Report from Gosford Hill School, Oxfordshire
Head of Science Helen Reynolds writes ...
I am really, really enjoying teaching the new GCSE science specifications. It has been a breath of fresh air to be teaching my students the skills and content that will be of use to them in their everyday lives.
Throughout the year it has be a joy to see that students do in class in GCSE Science the kinds of topics that they see in the media: climate change, drug testing, Litvinenko. Students can understand that it is probably a useful strategy to approach media stories as just that, stories, until shown to be otherwise by the evidence presented. They show a healthy level of skepticism. They come into school having watched a programme such as the Panorama Wi-Fi with a list of reasons why the views may not be representative of the evidence available. But not just that. They are interested in how you could get data that would enable you to make a judgement.
Skill development
Central to students’ ability to understand that science in the media is not necessarily presented in a helpful (or accurate) way is an understanding of what correlation and cause actually mean, how risk and benefit have a bearing on pretty much every aspect of the technological world in which they live, and how ideas arise from evidence.
I was reminded of the first of these when I pointed out to my class that there was a correlation between the people who always did their homework and high marks on the tests. George promptly pointed out that correlation isn't necessarily cause! Great stuff.
All students can access the debates in class, albeit at different levels, and this makes it very satisfying. I have been delighted to see that my bottom set can get a handle on the mobile phone issue because they understand what these mysterious wave things might be doing to their brain.
Student and teacher interest
More to the point, it has been great fun. We have whole hours where I haven't asked any questions because students are asking them. It has been so interesting to plan these lessons - and it is even interesting marking homework, to see the level of understanding not only of the science but of the wider issues.
When students are still there at the end of the lesson asking questions then something is going right.
