BA PT Subjects Within the Curriculum Science Level 5- Session 1 - What is science?

1. Primary Education BA Level 5
Science
Session 1: What is science?

2. Please draw a picture of a scientist (quickly).
1. Look at the drawings on your table and describe them.
2. Discuss any patterns you see in the drawings.
• How to use Google Scholar to find peer reviewed journal articles
for academic writing.
Chambers, D.W., (1983) Stereotypic images of the scientist: The
Draw‐a‐Scientist Test. Science education, 67(2), pp.255-265.

5. • To introduce the primary science module
• To explore your perceptions of science and the teaching of science.
• To introduce scientific enquiry and working scientifically according
to the National Curriculum (DfE, 2013), with a particular focus on
observing.
• To work scientifically to try out some different types of enquiries
using observational skills relating to materials.
• To review the skills of observation required when you are assessing
practice.
We will break every 50 minutes for 10 minutes.
Important ideas

6. Risk Assessment for science sessions
1. Please keep your possessions out of the way so people don’t trip.
2. Your tutor will tell you if mobile phones may be used during sessions.
3. Please don’t charge mobile phones in this room because of electric shock risk.
4. Please wash your hands after practical work when necessary.
5. Please don’t eat or drink anything except bottled water in the science rooms
because of the contamination risk.
6. Please tell your tutor at the start of the session if you have any particular
needs and health issues we should know about.
7. Please let us know of any accidents (however small) and breakages.
8. Please leave the room as you found it (for example equipment and chairs).
9. A full risk assessment for everything we do in science is available here. Please
download it, keep a copy and read it.
Please talk with me if you have any concerns or worries. Thanks.

7. Activity 1: mystery parcels
1. Observe the mystery parcels carefully. Don’t open it yet!
2. Record your observations somehow.
3. Predict the contents. Explain why you predicted this.
4. Unwrap, and continue your investigations.
5. Use salt and food dye. Enjoy.

8. What is science?
1. Make a quick mind map using your own ideas about ‘What is science?’.
• Please don’t use mobiles to search for an answer for this. I’m
interested in your own ideas. We’ll use the mobiles later.

9. What is science?

10. What is science?
2. Science is the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and
social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence. Scientific methodology
includes the following:
a) Objective observation: Measurement and data (possibly although not necessarily using
mathematics as a tool)
b) Evidence
c) Experiment and/or observation as benchmarks for testing hypotheses
d) Induction: reasoning to establish general rules or conclusions drawn from facts or
examples
e) Repetition
f) Critical analysis
g) Verification and testing: critical exposure to scrutiny, peer review and assessment
Science Council 2009

11. What is science?
3. science (n.) mid-14c., "what is known, knowledge (of something)
acquired by study; information;" […], from Latin scientia
"knowledge, a knowing; expertness," from sciens (genitive
scientis) "intelligent, skilled," present participle of scire "to
know," probably originally "to separate one thing from another,
to distinguish," related to scindere "to cut, divide," from PIE
root *skei- "to cut, to split" […]
www.etymonline.com

12. What is science?
4. “An experiment is when you try it and see if it works.” (Carey,
Evans, Honda, Jay, and Unger, 1989)

13. What is science?
5. ‘Essentially contested concepts’ (Gallie, 1956).
• “The term essentially contested concepts gives a name to a problematic
situation that many people recognize: that in certain kinds of talk there is a
variety of meanings employed for key terms in an argument, and there is a
feeling that dogmatism ("My answer is right and all others are wrong"),
skepticism ("All answers are equally true (or false); everyone has a right to his
own truth"), and eclecticism ("Each meaning gives a partial view so the more
meanings the better") are none of them the appropriate attitude towards that
variety of meanings.” Garver (1978), p. 168.
• Kekes (1977, p. 71) suggests art, morality, logic, the novel, nature, rationality,
democracy, culture, science, and philosophy as examples of "concepts" that are
essentially contested.

