Towards truly inclusive science education : a case study of successful curriculum innovation in a special school

The paper provides a first person account of participant evaluation research of curriculum innovation in a school serving students with profound learning difficulties. It describes how the aspirations of the school leadership team to introduce science, combined with advisory support, overcame the initial anxiety of teaching staff about teaching an unfamiliar subject. The staff position was transformed and they gave a very positive evaluation of their experiences of teaching science, due to the impact of the subject on their students. The introduction of a distinct and inclusive model of science into the curriculum was ultimately found to have significant benefits for both students and staff

How far has science come since the Warnock Report? What educational research tells us?

Looking at the extent to which the notion of inclusive practice, with specific reference to provision for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) but also at social inclusion more widely, has impacted upon science teaching, and explore some of the barriers which continue to prevail in science education

Why don't we include everyone when we talk about 'science for all'?

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Listening to unheard voices : the responsibility of inclusive researchers

I recently had the pleasure of participating in the cocreation of A Manifesto for Education for Environmental Sustainability that has just been launched (BERA Research Commission, 2021). It was a particular privilege to collaborate with experts, and young people whose future depends on adults supporting them to make sensitive decisions about their planet’s future. The biggest factor in persuading me to take part, however, was the project leads' willingness to let me adapt their methodology so that the views of young people with learning difficulties could be sought and incorporated into the manifesto’s design. Far too often it is assumed that these young people – because they may have difficulties in communicating, need longer to understand and respond to stimuli, or do not use standard communication devices – have nothing to say. Having researched the responses of young people with significant learning support needs to being taught science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and supervised a doctoral student who considered their response to learning a modern foreign language, I have been convinced that they have much to communicate, if only researchers will listen to them

Experiences of educational transition : young women with ASD, and the staff supporting them, speak

The paper describes research into the factors that facilitate a smooth transition for young women with High Functioning Autism (HFA) as they move between secondary school and Sixth form or Further Education (FE) College. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four young women with HFA and, additionally, with four members of education staff responsible for supporting young women with HFA, across a variety of school and FE settings. This research revealed transition planning focuses almost exclusively on academic progression and is likely to be an ad hoc collection of arrangements, which places an undue burden of organisation upon parents and carers. The data suggests that, in order for transition to be successful, it needs to be systematically planned over an extended time period and to take into account the social, organisational, employment and residential elements which affect an individual’s educational experience. The evidence also points to the importance of ‘taster’ experiences to inform decisions and prepare students for impending change. The final recommendation arising is that support for these students should continue be sustained after transition points, being reduced only as the students settle into their new environment

Embracing materiality as a core element of Arctic pedagogy

This material is based in part upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DRL 1224020. We thank NSF for their support of this work. This work was also supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X525820/1]. We thank the Council for its support of this work. This research was part of the project “DiSSI – Diversity in Science towards Social inclusion – non-formal education for students' diversity” that is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, under the grant number 612103-EPP-1_2019-1-DE-EPPKA3-IPI-SOC-IN. We would like to thank the European Union for its financial support. The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Three dimensional modeling via photographs for documentation of a village bath

24th International CIPA Symposium; Strasbourg; France; 2 September 2013 through 6 September 2013The aim of this study is supporting the conceptual discussions of architectural restoration with three dimensional modeling of monuments based on photogrammetric survey. In this study, a 16th century village bath in Ulamiş, Seferihisar, and Izmir is modeled for documentation. Ulamiş is one of the historical villages within which Turkish population first settled in the region of Seferihisar - Urla. The methodology was tested on an antique monument; a bath with a cubical form. Within the limits of this study, only the exterior of the bath was modeled. The presentation scale for the bath was determined as 1 / 50, considering the necessities of designing structural interventions and architectural ones within the scope of a restoration project. The three dimensional model produced is a realistic document presenting the present situation of the ruin. Traditional plan, elevation and perspective drawings may be produced from the model, in addition to the realistic textured renderings and wireframe representations. The model developed in this study provides opportunity for presenting photorealistic details of historical morphologies in scale. Compared to conventional drawings, the renders based on the 3d models provide an opportunity for conceiving architectural details such as color, material and texture. From these documents, relatively more detailed restitution hypothesis can be developed and intervention decisions can be taken. Finally, the principles derived from the case study can be used for 3d documentation of historical structures with irregular surfaces

Someone like me : a trial of context-responsive science as a mechanism to promote inclusion

This paper provides evidence gathered from two suites of non-formal science activities that were intended to increase engagement in science by culturally diverse groups. Both studies involved the delivery of science activities that were designed, implemented and evaluated to show culturally contextualised science. The activities were run in two very different contexts (urban and very rural areas) and were designed to be of relevance to two distinctive cultural groups (those with links to South Asia, and those being educated through the medium of Gaelic, an indigenous minority language in Scotland), while also actively engaging with those beyond the target group. The link between language identity and culture was incorporated into the design of both sets of activities as well as the qualitative evaluation. The latter considers how the participants’ assessment of the interventions, implemented by writing or drawing on a blank postcard, was designed to provide unstructured responses and explores what the resulting data revealed about the impact of the interventions. The findings suggest that the set of activities that most strongly engaged participants on the value of diversity in the creation of scientific knowledge, as well as increasing their focus on the consequences of scientific activity, were those that facilitated a more exploratory approach to the subject matter. By contrast, activities that had to be done according to a standard scientific protocol produced growth in subject-specific knowledge. The present paper explores the principles of the inclusive pedagogies that informed the design of the activities and discusses how these were operationalised in two very contrasting cultural contexts. The key finding was that presenting science as social practice, rather than as being socially neutral, is key to promoting engagement, along with the benefits of explicitly demonstrating the relevance of science to participants’ daily lives

Embracing materiality as a core element of Arctic pedagogy

Arctic pedagogy has arisen as a distinct set of practices that are particularly relevant for learners in northern regions. Here, we advocate to expand notions of Arctic pedagogy by formally including theories of materiality and sensory engagement into the framework. We posit that materiality, especially when place-based, offers a route to mediate and connect learners with emotion and culture, as well as disciplinary content. This paper presents four different examples of learning activities in northern settings, three of which use specific place-based materials as the basis for investigations, and one that was place-based in narrative but did not focus on direct place-based material engagement. Data sources were different for each intervention, including pre and post data capture via postcards, questionnaires, and/or participant interviews. The findings across the first three cases indicate that the activities that richly drew from local materials and contexts and that included sensory elements afforded learning in the affective or identity-related realms. These results contrasted with the fourth activity, in which the learning was largely content based. The combined results underscore the value of direct, hands-on exploration of materials of local significance within northern pedagogical contexts