Teaching Secondary School Science

Learning to Teach Science in the Secondary School is an indispensable guide with a fresh approach to the process, practice and reality of teaching and learning science in a busy secondary school. This fourth edition has been fully updated in the light of changes to professional knowledge and practice and revisions to the national curriculum. Written by experienced practitioners, this popular textbook comprehensively covers the opportunities and challenges of teaching science in the secondary school. It provides guidance on: • the knowledge and skills you need, and understanding the science department at your school • development of the science curriculum • the nature of science and how science works, biology, chemistry, physics and astronomy, earth science • planning for progression, using schemes of work to support planning , and evaluating lessons • language in science, practical work, using ICT , science for citizenship, Sex and Health Education and learning outside the classroom • assessment for learning and external assessment and examinations Every unit includes a clear chapter introduction, learning objectives, further reading, lists of useful resources and specially designed tasks – including those to support Masters Level work – as well as cross-referencing to essential advice in the core text Learning to Teach in the Secondary School, sixth edition. Learning to Teach Science in the Secondary School is designed to support student teachers through the transition from graduate scientist to practising science teacher, while achieving the highest level of personal and professional development.

Solidly grounded in current recommendations of the National Science Education Standards, this text offers teaching guidance and strategies for physical, biological, and earth science courses for middle school, junior high, and high school. The authors' extensive curriculum development experience imbues the text with a practical focus. Their collective knowledge of the field balances coverage of the theory and research behind the strategies they present. Also, inherent in the text is a description of the role of constructivism in science teaching and the connection between science and society including how technological development is driven by societal needs.

Teaching science is no simple task. Science teachers must wrestle with highly abstract and demanding concepts, ideas which have taken humanity's greatest minds thousands of years to formulate and refine. Communicating these great and awesome theories involves careful forethought and planning. We need to deliver crystal clear explanations, guide students as they develop their embryonic knowledge and then release them to develop their thinking independently, all the while curating and tending to their long-term understanding as it develops over time. In Teaching Secondary Science: A Complete Guide, Adam breaks down the complex art of teaching science into its component parts, providing a concrete and comprehensive set of evidence-informed steps to nurturing brilliant science students. Adam hopes that you find this book interesting, but his main aim is for you to find it useful. Useful when it comes to sketching out your curriculum, useful when preparing your explanations, useful for mapping out how you will check student understanding and useful for all other aspects of science teaching. This is a truly complete guide, and science teachers of any experience will find it packed with ideas that are new, challenging, interesting and, most importantly, useful.

A key new textbook which is part of a new series co-published with The Open University Written to be used in conjunction with its counterpart in the Teaching in the Secondary School series. Between them they address both the theoretical and practical issues in science teaching Examples of good practice are underpinned by reference to research and other literature

A companion to Aspects of Teaching Secondary Science, the first section of this reader provides an overview of the key issues, discussing the nature of science and its role in the school curriculum. The second section goes on to examine critically the ways in which science is reflected in the school curriculum, while the third section discusses recent curriculum initiatives and developments. Turning the focus from what is taught on to who is taught, section four shows that students are very much active learners in the classroom, making sense of their experiences and constructing their own meanings. The final section covers the role of research in science education, giving examples of research papers and considering how productive collaboration between teachers and researchers can impact upon the effectiveness of classroom practice.

The fourth edition of Teaching Secondary Science has been fully updated and includes a wide range of new material. This invaluable resource offers a new collection of sample lesson plans and includes two new chapters covering effective e-learning and advice on supporting learners with English as a second language. It continues as a comprehensive guide for all aspects of science teaching, with a focus on understanding pupils’ alternative frameworks of belief, the importance of developing or challenging them and the need to enable pupils to take ownership of scientific ideas. This new edition supports all aspects of teaching science in a stimulating environment, enabling pupils to understand their place in the world and look after it. Key features include: Illustrative and engaging lesson plans for use in the classroom Help for pupils to construct new scientific meanings M-level support materials Advice on teaching ‘difficult ideas’ in biology, chemistry, physics and earth sciences Education for sustainable development and understanding climate change Managing the science classroom and health and safety in the laboratory Support for talk for learning, and advice on numeracy in science New chapters on e-learning and supporting learners with English as a second language. Presenting an environmentally sustainable, global approach to science teaching, this book emphasises the need to build on or challenge children’s existing ideas so they better understand the world in which they live. Essential reading for all students and practising science teachers, this invaluable book will support those undertaking secondary science PGCE, school-based routes into teaching and those studying at Masters level.

The Effective Teaching of Secondary Science encourages the trainee teacher to develop effective skills for teaching science to secondary school pupils. The comprehensive coverage of topics and issues provides good foundations for trainee teachers who are encouraged to test and evaluate different techniques. Practical advice is offered in areas such as lesson planning, the preparation of worksheets, planning practical activities and safety in the laboratory. The book also discusses the use of information technology as well as multicultural and gender issues and the teaching of pupils with special needs. Much of the work covered is undepinned by areas of educational research such as educational theory and psychology and sociology of education. Information on the requirements of the national curriculum and on post-16 science courses is given and includes a number of assessment techniques for the problematic area of assessing science attainment target 1.

The Art of Teaching Science emphasizes a humanistic, experiential, and constructivist approach to teaching and learning, and integrates a wide variety of pedagogical tools. Becoming a science teacher is a creative process, and this innovative textbook encourages students to construct ideas about science teaching through their interactions with peers, mentors, and instructors, and through hands-on, minds-on activities designed to foster a collaborative, thoughtful learning environment. This second edition retains key features such as inquiry-based activities and case studies throughout, while simultaneously adding new material on the impact of standardized testing on inquiry-based science, and explicit links to science teaching standards. Also included are expanded resources like a comprehensive website, a streamlined format and updated content, making the experiential tools in the book even more useful for both pre- and in-service science teachers. Special Features: Each chapter is organized into two sections: one that focuses on content and theme; and one that contains a variety of strategies for extending chapter concepts outside the classroom Case studies open each chapter to highlight real-world scenarios and to connect theory to teaching practice Contains 33 Inquiry Activities that provide opportunities to explore the dimensions of science teaching and increase professional expertise Problems and Extensions, On the Web Resources and Readings guide students to further critical investigation of important concepts and topics. An extensive companion website includes even more student and instructor resources, such as interviews with practicing science teachers, articles from the literature, chapter PowerPoint slides, syllabus helpers, additional case studies, activities, and more. Visit http://www.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415965286 to access this additional material.