An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta
Department of Education and Science
Subject Inspection of Home Economics
REPORT
Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál
Blarney, Co. Cork
Roll number: 62090D
Date of inspection: 24 February 2006
Date of issue of report: 22 June 2006
Report on the Quality of Learning and Teaching in Home Economics
Subject Provision and Whole School Support
Summary of Main Findings and Recommendations
This Subject Inspection report
This report has been written following a subject inspection in Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál, Blarney. It presents the findings of an evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning in Home Economics and makes recommendations for the further development of the teaching of this subject in the school. The evaluation was conducted over one day during which the inspector visited classrooms and observed teaching and learning. The inspector interacted with students and teachers, examined students’ work, and had discussions with the teachers. The inspector reviewed school planning documentation and teachers’ written preparation. Following the evaluation visit, the inspector provided oral feedback on the outcomes of the evaluation to the principal and subject teachers. The board of management of the school was given an opportunity to comment on the findings and recommendations of the report; the board chose to accept the report without response.
Home Economics is well established on the curriculum in Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál. It is an optional subject in junior and senior cycle with the exception of Transition Year (TY) where, commendably, every student is required to take a module in Home Economics.
Home Economics is a very popular subject choice amongst the junior cycle, female student cohort, as evidenced by the significant percentage of girls who opt to study the subject at this level. It is also good to note that a number of boys have opted to study the subject for the Junior Certificate Examination. In fifth and sixth year the uptake level in the subject is somewhat lower than that at junior cycle and currently no boys have opted to study Home Economics for the Leaving Certificate. As a result of the trends identified above, it is recommended that consideration be given to the design and implementation of strategies that would further encourage the total student cohort to study the subject to Leaving Certificate level and which might also inspire a greater percentage of the male student cohort to study the subject at both levels. Some strategies for this will be suggested in the planning section of this report. Furthermore, in an attempt to reverse the specific trends identified in senior cycle, it is recommended that management might give some consideration to extending students’ contact time with Home Economics over the course of TY.
Parents and students are very well supported by the school with regard to the task of subject choice, both prior to students’ entry in first year and again before progressing on to senior cycle. For example, all parents of incoming first-year students are met individually by the principal to answer any queries or concerns that they might have and are referred on to individual subject teachers, as required. It is good to note that a very equitable and student-centred approach to subject choice, whereby subject bands are derived from the results of student surveys, is standard practice in the school. The high level of parent and student satisfaction with this system, as reported by management, is also significant. Home Economics students, in both junior and senior cycle, are encouraged to work towards taking a higher level paper in the State examinations. Following the issuing of the results of the Christmas examinations for all the examination classes, a recommendation regarding levels is suggested by the teacher but the final decision regarding this is ultimately determined by the parents and students. Consideration could be given to judiciously encouraging a larger cohort of the student body to take the higher level option in the Junior Certificate, Home Economics examination.
Home Economics in Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál benefits from a good level of provision and support. Overall timetabling of the subject is adequate, with sufficient time being allocated to Home Economics and a very good spread of class contact time over the week for the majority of class groups. Management is supportive of collaborative departmental subject planning, as evidenced by the provision of time at the start of each school year so that subject teachers have an opportunity to plan together as a team. Support for this practice should be strengthened and so it is recommended that consideration be given to the provision of additional time over the course of the school year and again as the year draws to a close, for this very necessary and important departmental work. Teachers’ attendance at in-service courses is fully supported by management and any official subject documentation is disseminated promptly to each teacher involved. Requests for additional resources and equipment are considered favourably by management.
Management’s stated intention to refurbish the kitchen is fully encouraged. The existing room design and layout is not conducive to safe practice and is not congruent with current curricular requirements for both the preparation of students for the food and culinary skills examination in Junior Certificate and for the completion of the food studies coursework in Leaving Certificate. It is recommended therefore, that management prioritises planning for the upgrading of the school’s Home Economics facilities. Furthermore, on the issue of safety, it is important to note that provision must be made for the installation of an electricity-isolation switch, similar to that which has been installed to restrict the gas supply entering the room in the case of an emergency.
Teachers have access to the school’s computer room through an established booking system. Considering the department’s desire to incorporate ICTs into the delivery of some lessons and the requirement for individual and independent student research set down in both syllabuses, it is suggested that the refurbishment plans incorporate provision for room-based equipment that is networked to broadband.
It is commendable that the school has developed a safety statement and that some thought has been given to the issue of safety in the Home Economics room. However, it is recommended, particularly in light of the present room design and layout, that a more detailed subject-specific safety statement be devised immediately and implemented. This statement should be drawn up in consultation with the Home Economics department and should be displayed in an obvious place in the specialist room. The location of same should be highlighted to the students of the subject, along with an explanation of the content as required. Bearing in mind that a number of other teachers utilise the room for the delivery of additional subjects, due regard should be given to informing such teachers and their students of the content of this safety statement.
