Leading transformation in ITE teaching within the EI consortium

Interdisciplinary teaching and learning has become a key aspect in developing innovative 21st century education. Ofsted and OECD stress the importance of using knowledge across disciplines when solving current global problems and trying to answer Big Questions. Epistemic insight or ‘knowledge about knowledge’, and how disciplines work and interact, is an effective and innovative pedagogy to develop knowledge about nature of disciplines, critical thinking and effective use of knowledge across them. The Epistemic Insight (EI) consortium was formed and developed as a part of Epistemic Insight Initiative in 2019 and has grown to a collaboration of 10 universities providing initial teacher education (ITE). The consortium partners have co-created research and research-informed, interactive teaching and learning resources to aid a holistic approach to Big Questions and solving real-world problems. As consortium leader, I will share my experience of leading this transformation, as well as research findings gathered collectively through working with tutors and ITE students across the consortium (Primary and Secondary). The research within the consortium has led to the development of EI among teacher trainees through participation in a variety of innovative workshops. The presentation will share successful examples of implementation of EI into ITE curricula, using bespoke strategies and resources, which developed teachers’ EI, curiosity, critical thinking and appreciation of how linking sciences with humanities may inform our thinking

Epistemic insight: a systematic problem and an ecosystemic solution.

Prior research points to systemic challenges to the development of epistemic insight within the education system (Billingsley et al., 2018). Epistemic insight refers to ‘knowledge about knowledge’, and particularly knowledge about disciplines and how they interact. Gaining epistemic insight is about developing an appreciation of the strengths and limitations of individual disciplines. There is a basis to say that education is locked into particular ways of working which means that schools are failing to stimulate and promote epistemic insight across curriculum areas of study and in relation to Big Questions in particular. In our view, it requires a complex portfolio of activities and interactions at multiple points within the educational ecosystem in order to break a cycle that flows causally through systems at multiple different stages. Given the way that pressures on the development of epistemic insight are applied at each stage of the educational process, we argue for the necessity of interacting with multiple systems concurrently including at the level of teacher training. We hypothesise, trainee teachers find themselves with little knowledge of issues surrounding epistemic insight, its importance or how to effectively promote it. They then enter schools, which individual students pass through successively (from primary to secondary) facing distinctive pressures within each of these systems on the way. In this presentation we will report on a survey study conducted among more than 500 trainee teacher in two Higher Education institutions in order to assess trainee teachers’ level of epistemic insight. The baseline study indicated that there is a lack of epistemic insight among trainee teachers. Only about 10% of respondents in the study were familiar with the term ‘epistemology’ while more than 90% said that they are familiar with the term pedagogy. More than 80% of respondents stated that they would like to know more about how to teach Big Questions, which suggests that the barrier today is not a lack of interest. More data analyses on the assessment of the trainee teachers will be presented in the talk

Silurian Rocks of the Fredericton Area

Geology of New Brunswick: field guide to excursions, 1973: Trip B-

Topological analysis of the electron localisation function (ELF) applied to the electronic structure of oxaziridine: the nature of N-O bond

Topological analysis of the electron localisation function (ELF), natural bond orbital and Wiberg bond index calculations have been applied to study the electronic structure of the oxaziridine molecule with a special focus on the nitrogen-oxygen bond. The calculations have been performed at the DFT(B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP, ωB97XD, M06-L, M06-2X) and post-Hartree-Fock (CCSD(T) and CASSCF) computational levels with applied aug-cc-pVTZ basis set. Nature of N-O bonding has been characterised by two resonance forms, N+ O− and N−O+, owing to a very small population (< 0.60e) of the bonding basin V(N,O), localised in the ELF field for the N-O region. The importance of electron correlation effects for the description of the N-O bonding has been observed in the CASSCF calculations. The orbital description (Wiberg, NBO) differs from topological characterisation, indicating a single N-O bond

A self-study of teaching teachers using Epistemic Insight

Epistemic Insight (EI), defined as knowledge about knowledge (Billingsley et al, 2018) examines how distinctive forms of disciplinary knowledge can interact providing solutions to real world problems Utilising an interdisciplinary approach EI seeks to critically examine the current subject compartmentalization in the school curriculum, which leads to a siloed nature of school education within the UK and as a consequence a siloed education for preservice teachers (Billingsley et al, 2024). In introducing EI to preservice science teachers, we have identified the need to examine our practice as science teacher educators by refining views on the nature of science. Adopting EI within our teaching challenged us as teacher educators to re-examine the structure of our programmes. By adopting EI’s framework of examining questions with an interdisciplinary focus, we identified that our views on the foundations of scientific knowledge are not aligned despite the experience of the authors in science teacher education. This finding is illuminating given recent neoliberal shifts to standardise teacher education in England as implemented through the market review of ITT that is currently scrutinising curriculum providers curriculum materials (Mutton & Burn, 2024). Thus, in this paper, we seek to problematise the nature of teaching teachers about EI. Berry (2008) reminds us that efforts to address problems using self-study do not lead to simple solutions. Introducing a self-study model that draws on the idea of the tension between the actions and intent of teaching about EI, we examine our practice as teacher educators critically to explore the differences in understanding the nature of science. Our self-study is framed by analysing podcasts that discussed the dissemination of EI across distinct initial teacher education courses. Triangulating this with lesson studies enabled us to examine how our views of the nature science manifest in teaching practices and illuminate the tension between actions and intent. This paper, therefore, examines how we use our engagement with EI as a research -informed pedagogic framework to prompt pedagogic practice as science teacher educators. We argue adopting EI as a pedagogic framework not only supports preservice teachers to critically examine the compartmentalisation of Education, but further promotes deeper epistemically insightful understanding of how individual disciplines are distinctive. This in turn refines the practice of teachers and teacher educators alike

