What is Science about?
In conversation with
Sabina Cleary
Andrea Tritton
Faye Booker
Transcript below:
I think, the learning is going to drive what's happening in the classrooms a lot more. And the assessment should fall out more naturally than it has in the past. Whereas in the past, a lot of the driving has been by the assessment. I think, there's an opportunity for schools to be able to personalise and differentiate the place that they're designing their teaching, and connect with their students. Four bigger Standards gives bigger, wider scope to bring in things that are relevant, and have a really rich programme, and have the assessment, drop out from that. Rather than lots of smaller Standards directed specifically to that outcome. Here's a nice big, rich, broad programme. The various assessments can fall out of that programme.
I think it's important to start and engage with the change package, and why the changes are there. What New Zealanders, students, whānau, parents, community were saying, and why we've got these changes. I think, that feedback that went into the change package was that a lot of the assessment in particular is not working for a lot of students around the country at the moment. It's important to keep that in mind, that there are reasons behind these changes as we move forward.
To try, especially with mana ōrite, allowing Māori students to see themselves in science. Having an understanding of science to make decisions about your everyday life for you and your family, your whānau.
Having a really rich diverse scientific community for the country is really important. These changes around the equity, and who we're seeing taking senior sciences, are hopefully going to make a real difference in that regard.
I guess the learning matrix is a way of helping teachers design, what their whole programme is going to look like over the course of a year, or maybe a semester. To think about how both content knowledge, as well as the nature of science Standards, that are sort of underpinning things, can be interwoven. We have a crowded curriculum at the moment for science. I think, the learning matrix helps reduce some of that crowding. The learning matrix identifies the significant things that shouldn't be left to chance for students to understand, and grapple with, and learn to use. It was challenging.
Huge responsibility to be part of that SEG and know that whatever you come up with is going to make a difference for hopefully every learner in the country. It was a privilege too, to be involved in that process. Especially with the shift towards including mātauranga Māori. For those those of us, who don't come from that background, we realise that we're privileged to be stepping into that space. Really wanting to take on board advice and information from people who do have that knowledge. But also wanting to make sure that we're not using fear as a way of not moving forward. Because we have to shift forward. We have to make these changes.
Our wide range of backgrounds and experiences was really good. We challenged each other on things, and made sure we were in the right space. Bringing ourselves back to that change package, and why are we making these changes to the Standard? It's really good to be there and safely challenge each other around that. With the intent of the best outcome we can for students.
I think teachers should take risks. Be open to taking some risks, and trying things, and reflecting on it, making changes. Involve the students and community, and other teachers, and collaborate with this. Know that you're not going to get it right first time, and everybody's learning. It's remembering too that there's so much amazing stuff going on in the country already, and that teachers shouldn't feel like everything needs to be thrown out. That there's already a lot of people that have shifted their practice far already. There's ways of applying a different lens to how they're teaching. To bring all those amazing experiences and ways of designing a learning programme, and fitting that into where the changes are heading.
I've already noticed a shift in the conversations that are in the various teaching network. I encourage people to keep reaching out to people from different backgrounds and experiences. Because I think that's where some of that richness is. It's very easy when you're in a school to just get stuck in your own bubble. The more you can reach out and connect across different schools, even different regions, that will give you some really rich resource to try things out with your students.
Subject terms can be found in the glossary
Science uses the nature of science strand from The New Zealand Curriculum to teach ākonga what science is and how scientists work. Science involves generating and testing ideas and gathering evidence in order to develop knowledge, understand it, and explain it. Scientists do this by making observations, carrying out investigations and modelling, and communicating and debating with others. In this way, science, as a discipline, is practiced by every culture: it drove the journeys of the wayfinders who explored and populated the Pacific, and informed understanding of the interwoven nature of the taiao.
Students should also be able to recognise the creativity, curiosity, collaboration and other attributes of scientists. Strongly founded in evidence, scientific knowledge can change over time with new technology finding more information and with new perspectives altering how the evidence is interpreted. It is important that ākonga understand that science knowledge, and the processes by which it is derived, both evolve. Science is not a static discipline.
Scientific progress comes from logical, systematic work and creative insight, and rests on a foundation of respect for evidence. This ties in naturally with te ao Māori, which is a worldview with a broad range of scientific concepts and investigative frameworks that inform and provide a deeper understanding of the world of science. A signature contribution to our ways of thinking in Aotearoa New Zealand are the mātauranga and indigenous knowledges that enrich our views in science. In order to study Science, ākonga must first understand the importance of mātauranga Māori and indigenous Pacific knowledges to scientific endeavour. All learners can learn from indigenous knowledge systems at a time when new approaches are needed to deal with the challenges faced by all.
Big Ideas and Significant Learning
This section outlines the meaning of, and the connection between the Big Ideas and Significant Learning, which together form the Learning Matrix. It then explains each Science Big Idea.