15. Can you find the hidden tiger?

16. Activity 3: explorify ‘zoom in, zoom out’
1. Please click here (you’ll need to sign up which is free).
• https://explorify.wellcome.ac.uk/en/activities

17. How do we do science?
Harlen and Qualter (2014, p. 93) eBook
17

18. Ward (2005) eBook

19. Ward (2005, p. 19) eBook

20. Ward (2005, p. 13) eBook

21. Ward (2005) eBook

22. Ward (2005) eBook

23. “Most teachers placed emphasis on planning
and carrying out the investigation and less
emphasis on analysing results and evaluating
the process of investigations.”
Feasey (2006) p.143

24. A current concern…
How do houses stay dry with all this rain?
How could we test this?
A whole class investigation

25. Primary Science Curriculum Overview by Theme
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6
Plants
(Identify, name, sort,
classify)
Living things and their
habitats
(Living/Non-living/dead
Habitats/ Food Chains)
Plants
(Functions of parts
requirements for
growth, water
transportation; life-cycle
of flowering plants)
Living things and their
Habitats
(Grouping,
classification; habitats;
impact of changing
environments)
Living things and their
Habitats
Life cycles of mammal,
amphibians, insect, and
bird. Plant/animal
reproduction
Living things and their
Habitats
Classification;
similarities/differences,
micro-organisms
Animals including
Humans
(Identify, name, sort,
classify)
Plants
(Seeds and bulbs:
simple life-cycles;
conditions for growth)
Animals including
Humans
(Nutrition/Diet;
Movement)
Animals including
Humans
(Teeth, eating,
digestion; food chains,
predator-prey)
Animals including
Humans
Human growth and
development from
pregnancy
Animals including
Humans
Heart and circulation,
impact of diet, exercise,
drugs, lifestyle;
transport of nutrients
and water
Everyday Materials
(Identify objects and
their materials;
properties)
Animals including
Humans
(Life-cycles, survival
needs, nutrition, diet,
exercise, healthy lives)
Rocks
Compare and group on
basis of properties;
fossil formation; rock
cycle, soil formation.
States of Matter
Solids, liquids, gases;
physical changes and
temperature; water
cycle: evaporation/
condensation
Properties and changes
of Materials
Chemical change,
dissolving, mixing,
separating materials,
sieving, filtration,
evaporation
Evolution & Inheritance
Recognising change
over time; fossil
evidence; offspring
inherit characteristics,
adaptation.
Seasonal Changes
(Changes, weather
associated with four
seasons)
Uses of Everyday
Materials
(Identify, compare
suitability of use;
changes in materials)
Light
Light/dark; shadows;
reflections.
Sound
Vibrations; media, the
ear; patterns in sounds;
pitch; changing sounds;
Earth and Space
The Earth’s rotation and
orbit relative to Sun.
Day, night
Light
Light travels in straight
lines; how we see light
sources or reflected
light
Forces & Magnets
Movement on surfaces/
Friction; Magnets
Electricity
Construct simple
circuits; add
components, switches,
conductors, insulators
Forces
Gravity; air resistance,
water resistance,
friction; mechanisms;
levers, pulleys, gears.
Electricity
Changing brightness,
loudness of
components; use
conventional symbols

26. What is observation in science?
1. “A scientist […] puts forward statements, or systems of statements,
[…] and tests them against experience by observation and experiment.”
Popper (1968, p. 3).
2. “In everyday life observation is simply seen as “looking at things”.
However, in science observations are used to generate further
explanations and theories about observed phenomena; they require
skills associated with collecting and interpreting data and are
influenced by the observer’s assumptions and domain knowledge
(Haury, 2002).” Ahtee et al. (2012, p. 129)

27. Observation in science
What difficulties do children and teachers have with observation in
science?
1. “ignore contradictory evidence” (Harlen, 2014)
2. Struggle with recording (Howes, 2008), sometimes because of
numeracy difficulties (Riley, 2015)
3. Lack of interest (Ahtee et al., 2012)
4. Lack of equipment (Bernhard, 2018)

28. Observation in science
Newton, 2000, p. 34, fig 3.1
Ahtee et al. (2012)
McComas (2017)
Sharp et al. (2017, p. 24)

29. A current concern…
How do houses stay dry with all this rain?
What has happened to the brick?
So how can we keep houses dry?
How can we test this?

30. Old sources (assignment hint)
1. Try to use recent and relevant primary sources (or justify why it is still
relevant). The last 10 to 15 years are usually OK (but often not with policy
literature).
2. To get something more recent, search for the source using Google Scholar,
then click on 'cited by' and you'll find more recent peer-reviewed journal
articles and academic books on the same topic that might be more relevant to
use.
3. With seminal work (i.e. famous stuff that has been cited a lot; see Google
Scholar) it is not necessary to justify the age.
4. Sometimes with older work one can include a recent paper as an in-text citation
alongside the older one to show that the older work is still being discussed in
the literature.