Bristlebots and other friends. A progression of Epistemic insight workshops using small things to ask big questions

Small, handmade and inexpensive robots can help students across a range of ages unpack and explore big questions around the nature of life, curiosity and creativity. This is an introduction to a series of workshops where students learn how to frame and investigate different types of questions including big questions that bridge science, religion, computing and the wider humanities. The first workshop, aimed at upper KS2 looks at the ideas of what we mean by life and to be alive. The second workshop builds on this and asks, ‘can a robot have a sense of curiosity?’ What would a robot need to have a sense of curiosity, what do we need across a range of subject domains. The third workshop takes this further and helps KS3/4 students to ask questions about what it means to be creative, would a robot make a good friend and our we, ourselves, programmed by the society that we grow up in? The workshops are a part of wider activities delivered across primary, secondary, ITE and outreach activities by the LASAR team accompanied by research informing development of epistemic insight in children and young people and equipping them with curiosity, analytical and critical skills to understand current global problems and answer Big Questions

The nature of multiple boron-nitrogen bonds studied using electron localization function (ELF), electron density (AIM), and natural bond orbital (NBO) methods

Local nature of the boron-nitrogen (BN) bonding with different formal multiplicities (B≡N, B=N, B-N) have been investigated for 25 experimentally established organoboron molecules in both real and the Hilbert space, using topological analysis of electron localization function (ELF), electron density (AIM), and natural bond orbital (NBO) method. Each BN bond has been represented (ELF) by the bonding disynaptic attractor V(B,N), with the basin electron population between 5.72e and 1.83e, confirming possible existence of all the three bond types. A covalent character of bonding can be associated with the dative mechanism due to the V(B,N) bonding basin formed mainly (91–96%) by the N electron density. Similarly, the NBO method shows 2-center natural orbitals, consisting largely of the hybrids from the N atom. The AIM analysis yields the features typical for shared (H(3,−1)(r)  0) interactions. The delocalization indices, describing electron exchanges between B and N quantum atoms, are smaller than 1.5, even for formally very short triple B≡N bonds

Characterisation of the reaction mechanism between ammonia and formaldehyde from the topological analysis of ELF and catastrophe theory perspective

A prototypical reaction between ammonia and formaldehyde has been investigated at the DFT(M06)/6- 311++G(d,p) computational level using the Bonding Evolution Theory (BET). BET is a very useful tool for studying reaction mechanisms as it combines topological analysis of electron localisation function with the catastrophe theory. Each of two studied reactions: H2C=O + NH3 ↔ HO–C(H2)– NH2 (hemiaminal) and HO–C(H2)–NH2 ↔ HN = CH2 (Schiff base) + H2O consists of six steps. Formation of hemiaminal starts from a nucleophillic attack of nitrogen lone pair in NH3 on the carbon atom in H2C=O and is subsequently followed by hydrogen transfer within the N–H..O bridge. A Schiff base is formed via the dehydration reaction of the hemiaminal, where the C–O bond is broken first, followed by hydrogen transfer towards the [HO]δ− moiety, resulting in water and methanimine. The present paper focuses on differences in reaction mechanisms for the processes described above. The results have been compared to the reaction mechanism for stable hemiaminal synthesis from benzaldehyde and 4- amine-4H-1,2,4-triazole studied previously using the BET theor

Transforming teacher education - introducing ITE students to Epistemic Insight: a workshop

Epistemic insight is a curriculum and innovation research initiative transforming teacher programmes across England. Epistemic Insight (EI) means ' knowledge about knowledge' and in particular how knowledge is constructed within disciplines and how it interacts across them. This involves using techniques to examine disciplinary boundaries and encouraging students to think beyond their own subject. The epistemic insight initiative has a consortium of ITE providers who have worked with their students exploring real-world problems in an interdisciplinary way using epistemic insight tools and strategies. This enabled secondary ITE students of various specialisms to collaborate across disciplines enriching their learning and teaching practice. This workshop will present the work completed at St Mary’s University, The University of Leicester and Birmingham University. The lessons learnt and future directions will be studied. The workshop will give delegates an opportunity to explore resources used and discuss with consortium members how and why you may want to introduce you students to EI. Presenters: Adrian Warhurst, University of Leicester, Rob Campbell, St Mary’s University and Dr Agnieszka J. Gordon Canterbury Christ Church University (Consortium Lead

The nature of the T=T double bond (T = B, Al, Ga, In) in dialumene and its derivatives: topological study of the electron localization function (ELF)

The local electronic structure of the Al=Al bond was studied in dialumene and derivatives of dialumene in which the Al atoms were substituted by B, Ga, or In atoms. DFT calculations were performed using the B3LYP, B3PW91, PBE0, M06-L, and M06-2X functionals. Topological analysis of the electron localization function described the covalent bonds mentioned above using the disynaptic basins Vi=1,2(B,B), Vi=1,2(Al,Al), V(Ga,Ga), and Vi=1,2(In,In). The basin populations were smaller than 4 e, as expected for a double bond: B=B 2.97 e, Al=Al 3.44–3.5 e, Ga=Ga 3.58 e, and In=In 3.86 e. The Al=Al, Ga=Ga, and In=In bonds were found to be intermediate in character between single and double bonds. Topological analysis of the ρ(r) field for dialumene showed a non-nuclear attractor along the Al=Al bond, with a pseudoatom basin population of 0.937 e. NBO analysis suggested that a double bond occurred only in the molecules containing Al, Ga, or In atoms. The character of the Ga=Ga bond was observed to be strongly dependent on the effective core potential used in the calculations