STEMing the growth of primary science

Kelly Dockerty looks at the implications for teacher training and the findings of the CBI report Tomorrow’s world: Inspiring primary scientists

Using video as a form of artistic communication: preparing for undergraduate assessment in Initial Teacher Education (ITE)

In a fast-evolving Higher Education (HE) landscape amid the COVID-19 Pandemic the need for a Lecturer in Education to be dynamic and innovative with assessment pedagogy is no longer a desired skill but mandatory. In response to the demand from students as consumers and other key stakeholders, our innovative and somewhat artistic license in the learning context. At the student-facing edge of HE, Lecturers react to the ever-changing landscape with dynamism to positively impact on the student experience. These continued efforts to provide the best student experience, enables HE institutions to remain competitive with Initial Teacher Education (ITE) provision as part of a cutthroat consumer driven marketplace. This article will present how video as a form of artistic communication supported year one ITE students to make sense of institutional assessment methods. Qualitatively this research was focused on student perceptions gathered through a questionnaire. Student accounts expressed overwhelmingly that the use of video as a form of communication was easier to understand than written formats. The article concludes that to support a diverse student population at a distance and online, a choice of artistic assessment formats including video should be provided. The evidence herein shows that both student understanding and outcomes of assessment were statistically improved and that the format itself facilitated a willingness to engage online in a purposeful way with assessment. Students also repeatedly revisit assessment materials embedded in a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

Developing pre-service teacher knowledge using online forums: supporting confident and competent teaching practices

This small study examines how one group (n = 59) of first-year undergraduate students developed their knowledge through co-construction using an online forum as a platform as part of a three-year Initial Teacher Training (ITT) programme. Professional dialogue at the online interface supported them to cope with the challenges they faced during teaching practice. The data showed that there were gains in student subject and pedagogical knowledge, observed to a greater extent among the peripheral learners. The data presented provide an alternative view from that published in the existing literature about the size and type of both peripheral and core online interactions that were useful in building the confidence and competence of students in the role of teachers in a primary classroom. Ultimately, the online knowledge exchange among peripheral participants provided agency in learning over actions and the ability to cope during teaching practice. This was corroborated by student self-assessment using post-online reflective brainstorms. Sixty-four per cent of the students concluded that they would use this new subject and pedagogical knowledge when in school as part of their teaching practice

Training teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic: using live video for observation of practicum

This article provides a vignette to exemplify how the training of teachers in primary schools in England was adapted in one context during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the key challenges HEIs and Schools faced was how to continue to assess the practicum of trainee teachers whilst trying to maintain the integrity of classroom ’bubbles’. A fast change in practice occurred with recommendation from the Department for Education (DfE, 2020) that observations could be made face-to-face if risk assessed and COVID-19 safety measures were in place. Observations could be remote using a digital platform or other suitable technology to capture practicum at a distance. Alternatively, practicum could be ‘unseen’ with pre- and post- observation discussions with mentors from HEIs. The latter option left the school-based mentors picking up most of the observational workload in schools. Given the global crisis that unfolded from early 2019 the workload was unmanageable for most schools. This article concludes that the use of video provides a rich observation opportunity that does not degrade the quality of observation of trainee teachers. It is proposed that policy and practice beyond the pandemic considers maintaining live video observation as an example of good practice, and offers practical steps on how this methodology for observation can be deployed in other teacher training settings across the World