31. Observation in science
1. Observation not just looking (see Bogen, 2017 for a detailed
discussion).
2. Too often when children are asked to observe something they will
try to identify it.
3. We need to encourage them to use all their senses to gain
information about the subjects they observe before they make
inferences from their observations.
4. This is what can happen if you don’t gather enough evidence
before making inferences:

32. Observation
• When studying something describe
only what you can see, touch, smell
and hear.
• You are not making any guesses.
• This is not an opinion
Inference
• Using your observations to make an
educated guess about an object or
outcome.
• This can be a scientific opinion
Measuring
• Using both standard and nonstandard
measures or estimates to describe
the dimensions of an object or event
Interpreting
• Using evidence gained by measuring
• drawing conclusions from the
patterns that emerge.

33. 34

34. Activity 4: tray, peep hole, feely bags
• Observe the objects/materials on the tray, make an observational
drawing of one object.
1. What equipment could you use to enhance the observational
drawings?
2. What task could you use to develop the children’s vocabulary?
3. What similarities and differences do you see between the
objects? How might this help children investigate?
4. Why might a context be important for learners? What context
might you use to investigate materials?

35. 1. Work in pairs.
2. Place your hand inside the feely bag. Do not look at what is inside.
3. Feel around and try to describe the object in the bag to your
partner.
4. Your partner then tries to infer what the object is.

36. Discussion: observation in science
1. How do you think observation informs and underpins the process of working
scientifically?
2. Discuss how you perceive scientific observations can lead to questions that
challenge existing understanding as well as generating new information.
Early Education (2012)

37. Discussion: observation in science
• “Teachers should set high expectations for every pupil. They should plan
stretching work for pupils whose attainment is significantly above the expected
standard. They have an even greater obligation to plan lessons for pupils who
have low levels of prior attainment or come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Teachers should use appropriate assessment to set targets which are
deliberately ambitious” (The National Curriculum, DfE, 2013, p. 8)
1. How do classroom teachers assess observation in science lessons?
2. Please search the National Curriculum using ‘Ctrl+F’ for the word ‘observation’.
Where does observation appear in the science section of this policy?

38. Activity 5: observing physical and chemical changes
• Observe the three materials (white powders).
• Test the solubility of these powders. Try this this melting simulator (which uses
particle theory *).
• Mix each powder with citric acid.
1. What do you observe?
2. What equipment might children need? What about children with SEN?
3. What context might help children relate to this activity?

39. Discussion: physical and chemical changes
• How do we know when a chemical change takes place?
a) New materials are formed
b) Temperature change
c) Formation of a gas (bubbles, smell) or a solid (precipitate)
d) Colour changes

40. Activity 6: video analysis
• Please watch this carefully and make notes.
• See ‘Light’ > ‘3. Observation – Light’
• You might like to use the Pedagogy Analysis Framework (Riordan, 2019) on the
next two slides.

41. actions
Pedagogy4 Analysis Framework Template
information 9
misinformation10
disinformation11
F
T
means 1
human
non-human
strategy 2
micro-strategy 3
meso-strategy 3
ends
accidents 12
FT
Version 1
individual mental changes 6
group mental changes 7
physical changes 8
means
strategy
ends
tactics
macro-strategy3
grand strategy
or