The Science Learning Area curriculum, including its Whakataukī, informs this subject's Significant Learning – learning that is critical for students to know, understand, and do in a subject by the end of each Curriculum Level. This covers knowledge, skills, competencies, and attitudes. It also includes level-appropriate contexts students should encounter in their education. The Learning Area's Whakataukī is:
Mā te whakaaro nui e hanga te whare; mā te mātauranga e whakaū.
Big Ideas create the house; knowledge maintains it.
The subject's Big Ideas and Significant Learning are collated into a Learning Matrix for Curriculum Level 6. Teachers can use the Learning Matrix as a tool to construct learning programmes that cover all the ‘not to be missed’ learning in a subject.
There is no prescribed order to the Learning Matrix within each Level. A programme of learning might begin with a context that is relevant to the local area of the school or an idea that students are particularly interested in. This context or topic must relate to at least one Big Idea and may also link to other Big Ideas.
There are four Big Ideas in Science. The nature of this subject as a discipline means aspects of Significant Learning often cross over multiple Big Ideas, and vice versa.
Each of the three NCEA Level 1 subjects in the science learning area (Science, Chemistry and Biology, and Physics, Earth and Space Science) have been developed as a different body of learning and assessment. Science at this level is concerned with the Nature of Science, and the Big Ideas for this subject explore ways of working in science and how various bodies of science knowledge are generated, communicated, and used. Therefore, Science Significant Learning can be explored within the body of knowledge that exists within either of the other two other Level 1 subjects. The Guidance for Course Design document demonstrates how this can be done. In addition, the Mātauranga Framework document provides guidance on delivering a programme that allows ākonga Maori to learn and succeed in Science as Māori.
Ākonga are empowered when they learn to explore different perspectives, develop and express their own reasoned opinions, and make decisions to take action. Ākonga will use the practices and knowledge drawn from mātauranga Māori and other knowledge systems to inform their perspectives, opinions, and actions.
Ākonga will engage with real world issues (including problems, needs, and opportunities) at a personal, community, or global level. They will bring their own world view, experiences, and knowledge while building new capabilities such as disciplinary meaning making, perspective taking, and critical inquiry to develop evidence-based opinions.
Finally, ākonga understand that wānanga and talanoa can be used to discuss existing knowledge and in so doing, allow new knowledge to emerge.
Investigations are used to generate and evaluate knowledge to answer questions. A variety of investigation methods exist that involve making observations, gathering evidence, and collecting and interpreting data. Different investigation approaches are appropriate for answering different questions.
By engaging in investigations themselves, ākonga are more likely to think critically about information, data, and claims from the investigations of others. A life-long learner is able to investigate, evaluate, and collect data to enhance their participation in society.
People working in science in Aotearoa New Zealand learn from and build on knowledge that has been generated by those who came before them, especially from Māori and Pacific indigenous knowledge sources. By understanding how science knowledge has developed, extended, and changed over time, ākonga can appreciate how science operates and can use appropriate tools in their own science practice.
Young people are bombarded with a huge volume of information from the internet and other sources. The tools to discern valid evidence and to distinguish science from pseudoscience are vital in this information-rich world. Ākonga are also communicators of science. Different audiences will require them to communicate their own findings and understandings in different styles. Clear, logical, well-reasoned arguments based on solid evidence are the cornerstone of science practice. Finally, ākonga will learn to use māramatanga alongside this evidence to help them judge science from pseudoscience.
Key Competencies in Science
Learning in Science provides meaningful contexts for developing Key Competencies from The New Zealand Curriculum. These Key Competencies are woven through, and embedded in, the Big Ideas and Significant Learning. Students will engage with critical thinking and analysis, explore different perspectives on scientific issues, and develop their understanding of the role of science in society.
Thinking
Students of Science will:
- understand that there is no one scientific method
- develop a greater understanding of the nature of science
- recognise how science and mātauranga Māori can help solve world problems
- understand how models and theories have developed through time and are influenced by culture and politics
- grasp increasingly complex science concepts and apply them to an ever-growing range of contexts
- understand that science knowledge is developed through investigation
- select, plan and carry out a range of appropriate investigations (including evaluating method and data)
- analyse information in its various forms and know how to check the sources of information
- identify the assumptions that underlie claims made by journalists, scientists, and themselves, and to check these against the evidence
- learn to distinguish science from pseudoscience.
Using language, symbols, and texts
Students of Science will:
- develop knowledge of the vocabulary, numeric and symbol systems, and conventions of science such as graphs, significant figures, formulae, units, and diagrams.
- use appropriate ways to communicate their own science ideas and understanding of evidence.
Relating to others
Students of Science will:
- learn to define the problem or issue to be investigated and establish what knowledge they already bring and what new knowledge they may need to gain
- learn how to determine the different perspectives that people apply to their views of a science issue
- use scientific understandings to make decisions and respond in social and cultural contexts.