The Home Economics department engages in a level of collaborative planning, on both a formal and informal basis. It is good to observe the openness of the department to the task of team planning and so it is recommended that the department embrace this approach more fully. The practice of providing agendas for the formal planning meetings and keeping a copy of these on file for future reference is very commendable. In tandem with such practice it is recommended that the minutes of such meetings also be recorded and systematically filed. The department is in the early stages of preparing a subject-specific policy document and as a means of progressing, supporting and enhancing this creditable initiative, it is recommended that the department refer to the planning materials provided by the Home Economics Support Service, which can be accessed at www.homeeconomics.ie
Programmes of work have been devised for all year groups which, in the majority of cases, just provide a basic outline of topics to be covered. It is recommended therefore, that all plans be developed and enhanced in time to include provision for the following: topics to be covered each term; suitable methodologies; available resources; topic-specific assignments and homework; assessment modes; links between theory and practical work; integration of subject matter, as well as examination preparation and revision, when and where appropriate. This is quite an involved process and so it is recommended that it be implemented on a phased basis taking, for example, one junior and one senior year group per annum. Course syllabuses and ‘Guidelines for Teachers’ should provide the basis for such detailed planning. In line with the stated current practice of the department, such plans should be monitored, reviewed and evaluated on a regular basis.
The current TY plan is deserving of credit for the very contemporary and culturally-relevant aims and objectives it identifies and utilises as the guiding factor for the programme design. Without detracting from such a focus, it might be opportune, particularly in light of the decline in the number of students opting to study Home Economics for the Leaving Certificate and the low uptake in the subject amongst the male student cohort, to re-visit the plan in order to identify areas for improvement and/or amendment.
Continuing on from the perceived issue of uptake levels in the subject, it is suggested that the identification of approaches designed to reverse this trend form part of the agenda of future planning meetings and informal discussions of the department. Some possible approaches might include developing a Home Economics notice-board at a prominent location within the school that might be used to highlight, for example, the career-relevance of the subject, the interesting co-educational features of the syllabuses and some positive male and female student perceptions of Home Economics. It would also be pertinent to highlight, even on an informal basis, the recent revision in the senior cycle food and culinary skills coursework journals. The students’ experience of the subject in TY, as referred to previously, might also be utilised as a means of attracting more students to the subject at Leaving Certificate level. This could be achieved in a number of ways, for example, by designing TY syllabuses that relate in minor ways to some of the more interesting facets of the Leaving Certificate syllabus. However, if Leaving Certificate material is chosen for study it should be done so on the clear understanding that it is to be explored in an original and stimulating way that is significantly different from the way in which it would have been treated in the two years to Leaving Certificate. One approach in Home Economics might be to provide students with tasks that induct them in the skills required for independent student research and learning, which the new syllabus at Leaving Certificate level is designed to encourage and promote.
The department’s stated practice of utilising the marking schemes produced by the State Examinations Commission to guide and direct planning for the delivery of the curriculum is very praiseworthy and so in tandem with such practice it is recommended that the department investigate the contribution that the Chief Examiner’s reports can also make to this area. These reports, along with past marking schemes, can be accessed on the State Examinations Commission’s website at www.examinations.ie
It is good to note that a number of resources intended to support students in the area of independent research and study, have been accumulated by the department. The merits of these cannot be overestimated in the delivery of both curricula and so it is important that such resources be expanded and developed on an on-going basis. Consideration should also be given to the shelving of these resources in order to build student awareness of this information capital, to ensure ease of access for all students to same and to assist teachers in the identification of opportunities for development of the collection.
There was evidence of a good level of short-term planning for lessons delivered over the course of the inspection. Teacher files were also illustrative of advance preparation, as evidenced by the collection of information sheets, summary handouts and question papers that they housed. On the whole, lessons were consistent with teachers’ planned programmes of work.
Each of the lessons demonstrated a clear aim and purpose but it is important to share this with all classes at the outset of each lesson, as this approach focuses students on lesson content, highlights what they can expect to learn and achieve over the course of the lesson and in some cases it can also provide students with a motivation to learn. Overall lessons were well structured and delivered at a pace and in a style that was cognisant of students’ levels and abilities. Teacher instruction was clear, concise and informed and whilst there was an impressive non-reliance on the textbook in the delivery of lesson content, opportunities to incorporate this resource to enhance student understanding of the subject matter being presented should be recognised and utilised. The blackboard was used to great effect in all classes visited both to highlight key points and to simplify complex concepts. However this information could be of even greater benefit to student learning if students were encouraged to selectively note this very accessible information into their own copybooks.
