Widening the divide: the impact of school closures on primary science learning

Prolonged Covid-19-related school closures in the UK raised concerns that science teaching and learning at primary level would be negatively impacted. This paper reports the findings of phase 1 of a study that the authors are conducting with teachers and parents to explore this issue. We found that a significant proportion of teachers were providing less science during lockdown than in the normal school week. Teachers, particularly those working in more deprived areas, reported that translating the science curriculum for home learning had been difficult, with concerns around resources, internet access and parental ability to help. Some areas of the curriculum posed particular difficulties, leading to a narrowing of topics being taught. Both teachers and parents felt that schools prioritised English and maths above science. Meanwhile some parents reported that their children had engaged in sophisticated extracurricular activities, bolstered by resources available at home and knowledgeable adult help, but others said that their children had done no science at all. Parents who had studied science at post-compulsory level were much more comfortable in helping their children with science home learning. These factors combine to create conditions which may exacerbate existing inequalities as to who can access science education and careers

Serious Gaming in Manufacturing Education

The human capital for the European Factories of the Future is the key enabler to competing in high value manufacturing. Therefore, the education and training schemes for young talents, supported by new and rapidly developing ICT technologies, have to be flexible and adaptable to the future manufacturing needs. New approaches for managing knowledge and developing skills will be required so that the manufacturing decision making can be dispersed in the production level. In order for the best of European human capital to be a center of attention, the weak societal appeal of manufacturing has to be overcome as evidenced in the decline of student interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. The aim of the paper is to focus on a sample of current offer of serious games in manufacturing education. Although manufacturing education have been using simulations in facilitating a better understanding of the theoretical concepts, the transition to using serious games is prone to mistakes. This paper presents the comparative analysis of three existing serious games in manufacturing education, assessing the game design and pedagogical underpinnings of the serious games. The result of the analysis has yielded a set of guidelines that supports the development of serious games in manufacturing education

Girls and science education in Mauritius: A study of science class practices and their effects on girls

Background: The population of Mauritius consists of 52% females and scientific literacy is seen to be of vital importance for all young people if they are to be sufficiently equipped to meet the challenges of a fast changing world. Previous research shows, however, that science is not popular among girls. This paper explores one of many reasons why few girls opt for science subjects after compulsory schooling. Purpose: This study investigated the approaches to teaching in four science classrooms in Mauritius, with particular emphases on the preferences of girls as they learn science. Sample: A total of 20 student interviews and 16 teacher interviews were conducted in four schools in Mauritius. The four mixed-faith schools comprised two all-girl schools (one state, one fee-paying), and two mixed-sex schools (one state, one fee-paying), within urban, suburban and rural situations. Design and method: 80 non-participant lessons were observed, of which 60 were science lessons while the remaining 20 non-science lessons were in economics, accounts and commerce. Group interviews with five pupils in each of the four schools were conducted and 16 individual interviews with teachers in the four schools gave an insight into the pedagogic approaches used for the teaching and learning of science. Results: Transmissive approaches to teaching, giving little opportunity for collaborative or activity-based learning, were found to be the most important factors in alienating the girls from science. Conclusions: There need to be radical changes in approaches to teaching to retain young girls’ interest in the sciences