ERIC Number: EJ1048812
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Mar
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1449-6313
EISSN: N/A
The "New" Science Specialists: Promoting and Improving the Teaching of Science in Primary Schools
Campbell, Coral; Chittleborough, Gail
Teaching Science, v60 n1 p19-29 Mar 2014
A Victorian government initiative called "The Primary Science Specialists Professional Learning Program" is designed to tackle students' falling interest in science by investing in the building of teacher capacity. The aims of the initiative are: to improve the science knowledge base of all teachers and therefore increase teachers' capacity to engage students in their learning of science; to increase student interest, aspirations and participation in science and to raise the level of science achievement. The role of the "new" science specialist is not necessarily to teach science to all students, rather to promote science, organise the teaching programs and resources for teaching science and support other teachers in teaching science in their school. The results, to date, show that by creating the role of science specialists in primary schools, and investing in science as a specialised knowledge area, science can be promoted, science teaching resources better managed, and teachers who are not confident in science, mentored. In this way, the impact of promoting and improving the teaching of science can extend from the science specialists to other teachers, to students, the school and the wider community.
Descriptors: Specialists, Instructional Improvement, Science Course Improvement Projects, Science Instruction, Elementary School Science, Science Interests, Student Interests, Teacher Improvement, Knowledge Base for Teaching, Capacity Building, Case Studies, Elementary School Teachers, Questionnaires, Teacher Surveys, Observation, Meetings, Transcripts (Written Records), Interviews, Faculty Development, Teacher Role, Teacher Responsibility, Instructional Innovation, Social Networks, Communities of Practice, Foreign Countries
Australian Science Teachers Association. P.O. Box 334, Deakin West, ACT 2600, Australia. Tel: +61-02-6282-9377; Fax: +61-02-6282-9477; e-mail: publications@asta.edu.au; Web site: http://www.asta.edu.au/resources/teachingscience
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A