Interactive Revision Strategies Steve Pendleton Yvonne Kind Warwickshire LA

History and connections

The context – personal observations Teachers have only a limited range of strategies to help students prepare for their science GCSEs Activities often involve a lecturing style of revising “content” or “death by past paper” Sometimes previous activities (which were not effective) are revisited

Year 11 Students often lack the skills or motivation to revise effectively at home, consequently.. Study leave for Year 11 students has been dramatically reduced Support materials (revision guides etc.) often concentrate on content, rather than strategies to address the barriers to success.

Questions Do you agree with the observations about GCSE revision? What are the “barriers to success”?

What are the barriers? Students at the C/D borderline may not know how to revise effectively at home, or have the opportunity or motivation. Students often lack the necessary technique in answering examination questions. Students are often disengaged after a year of coursework etc. Teachers often do not have access to a range of engaging strategies

Interactive Revision Strategies Activities which: help students develop the skills to answer GCSE examination questions help students revise more effectively are designed to be interesting and engaging stimulate thought and encourage collaborative working

The Activities Tasks to develop skills of interpreting: graphs tables diagrams question introductions Tasks to encourage different ways of using revision guides Tasks to help students develop a thinking strategy for answering examination questions

Task

Response Teachers found the tasks useful. They selected activities suited to the students needs Some tasks do not suit all pupils Tasks need to be explained carefully Pupils responded well

Quotes “..made me think” “….very helpful….” “I find it easier to learn now” “It has made me revise more” “I revise differently now. I use drawing and revision cards” “I know what revision is now!” “It doesn’t have to be boring!”

Problem….. Teacher:“I would like you to try this new strategy. Draw a picture to represent all the key ideas from a page in your revision guide”. Pupil: “Then what do I do?” Teacher: “Then you revise it!”

Thanks!