42. 1. means
Means are either the human resources in the
classroom (pupils, teaching assistants, teacher…),
or non-human resources (any objects, including
those of which the learning environment consists).
Means can be real or imaginary.
2. strategy
The word ‘strategy’, as used by teachers and
educational researchers, can signify different
things. For example, some understand this to be ‘a
plan’ (Scott, Asoko and Driver, 1991), whereas
others see this as a particular action like ‘grouping’
(Forsyth, Jolliffe and Stevens, 1999). Strategy
can be understood as how means are used to
achieve ends (the ‘bridge’ between means and
ends; Clausewitz, 1832; Lykke, 2001). The
strategic spectrum varies from the micro scale
(how a means is used to achieve an end) to a macro
scale (see 3). Each participant’s means, strategies
& ends are continuously adjusted and/or
abandoned as the information available to them
changes, cooperative and oppositional interactions
occur, and as accidents (see 12) are addressed.
3. micro-strategy & macro-strategy
Micro-strategies are actions (what a participant
does). For example, a pupil raising their hand is an
action (designed to attract attention).
Meso-strategies are tactics (a sequence of
actions). For example, ‘think-pair-share’ (Lyman,
1981) is a tactic involving individual thinking time
followed by collaborative work. A tactic is
therefore a sequence of actions that can be
practiced, so can be done with varying degrees of
expertise.
Macro-strategy is how each participant uses their
localised understanding of the entire system to
try and achieve change (Riordan, 2014). Macro-
strategy involves the interactions of participants.
Participants may or may not be aware of their own
strategic behaviours (called meta-strategic
knowledge).
4. pedagogy
Pedagogy is a contested term (Watkins and
Mortimore, 1999), uncommon in older UK
educational literature (Simon, 1981).
The focus of pedagogy can be on the teacher
(Alexander, 2008) or can be understood as social
in essence (the latter is used in this framework).
This social perspective may be defined as follows:
“[Pedagogy involves] those factors affecting the
processes of teaching and learning and the inter-
relationships between them” (Hallam and Ireson,
1999, p. 78).
5. interactions
Participants can cooperate, oppose each other, or
do both (for example, when factions form in the
classroom). Opposition involves both ‘attack’
(usually non-violent) and defence.
6. ends (individual mental change)
Individual mental ends can involve cognitive,
affective and/or conative (i.e. motivational)
outcomes.
7. ends (group mental change)
One type of group mental end (a political end)
involves activities associated with the governance
of the classroom. These can be internal to the
classroom (for example, negotiations about tasks)
or external (for example, involving the Senior
Leadership Team).
8. ends (logistical)
Physical ends involve a change in the physical state
of a means (human or non-human). For example,
one type of physical change (a logistical end) is
where a participant ensures means (either human
or non-human) are available when and where
required.
9. information
Information is a disputed concept (Shannon, 1993).
Data is any non-uniformity (i.e. the diaphoric
definition of data). Information is data that are
‘well-formed’ (i.e. following the syntax/rules of the
system) and meaningful (Floridi, 2017).
10. misinformation
Misinformation is information that is incorrect
where the cause is accidental. There are many
types of misinformation (see for example Clement,
2008). Three ‘traditional’ areas of research into
conceptual change were identified by Sinatra
(2005, p. 108): the exploration of cognitive
factors which included the attempt to list
children’s ‘misconceptions’ (Driver et al., 2015); a
developmental perspective which examined the
origins of children’s naïve thinking; and the
exploration of conceptual change pedagogy. There
are many different causes of misinformation (for
example, misremembering, misunderstanding, mis-
reasoning, miscommunication…).
11. disinformation
Disinformation is information that is incorrect
where the cause is deliberate. The use of
disinformation is deception, which can be defined
as a deliberate “distortion of perceived reality”
(Whaley, 1982, p. 182). Classroom teachers, like
magicians and soldiers, appear to use six different
types of deception (Riordan, 2015). These are:
Dissimulation (hiding the real)
D1 masking (make invisible)
D2 repackaging (disguise)
D3 dazzling (to cause someone to lose clear vision)
Simulation (showing the false)
D4 mimicking (through imitation)
D5 inventing (displaying a different reality)
D6 decoying (diverting attention)
12. accidents
Everything can and does go wrong sporadically in
real classrooms even for very experienced
teachers (Riordan, 2014). Participants (for
example, pupils or teachers) often initiate or take
advantage of these ‘accidents’.
Pedagogy4 Analysis Framework TemplateVersion 1

43. A current concern…
How do houses stay dry with all
this rain?
Back to our bricks…
So what have we found out?

44. As soon as possible
• Please undertake the science audit available on
BlackBoard.
• For those who enjoy a challenge there is also an on-line
science audit hosted by Learning Matters Sage.
• Use the outcomes of the audit and todays session to
review the tracker. This should be updated as you
progress throughout the degree, so you may like to do
this in pencil.

45. Reading/Reflection for next session
• Reflect on how different level of observation can
encourage different levels of thinking.
• Read
Harlen, W. and Qualter, A. (2014) 'Learning through
inquiry' in The teaching of science in primary
schools. 6th edn. Abingdon: Routledge p89-103 and
pages 178-80 eBook
Ahtee, M. et al. (2009) ‘Primary school student
teachers’ views about making observations’ in
NorDiNa 5(2), pp 128-141 (on Blackboard)