Thinking, Doing, Talking Science Helen Wilson h.wilson@brookes.ac.uk Bridget Holligan bridget.holligan@scienceoxford.com Introduce selves

Really useful resources The Thinking, Doing, Talking Science report: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evaluation/projects/thinking-doing-talking-science/ The Bright Ideas Time module: http://www.pstt.org.uk/ext/cpd/bright-ideas/index.html The Oxford Brookes Primary Science website (click the Practical Prompts for thinking tab for a handout of ideas: http://education.brookes.ac.uk/Partnerships/Primary-school-teacher-resources/Primary-Science/

More practical activity Oxford Brookes University research with 16 primary schools in 2002-04 found that the following approaches led to increased engagement & achievement: More questioning Deeper thinking More discussion Less writing More practical activity BH: The idea for the project was mine but it was very much inspired by earlier research carried out by Helen Wilson and Jenny Mant. I felt that these were all things that non-formal science educators like Science Oxford were good at and felt that SO and OBU could work together on a EEF-funded project. Mant, J., Wilson, H. & Coates, D. (2007) ‘The Effect of Increasing Conceptual Challenge in Primary Science Lessons on Pupils' Achievement and Engagement’ in the International Journal of Science Education 29(14), 5 November, 2007, pp. 1707-171

Further evidence

Thinking, Doing, Talking Science Research aim: to enhance teachers’ skills to improve the level of conceptual challenge by the encouragement of pupils’ higher order thinking and to measure any resulting impact on both their pupils’ attainment and attitudes.

Year 5 pupils (9-10 Years old) 2013-14 Randomised control trial - fair comparison 42 primary schools Phase 1 Phase 2 21 primary schools 21 primary schools Intervention Control Year 5 pupils (9-10 Years old) 2013-14 All Year 5 pupils in both schools completed a completed a pre and post -intervention science test & attitude questionnaire RCT

21 Oxfordshire primary schools Intervention 2013 - 14 Year 5 teacher Year 5 teacher/science co-ordinator 5 days INSET 2 days supply for planning per teacher BH End of year celebration & dissemination event

Announcing the results

Thinking, Doing, Talking Science appeared to have a positive impact on the attainment of pupils in science. Overall, Year 5 pupils in schools using the approach made approximately three additional months’ progress. The approach had a positive impact on pupils’ attitudes to science, science lessons, and practical work in particular. The programme had a particularly positive effect on girls and on pupils with low prior attainment.

“It’s fantastic when our evaluations produce solid evidence that a particular approach has a positive impact on attainment. It’s especially rewarding when they boost children’s attitudes towards learning too. But the reality of robust educational research is that these results are the exception and not the rule.” Sir Kevan Collins, EEF

Full report here: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evaluation/projects/thinking-doing-talking-science/

Pupils’ attainment increases Pupils’ enjoyment increases Teacher’s enjoyment increases

They find science a lot more fun, it's far more interactive, conversational and they say it's fun! The children have a 'buzz' about science - very confident to express opinions, speculate and give justifications as to why they think as they do The less able children are better engaged with their science learning and able to explore concepts practically. The pupils have more enthusiasm, deeper understanding and higher order thinking.

So what did the project teachers do differently ? Thinking, Doing, Talking Science All participating teachers felt that they had changed the way they taught science, and were more positive about their pupils’ science ability and engagement than teachers in comparison schools. So what did the project teachers do differently ?

Higher order thinking doing talking Creativity Focused recording Questions - pupil & teacher Practical Prompts for Thinking Practical Investigations Higher order thinking talking doing Bright Ideas Time Practical Problem solving Creativity

Bloom’s Taxonomy High: evaluation - judging, rating and giving opinions synthesis - hypothesising, showing originality by creating, inventing and composing analysis - categorising and comparing; distinguishing between fact and opinion or relevant and irrelevant information Middle: application/use - transferring knowledge from one situation to another similar one Low: comprehension - summarising and putting ideas or information into other words knowledge - remembering, reciting or listing facts

Higher Order Thinking: ‘Higher order thinking occurs when a person takes new information and information stored in memory and interrelates and/or rearranges and extends this information to achieve a purpose or find possible answers in perplexing situations.’ Information Relates, rearranges Possible answers This would be great as an animation – the information moves into the mind, is stirred around and then merges as possible answers to perplexing situations. Lewis and Smith (1993, p.136)

Infusion of thinking skills Higher Order Thinking Content of science curriculum Use/Apply Reflection Infusion of thinking skills

Talking… The Bright Ideas Time Thinking… The Odd One Out The PMI The Big Question HW

The Odd One Out

Which is the odd one out & why?