Managing self
Students of Science will:
- engage in scientific conversations about their science experiences, the quality of their evidence and the evidence of others
- be open-minded and able to distinguish between their own and others' positions and findings.
Participating and contributing
Students of Science will:
- use the science conclusions to generate and evaluate a range of possible responses (including consideration of cultural, social, environmental, ethical, economic and political implications)
- understand that science is a collaborative activity and practise talanoa or mahi tahi in their own science activities
- engage in wānanga or talanoa to consult a body of knowledge and the work and ideas of others,
- where appropriate, debate evidence and justify points of view using a scientific perspective.
This section of The New Zealand Curriculum Online offers specific guidance to school leaders and teachers on integrating the Key Competencies into the daily activities of the school and its Teaching and Learning Programmes.
Introduction to Sample Course Outlines
Sample course outlines are being produced to help teachers and schools understand the new NCEA Learning and Assessment Matrices. We will have three examples of how a year-long Science course could be constructed using the new Learning and Assessment Matrices. They are indicative only and do not mandate any particular choice of text or approach.
More detailed sample Teaching and Learning Programmes will be developed during piloting.
The document 'Science knowledge ideas for Level 6 Science' suggests contexts for Teaching and Learning Programmes.
More Support
It is imperative to provide educationally powerful connections for ākonga Māori, who have the right to engage in learning that recognises their language, culture, and identity. The Mātauranga Framework document provides guidance on delivering a programme that allows ākonga Maori to learn and succeed in Science as Māori.
Other learners, including Pacific learners, are also entitled to have their language, culture and identity recognised in their learning.
Assessment Matrix
Conditions of Assessment for internally assessed standards
This section provides guidelines for assessment against internally assessed Standards. Guidance is provided on:
- appropriate ways of, and conditions for, gathering evidence
- ensuring that evidence is authentic
- any other relevant advice specific to an Achievement Standard.
NB: Information on additional generic guidance on assessment practice in schools is published on the NZQA website. It would be useful to read in conjunction with these Conditions of Assessment.
The school's Assessment Policy and Conditions of Assessment must be consistent with the Assessment Rules for Schools With Consent to Assess. These rules will be updated during the NCEA review. This link includes guidance for managing internal moderation and the collection of evidence.
For all Achievement Standards
Internal assessment provides considerable flexibility in the collection of evidence. Evidence can be collected in different ways to suit a range of teaching and learning styles, and a range of contexts. Care needs to be taken to offer students opportunities to present their best evidence against the Standard(s) that are free from unnecessary constraints.
It is recommended that the design of assessment reflects and reinforces the ways students have been learning. Collection of evidence for the internally assessed Standards could include, but is not restricted to, an extended task, an investigation, digital evidence (such as recorded interviews, blogs, photographs or film), or a portfolio of evidence.
It is also recommended that the collection of evidence for internally assessed Standards should not use the same method that is used for any external Standards in a course, particularly if that method is using a time-bound written examination. This could unfairly disadvantage students who do not perform well under these conditions.
A separate assessment event is not needed for each Standard. Often assessment can be integrated into one activity that collects evidence towards two or three different Standards from a programme of learning. Evidence can also be collected over time from a range of linked activities (for example, in a portfolio). This approach can also ease the assessment workload for both students and teachers.
Effective assessment should suit the nature of the learning being assessed, provide opportunities to meet the diverse needs of all students, and be valid and fair.
Authenticity of student evidence needs to be assured regardless of the method of collecting evidence. This needs to be in line with school policy. For example: an investigation carried out over several sessions could include teacher observations or the use of milestones such as a meeting with the student, a journal, or photographic entries recording progress etc.
Ākonga could either be given the socio-scientific issue they are required to address or they could select it for themselves. If the latter applies, the issue selected should be approved by the teacher.
This Standard assumes ākonga have engaged in a sequence of kaitiakitanga-based learning opportunities to develop their understanding of various socio-scientific issues. Ākonga should be exposed to multiple issues during the year.
With this type of assessment, checkpoints are recommended as ākonga explore the issue and develop their response. Checkpoints support ākonga to stay on track and get the feedback they need. Feedback is usually oral and checks for gaps and balance but does not involve detailed pre-marking. Checkpoints also provide a means of determining authenticity and collecting naturally occurring evidence.
Assessment evidence will be collected from a minimum of three investigative approaches, then a summary will be completed to compare the different investigative approaches used.
Ākonga may be given an appropriate template, a suitable aim or question, and a skeletal method for the investigations.
It may be appropriate for ākonga to develop their methods and gather data in groups, but each learner should be actively involved and the teacher needs to collect evidence that each one has met all aspects of the Standard. Development and recognition of the value of wānanga and talanoa are important in this learning and assessment.
Range of investigative approaches for this Standard means at least three different approaches from:
- pattern seeking
- exploring and observing
- modelling
- classifying and identifying
- fair testing.
The teacher can determine the time taken by the assessment as this is dependent on the investigations chosen.