe progression in children’s science learning as
developing children’s existing ideas into bigger ideas with more explanatory
power.’ (Loxley et al,2010:17)

12. Taught lesson 2 – The Water Cycle Main
Key Concepts
• The Water Cycle
• Evaporation
• Condensation
• Precipitation
• Run-off
• How was progression aided in the
introduction to the water cycle?
• How was the children’s knowledge
embedded?
• How did cross-curricular links with art
help the children to progress?
Skills used within the main part of
the lesson
• Visual and observational skills
when watching the video
• Practical skills
• Teamwork skills
Kelly (2013:103) ‘Making links between
subjects can help deepen and extend
knowledge and understanding in many
ways. ‘

13. Meager (2006, cited in Kelly,
2013:103) has recognized the
exciting and empowering potential
of cross-curricular learning with a
strong art focus when undertaking
collaborative work.’

14. Taught lesson 2 – The Water Cycle
Plenary
• Whiteboard activity- modified the teachers starter as it worked well as a method
of progression.
• Why use mini whiteboards in the classroom?
Pupils are often ‘less afraid of someone pointing out a mistake because its quick to
make correction’s (Gurung,2012:1)
• How did this aid children’s progression?
• Embedded knowledge: the water cycle has no starting point.
• Linked back to evaporation: ‘why does the sea not evaporate completely?’

15. How Was Progression Evident and Other
Ways of Assessing Progression
• Concept mapping
• Own life examples- embedding knowledge- addresses misconceptions
• End product if water cycle- labelling with correct knowledge from previous lesson
• Marking work- next steps given strength and development
• Children would address the improvements at the start of each lesson
• If we had more time in the school- lab coat
• Assessment for learning (formative) links
• Summative- assessment of learning- quiz- testing knowledge‘Teachers need to be aware of the different strategies to achieve goals in relation to
children’s progression. Teachers also need to be able to evaluate pupils’ knowledge
and use assessment in order to find out their approaches to learning’ (Presseisen,
2008).

16. Our Personal
Thoughts
• The children were more actively involved in the lessons with experiments and art
activities which helped them progress further, rather than with use of
worksheets.
• Harlen (2001:4) states that science ‘…Concerns basic ideas that can be developed
through simple investigations of objects and materials around them, assisted by
information from various sources and by discussion.’
• Progression was aided significantly when children were able to link knowledge to
real life examples.
• ‘In order to study enquiry learning, we should have first hand experience of it.’
(Harlen et al, 2003: 4)
• Embedded knowledge by putting into context and made understanding clearer,
addressing misconceptions.
• Allowing pupils to put knowledge into practice offers guidance and aids their
progression within the subject. (Black et al, 2003)

17. What Did The Children Think?

18. Hannah's Bibliography
Black, P., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B., William, D., (2003) Assessment for Learning: Putting it into
Practice. Maidenhead: Open University Press, 2003.
Braund, M. (2008) ‘Starting science – again? : Making progress in science learning’ London: Sage
Committee on Undergraduate Science Education (1997) ‘Science teaching reconsidered: a handbook’
Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press http://0site.ebrary.com.library.edgehill.ac.uk/lib/edgehill/docDetail.action?docID=10041199 [accessed 23
February 2013]
Gillard, Linda. (2005) Science knowledge for primary teachers. London: David Fulton.
Harlen, W. (2001) Primary science: taking the plunge 2nd ed. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Kelly , L. (2013) ‘ Enhancing primary science : developing effective cross-curricular links’ Maidenhead:
Open University Press https://www.dawsonera.com/readonline/9780335247059 [accessed 18 February
2013]
Levin, V. (2013) ‘No more worksheets!’ http://www.pre-kpages.com/no_more_worksheets/ [accessed 20
February 2013]
Office for Standards in Education (2013) School Inspection Report St Andrew’s Maghull Church of England
Primary School London: OFSTED Publications
Vanides, V., Yin, Y., Tomita, M. & Ruiz-Prim, M. (2005) ‘Using concept maps in the science classroom’
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/SUSE/SEAL/Reports_Papers/Vanides_CM.pdf [accessed 19 February
2013]

19. Megan’s
Bibliography
• Black, P., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B., William, D., (2003) Assessment for Learning: Putting it into Practice. Maidenhead: Open University
Press, 2003.
• Black, P., Harrison, L. and Marshall, B. (2003) Assessment for learning: putting it into practice. McGraw- Hill international.
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=DZXlAAAAQBAJ&dq=putting+knowledge+into+context+aids+progression+in+learning&lr=&source=gbs_navlinks_s
[accessed 23 February 2014].
• Gurung, J. (2012) The thoughts of a secondary teacher and leader. ‘using mini- whiteboards to transform classroom practice’. WoredPress.
http://stuffimlearning.azurewebsites.net/2012/10/using-mini-whiteboards-to-support-teaching-and-learning/ [accessed 24 February 2014].
• Hammond, L. & Austin, K. (2012) Lessons for life: learning and transfer.
http://www.learner.org/courses/learningclassroom/support/11_learning_transfer.pdf [accessed 22 February 2014].
• Harlen, W., Marco, C., Reed, K. and Schilling, M. (2003) Making progress in primary science. London, New York Routledge Falmer.
• Hastings, S. (2005) learning styles. TES connect. TES Newspaper. http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=2153773 [accessed 23 February 2014].
• Hollins, M & Whitby,V. (2001) Progression in primary science. ‘A guide to the nature and practice of science in key stages 1 and 2’. 2nd ed. David Fulton
Publishers Ltd.
• Hughs, M. (1996) Progression in learning. Multilingual matters Publications.
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IrWGNQTwDBMC&dq=progression+in+learning&lr=&source=gbs_navlinks_s [accessed 20 February 2014].
• Johnston, J. (2009) science enquiry. ‘Observation as an important enquiry skill’. Primary science. University college, Lincoln.
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ase.org.uk%2Fjournals%
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• Loxley, P., Dawes, L., Nicholls, L. and Dore, B. (2010) Teaching primary science. ‘Promoting enjoyment and developing understanding’’. Pearson
Publications.
• Presseisen, B. (2008) Teaching for the intelligence. Corwin Press.
http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=5eBeGNEhPr0C&oi=fnd&pg=PT101&dq=assessment+for+learning+and+planning+in+schools&ots=xP1g
4h7rC9&sig=Xf2rRHU7sUqrEv6RLULXmdiMhjI#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 18 February 2014].