1. www.earthscienceeducation.com Earth Science in secondary schools in England & Wales Teacher attitudes and levels of teaching

2. www.earthscienceeducation.com Earth Science Education Unit Based at Keele University, UK Provides in-service training for teachers Key Stage 3 (11-14) & Key Stage 4 (14-16) Based on National Curriculum requirements

3. www.earthscienceeducation.com ESEU workshops In-school delivery Team of facilitators around UK Short (typically 90 minute) format Routine survey by questionnaire –before workshop baseline assessment –after workshop workshop evaluation

4. www.earthscienceeducation.com Baseline data Data collected prior to ESEU workshop Responses from contact science teacher Returns from 205 schools May 2000 – March 2003 Demographic data collected –school type, size, number of staff teaching science, school status indicators (GCSE pass rates, free lunches)

5. www.earthscienceeducation.com What do you feel is the overall confidence of staff in their Earth science teaching? What do you feel is the overall enjoyment of staff in their Earth science teaching?

6. www.earthscienceeducation.com Likert scale where 1 is high, 5 is low mean = 3.5 mean = 3.6

7. www.earthscienceeducation.com What is the view of your colleagues of the value of teaching Earth science topics in science? What is the view of your colleagues of the importance of Earth science to the National Science Curriculum?

8. www.earthscienceeducation.com Likert scale where 1 is high, 5 is low mean = 3.4

9. www.earthscienceeducation.com Teacher perceptions of childrens attitudes What do you feel is the level of interest of the pupils in Earth science? What do you feel is the level of enjoyment of the pupils in Earth science?

10. www.earthscienceeducation.com Likert scale where 1 is high, 5 is low mean = 3.2 mean = 3.3

11. www.earthscienceeducation.com in summary… Teachers have neutral to moderately negative attitudes to teaching Earth science They also have neutral to slightly negative opinions of the relevance of Earth science teaching Teachers perceive pupils to have a neutral attitude to Earth science

12. www.earthscienceeducation.com Comparison with previous study King (2001) reported results of a similar survey undertaken in 1997 Individual teachers (rather than one contact per school) surveyed Comparisons can be made between some of the survey items

13. www.earthscienceeducation.com

15. Types of teaching Amount of practical work included in Earth science teaching across the school Amount of Sc1 investigational work included in Earth science teaching across the school Amount of field work included in Earth science teaching across the school Amount of practical work included in Earth science teaching across the school = laboratory work Amount of Sc1 investigational work included in Earth science teaching across the school = National Curriculum scientific enquiry requirements

16. www.earthscienceeducation.com Likert scale where 1 is high, 5 is low mean = 3.7 mean = 4.6 Amount of practical work Amount of fieldwork Amount of Sc1 investigational work

17. www.earthscienceeducation.com Relationship between confidence and amount of practical work 3.1 1.0 3.8 3.6 4.1 Investigational work fieldwork

18. www.earthscienceeducation.com in summary… Relatively low levels of practical work Very low levels of investigational and field-based work

19. www.earthscienceeducation.com Practical work Fieldwork Investigational work

20. www.earthscienceeducation.com How much Earth science is actually being taught? About how many hours/minutes are spent teaching core Earth science topics (e.g. weathering, the rock cycle, sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rock formation, geological time, evidence for rock formation, structure of the Earth, plate tectonics)?

21. www.earthscienceeducation.com Average hours of Earth science teaching per year group

22. www.earthscienceeducation.com Proportion of National Curriculum science teaching devoted to Earth science 4.1%6.8%3.1%5.6%2.9% Key Stage 3 mean 4.4%KS4 mean 4.3%

23. www.earthscienceeducation.com Proportion of National Science Curriculum Statements devoted to each subject area Key Stage 3Key Stage 4

24. www.earthscienceeducation.com What does this mean for ESEU? Engage with teachers to improve attitudes, particularly confidence and enthusiasm. Help teachers to increase practical, investigational and field-based work, rather than simply teach more Earth science.

25. www.earthscienceeducation.com Post-workshop survey Individual teachers asked to reflect on what they had gained from attending ESEU INSET workshop 421 responses in sample covering September 2002 – July 2003 Mean responses given for each item

26. www.earthscienceeducation.com After the workshop: 1. I will feel more confident in my Earth science teaching 2. I am likely to enjoy teaching Earth science more 3. I have a better understanding of the importance of Earth science 4. I feel more enthusiastic about teaching Earth science 5. I feel that the level of interest of my pupils will increase 6. I feel that the level of achievement of my pupils in ES will increase 1.8 2.0 1.9 1.8 1.9 Likert scale 1 = strongly agree 5 = strongly disagree

27. www.earthscienceeducation.com I think the workshop will affect my Earth science teaching by: 1. Increasing the amount of ES practical work 2. Increasing the amount of ES investigational work 3. Increasing the amount of ES work out of doors 4. Increasing the total amount of Earth science I teach Likert scale 1 = strongly agree 5 = strongly disagree 1.5 2.0 2.9 2.7

28. www.earthscienceeducation.com Conclusions Teacher attitudes to Earth science teaching and learning in the UK could be more positive Overall levels of teaching in line with National Curriculum, but practical - based teaching is low Some evidence that ESEU workshops are addressing these challenges Qualitative research is needed

29. www.earthscienceeducation.com EARTH SCIENCE EDUCATION UNIT