A number of resources, for example posters and worksheets, which were intended to enhance student learning, were utilised very effectively and appropriately by the teachers. In some instances, the greater inclusion of suitable resources is recommended. Whilst teachers are to be praised for employing a variety of methodologies in the delivery of lessons, consideration should be given to the regular incorporation of teaching strategies which fall into the more active end of the methodology spectrum. Brainstorming exercises, worksheet activities, investigative and experimental practical exercises, pair and group work and class discussions might be included. These strategies change learning from being a predominantly passive activity to being more active, and allow for the sharing of ideas, the expression of opinions, the development of critical thinking skills and the personalisation of the lesson content. Active learning also encourages independent and collaborative learning, a key focus of both the junior and senior Home Economics syllabuses.
In some instances formal teacher input, for example, when introducing a lesson topic or concept, should be withheld, until students have been given an opportunity to contribute their own impressions and opinions. Questioning is just one of the mechanisms which could be used very effectively to achieve this additional participation and involvement. Some good examples of higher order questions were posed to students over the course of the observed lessons and this strategy is very commendable. The continued and increased use of such questioning is strongly advocated, not alone because the development of such skills is highlighted in the subject’s syllabuses, but because in our increasingly complex and specialised society it is becoming even more imperative that individuals are capable of thinking divergently and creatively. Questioning was used quite effectively in a large percentage of the classes visited, in order to check student understanding throughout the lesson and again during the lesson summary. It is important however, once questions have been posed, that teachers direct questions to individual students rather than accepting the student-perceived safer and easier practice of ‘chorus answering’.
In the practical class visited the teaching concentrated adeptly on incorporating the relevant theory through a combination of approaches including whole-class instruction, on-spot demonstrations and individual one-to-one instruction, so enhancing the learning potential offered by the lesson. This practice reflects syllabus requirements and so is welcomed and fully encouraged. Students participated eagerly and were cognisant of established systems of practice regarding procedure, safety and hygiene and were mindful of teacher guidance and instruction. It was good to see that the evaluation of the task and the product was also incorporated into the lesson content. Bearing in mind the levels and abilities of individual class groups, teachers should consider judiciously transferring certain tasks to students, for example, checking if dishes are cooked, rather than completing it themselves and depriving students of a potential learning experience.
The atmosphere in each of the classes visited was very positive. While teachers were firm and purposeful in their approach, they demonstrated concern for their students and the manner of their interactions with them was both warm and considerate. When the opportunity arose students were very much at ease contributing in class and their participation was welcomed and affirmed. Classes were well managed and on the whole students were attentive and very well behaved. Lessons were delivered in a stimulating environment, enhanced by the display of posters, media articles of relevance and student work. It is recommended that such displays be updated regularly.
When assessing student progress and achievement in Home Economics throughout the school year, teachers utilise two main assessment modes, oral questioning during lessons and written class tests on completion of a chapter or topic. The outcomes of the written tests are recorded by the teachers and form the basis of the student’s continuous assessment in the subject. This is used to inform teachers and parents in turn, of an individual student’s advancement and attainment in the subject. Parents are also provided with a more detailed progress report at the parent-teacher meetings which take place once per annum for each year group. The assessment of aspects of required coursework, for example, the practical food and culinary skills component at junior cycle, and the inclusion of the results of same as part of a student’s overall mark at key times in the year are recommended. This practice reflects the assessment objectives of the syllabuses and the provision of an aggregate assessment mark is a more accurate indicator of a student’s actual ability in the subject.
In non-examination classes, formal examinations are administered twice annually, at Christmas and also prior to the summer vacation, following which the results of same are communicated to parents and students through the issuing of reports. Examination classes are assessed on a continual basis between September and December and the Christmas report contains an average mark of all class tests. All examination students sit a pre-examination prior to the February midterm, the results of which are once again communicated to parents and students through the issuing of a formal school report.
There was evidence of the good practice of regularly setting and monitoring homework. The benefit of this to students would be enhanced by the regular and systematic correction of same. Teachers are encouraged to investigate the practice of comment-only marking which has its basis in an approach known as assessment for learning. Details of this can be obtained from the website of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) at www.ncca.ie. Periodically and in addition to this approach, particularly in examination classes, such work should also be graded. This would provide students with an additional means of assessing their personal progress in the subject, whilst also providing teachers with a means of comparing work carried out at home with that which is completed in school. Ideally, when homework is assigned, examination students should be supplied with a marking scheme that reflects those of past examination papers. This in turn should be applied by teachers when homework is being corrected. Such an approach has the advantage of teaching students how to cope in an examination situation by developing techniques such as interpretation of marking schemes, depth of treatment and time management.
Observation of students’ responses to questions and their participation in practical work demonstrated a satisfactory level of subject knowledge and understanding.
The following are the main strengths and areas for development identified in the evaluation:
As a means of building on these strengths and to address areas for development, the following key recommendations are made:
Post-evaluation meetings were held with the principal and with the teachers of Home Economics at the conclusion of the evaluation at which the draft findings and recommendations of the evaluation were presented and discussed.