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Science Challenge Good to Outstanding
Start date: Sep 1, 2014, End date: Aug 31, 2015 PROJECT  FINISHED 

As a college we are committed to developing understanding of the international dimension for staff and students. Self evaluation processes showed that science department staff would benefit from training to enhance levels of student engagement, creativity in lesson planning and to develop sequences of lessons which promote higher levels of challenge for students of all abilities. We have worked with Sintermeerten College since 2010 in a variety of contexts including Comenius school partnerships and a Leonardo TOI project. Their science department teach some classes in English, so we planned to focus on this area to enable Callington Community College science teachers to observe, co-plan and, possibly, co-teach at Sintermeerten College to develop their skills and reflect on their own practice and co-reflect on their own and the other participant's practice in a different context. The nature of the context promoted greater reflection. Participants were selected following application and interview with priority given to colleagues who demonstrated motivation and had the capacity to develop their practice and that of the department along with the ability to reflect on their own development. The underlying aim of the project was to move the science department from good to outstanding. Two five day visits for pairs of teachers were planned preceded by pre-visit briefing and preparation including Skype conversation with Sintermeerten College colleagues. During each visit, the two teachers undertook focussed lesson observations relevant to their specialism and personal targets, co-planning, possible co-teaching and co-reflection. They also followed up particular areas of interest such as careers education as planning conversations showed that this was an area that a participant and host teacher both had an interest and some expertise in. After the visit, participants will be required to demonstrate impact on their own teaching and wider impact on the department. They were also supported to disseminate their findings and progress towards agreed targets. Initial impact was an improvement in student attitudes and engagement in science lessons, along with evidence of increased challenge for students of all abilities measured through lesson observations and work with student focus groups as part of college self-evaluation/performance management systems. Longer term, an improvement in science GCSE results is envisaged. Changes to support to develop greater independent learning look promising to support this aim. There is a real commitment to raising student outcomes as measured by GCSE results (%A* to C) to be in line with and exceed national performance measures.
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