Inter-generational Transmission of Indigenous Culture and Children’s Wellbeing

A limited body of empirical evidence suggests a strong sense of cultural identity promotes wellbeing and other socio-economic outcomes for First Nations people, including for Indigenous Australians. A challenge to this body of evidence is potential endogeneity: that Indigenous people who achieve positive outcomes are then more likely to maintain and engage in their traditional culture. This paper uses data from Australia’s Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children to address that challenge. Indigenous parents’ attitudes and practices with respect to passing on traditional culture to their children in early childhood are related to children’s later health and socio-emotional adjustment. Exploratory factor analysis identifies three key elements of parental transmission of Indigenous culture to their children: connection to country, connection to kin and traditional knowledge. Parents fostering a strong kinship connection is found to contribute to positive child development. Positive effects of stronger connection to country and parental desires to pass on traditional knowledge are also identified in some regional contexts, providing further evidence that traditional Indigenous cultures should be seen as a resource for addressing Indigenous disadvantage, not a contributing factor. The research design eliminates the possibility of (the child’s) outcomes ‘causing’ greater cultural identity or engagement, but not the possibility of omitted variables shaping both parents’ practices toward cultural engagement and child outcomes

Vitamin and mineral supplements in pregnancy and the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: a case-control study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>An earlier case-control study from Western Australia reported a protective effect of maternal folic acid supplementation during pregnancy on the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). The present study tested that association.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A national case-control study was conducted in New Zealand. The mothers of 97 children with ALL and of 303 controls were asked about vitamin and mineral supplements taken during pregnancy.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There was no association between reported folate intake during pregnancy and childhood ALL (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.5–2.7). Combining our results with the study from Western Australia and another study from Québec in a meta-analysis gave a summary OR of 0.9 (95% CI 0.8–1.1).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our own study, of similar size to the Australian study, does not support the hypothesis of a protective effect of folate on childhood ALL. Neither do the findings of the meta-analysis.</p

The complexity of three primary teachers’ professional lives in England: Examining how identities form and morph through early motivations and the highs and lows of teaching

Ten per cent of the teaching workforce leave the profession annually and retention is affected by accountability pressures. Early Career Teachers (ECTs) need support to overcome professional challenges. Intrinsic factors that keep teachers motivated during challenges include altruistic reasons such as working with children, contributing to communities, and cognitive fulfilment. Extrinsic factors include motivators such as pay and conditions, job security and career status, which are important to teachers. My research listened to the perceptions and experiences of three primary classroom teachers in England, working in different primary schools during their early careers. I aimed to understand what motivated the ECTs to go into teaching, to appreciate their experiences, and to examine what challenges they encountered in their school context, and what had supported them in overcoming professional challenges. The methodological framework used interviewing, a Life-History (Goodson and Sikes, 2001) and a semi-structured approach, to gather ECTs' first-hand narratives. The narratives enabled me to appreciate ECTs' experiences and understand how their identities changed over time. Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) (Engeström, 1987) structured the analysis of the narratives and revealed complex social, political, historical and cultural lives rooted in their sense of self and personal value. Sense of self was impacted by multiple aspects including organisational factors. The findings show that teachers’ lives are complex; tensions play out differently for individuals in different primary school contexts. Despite the challenges, teachers hold onto their early professional aspirations. The relationships with more knowledgeable others, the mentors, were crucial to support the teacher’s different needs and helped in navigating the formal and informal rules of school life. Tensions occurred because of fractious relationships with a range of education stakeholders. During the interviews, the ECTs described hierarchies of power and recognised a gap between their aspirations and expectations of others amidst social, cultural, historical, political, personal, and organisational aspects. The research furthers the debate about supporting ECTs’ aspirations and ongoing professional development to keep them motivated and satisfied in their careers. I discovered that ECTs have multiple identities that morph throughout their early careers and support them in dealing with the challenges within the dynamic environment of a primary school. Researchers who have used linear or two-dimensional frameworks have difficulty adequately demonstrating the complexities of teachers' lives. I offer a three-dimensional visualisation that demonstrates how social, cultural, historical, political, personal, and organisational aspects interact dynamically with ECTs’ identities that morph under the influence of these aspects

Ensuring children have the right knowledge and skills at the right time

Dr. Kelly Dockerty shares her thoughts on the implications for teacher training and practice, when considering the challenges highlighted by the Primary STEM Education Consultancy publication 'Links and Discrepancies between Maths and Science’ (2023)