Professor Jenny Graves FAA Foreign Secretary Australian Academy of Science PrimaryConnections – an update

My concerns …. Science is not attracting the best and brightest My students can’t observe and interpret for themselves Australian society is scientifically semi-literate Science is poorly supported Shared by

Science Education programs of the Australian Academy of Science Prof Kurt Lambeck (President AAS) High quality science education to help children make sense of the world build science literate society that can - make informed decisions - support science produce more and better scientists Previous Academy initiatives Breakthrough …

PrimaryConnections linking science with literacy Curriculum Teacher training and support

The 5Es model for teaching and learning EngageExplore Explain EvaluateElaborate

Teaching guides and Curriculum units

PrimaryConnections Indigenous Perspective

Professional learning facilitators 350 trained at AAS states across Australia PrimaryConnections professional learning Curriculum leaders 2 day workshops teacher leaders in schools support implementation

Building confidence and competence Knowledge Confidence Tools and resources

Evaluating PrimaryConnections Successful implementation in trial schools “Trial schools show a progressively increased commitment to PrimaryConnections and increasing amounts of science being taught, and taught using PrimaryConnections units.” Teacher leaders are happy 95% of professional learning facilitators rated the professional learning resources as Excellent or Good 81% of curriculum leaders report that they are ‘Very well prepared’ or ‘Well prepared’ for the role of a curriculum leader, and reported confidence jumped 3.07 to 4.08 out of 5.

Evaluation of PrimaryConnections Research results – teachers in schools Hundreds of teachers have attended workshops conducted by professional learning facilitators in schools. They report a consistently high level of satisfaction. On a scale of 1-4: workshop activities stimulated my learning 3.45 workshop content was relevant to my school 3.48 my overall evaluation of the workshop 3.54

There is much excitement and enthusiasm around the school this term … it is all a buzz with science. I now feel I can actually teach science in a quality way … and enjoy doing it. I had children walking out saying that science was fun, interesting and even their ‘favourite subject’. It gave me renewed skills as a teacher. Thanks to your resources I was able to help deliver science to primary age students in an engaging and meaningful way. This has been the most invigorating and rewarding project I have been involved in. What teachers are saying about PrimaryConnections

Evaluation of PrimaryConnections 1467 students in 26 government schools Literacies of science Processes of science

PrimaryConnections is catching on… Distribution of curriculum units 100,000 In 40% schools

PrimaryConnections supported by the Australian Government Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Minister for Education, The Hon Julia Gillard, launches Schoolyard safari, 24 April 2008 Support for Stage 4; $4.5M in June 2008 to total $10.3M

Internationalising PrimaryConnections 2 Malaysian, 1 Thai educators attended 2 day Curriculum Leader Program with Australian teachers in Sydney and Melbourne. IAP announced $50,000 seed funding for 3-day PC workshop in Singapore in FASAS and AASA are named as partners.

Beyond PrimaryConnections…… Secondary school science

PrimaryConnections is happening now in schools throughout Australia Continued Asian development a joint Australian/FASAS project???? PrimaryConnections Where to now? Why not adapt the program for schools throughout Asia? Programs can be customised (c.f. Indigenous perspective) Interest (e.g.international participants at 2008 Sydney workshop) FASAS and AASA support through IAP for 2010 Singapore workshop