Hippo because it lives in water The bird is the only one that is not a mammal Cat because it is the only one that has 9 lives Human is the only one not an animal Freeland Primary

The ice skate as it is sharp The scooter as you balance on one foot The skateboard as it has 4 wheels Cumnor Primary

The ice skate has less friction – you can’t stop After some work on forces and friction The ice skate has less friction – you can’t stop The scooter as you need to apply more force with your foot Cumnor Primary

Discussions which then arose: How do you stop when you are ice skating? Why doesn’t ice melt when you skate on it? Which is quicker? (Talked about friction) Which is harder to stay on? (Led to discussion about balanced forces) Cumnor Primary

PMI Positive; minus; interesting People have their own plant-like green skin, so they can create their own food in sunlight St Andrew’s Primary

P: Poor people wouldn’t starve M: You might not be able to lie still to sunbathe – you’d get a sugar rush and have to run around! P: Poor people wouldn’t starve I: Would you not need sleep? I: Would diabetes be a problem or not? St Andrew’s Primary

How do you know that the Earth is a sphere?

‘If it’s flat, when you make the foundations for a temple why doesn’t it go through?’ ‘Why doesn’t water fall off the edge if the Earth is flat?’

‘Because gravity comes from the centre of the earth, because a sphere is the smallest shape you can make from the centre, it would most likely be pulled up into a sphere.’

Where did the mass of the grown tree come from? The Big Question Where did the mass of the grown tree come from? Rush Common Primary School

It has come from the branches It has grown because of photocymthasice! The roots drink the water and eats the nutrients to keep it alive and helps it grow The leaves suck in sunlight and convert into energy, using the chemical, chlorophyll. This process is called 'photosynthesis' The tree weighs more because of the food and water it has eaten in the past 4 years. The tree doesn't have a mouth so the grass collects all of the food and water then it goes down to the roots also the tree likes rain better than house pipe water. A tree breathes in carbon dioxide then breathes out oxygen Rush Common Primary School

Complete set of resources for the Bright Ideas Time: https://pstt.org.uk/resources/cpd-units/bright-ideas-in-primary-science

Practical Prompts for Thinking Practical Prompts for Thinking – demonstrations that are very accessible to teachers – reliable, easy to perform/resource & where the teachers themselves could feel confident about their own understanding of what was happening. They were used to encourage teachers to explore their own ideas about science and the importance of thinking and talking as a first step to understanding. Using PPT was exciting and memorable for pupils and the teachers enjoyed being able to provide this kind of exciting stimulus in their lessons. PPTs could also spark investigation ideas. One example of a PPT (a classic science show demo) is : What will happen if I hold a match under a balloon with some water inside? Why do you think that? What else could we try? But a PPT is anything that a teacher could show to a class which could be used to stimulate thinking and talking. It could be a scenario taken from everyday life e.g. a tin of golden syrup & the questions, “Is it easy to get the lid off?” and “What could we do to make it easier?” “Why does this make it easier?”

Further examples of the Practical Prompt for Thinking: http://www.education.brookes.ac.uk/Partnerships/Primary-school-teacher-resources/Primary-Science/Practical-Prompts-for-Thinking/

Which magnet is the strongest? Which magnet is the strongest? If you asked your class to do this investigation, what would be an appropriate learning objective? No!!! Which magnet is the strongest?

Which magnet is the strongest? If you asked your class to do this investigation, what would be an appropriate learning objective? To plan a fair test To report and present findings appropriately To draw a conclusion from results To evaluate the investigation To make a prediction based on previous results To take measurements accurately

What would be the learning objective? How would you assess the learning objective?

the recording on the learning objective

Make an alarm that comes on when the hamster’s cage door is opened Problem solving Make an alarm that comes on when the hamster’s cage door is opened

Protect the precious jewel Problem solving Protect the precious jewel

Make an alarm that warns when the sheep run out of food Problem solving Make an alarm that warns when the sheep run out of food

Be ready to sell your device to the crofters…

Thinking, Doing, Talking Science Effectiveness Trial 2016- 2018 180 schools Thinking, Doing, Talking Science Teesside Manchester Bath Dorset Southampton Lincolnshire London