An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta
Department of Education and Science
Subject Inspection of Geography
REPORT
St. John Bosco Community College
Cahercon, County Clare
Roll number: 76075K
Date of inspection: 11 May 2006
Date of issue of report: 26 October 2006
This Subject Inspection report
Report on the Quality of Learning and Teaching in Geography
This report has been written following a subject inspection in St. John Bosco Community College. It presents the findings of an evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning in Geography 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.
St. John Bosco Community College is a post-primary co-educational community college which caters for a total of 234 students. Geography is a compulsory subject at junior cycle. Each year group consists of two classes which are of mixed ability. Geography is allocated three class periods per week in each of the junior-cycle years.
For the Established Leaving Certificate, Geography is an optional subject. On entry into senior cycle students are presented with set option blocks which are designed to facilitate subject choice by using a ‘best-fit’ model. Prior to making subject choices students are appropriately supported by the career guidance counsellor and subject teachers discuss their respective subjects with students. Parents are also included in the process by the provision of an information evening. The school is commended for this level of support as it encourages students in making informed decisions and facilitates more effective career planning. Five teaching periods per week, consisting of one single and two double class periods are allocated in each of the Leaving Certificate years and this time provision is in line with syllabus requirements. Teachers are encouraged to consider ways to increase the uptake of Geography at senior cycle as the current participation rate is below the national norm.
Two teachers are involved in delivering the geography programme and they form an identifiable subject department. There is no designated geography room and some teachers are provided with base classrooms. These provide an opportunity to display and acknowledge student project work and geography related materials which will further stimulate student interest in the subject. Whilst there was evidence of such displays in some classrooms it is recommended that geography teachers further explore ways to maximise the value of teacher based classrooms. School management has provided a wide range of resources to support teaching and learning in Geography. These include Ordnance Survey (OS) map extracts of varying scales, aerial photographs, wall maps and charts, rock samples, slides, filmstrips, a soil test set and an extensive collection of videos and fieldwork equipment. The geography teaching team has catalogued all resources available for the teaching of Geography in the school and teachers are commended for their work in collecting a large variety of resource information packs and CDs. It is recommended that these resources be centrally stored to allow for easier access. A central storage facility would also encourage their greater use as a means of increasing student interest and supporting learning in Geography.
The geography department has access to the computer room and this facility has been availed of on occasion for research purposes and presentation of project work. The school plans to upgrade its provision for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) with the availability of Internet Broadband access in classrooms. The school is commended for these planned initiatives as they make an important contribution to effective teaching and learning. It is recommended that the geography teachers further engage in planning for the appropriate and increased integration of ICT into all areas of the curriculum, particularly at senior cycle, as the use of information technology forms an integral part of the Revised Leaving Certificate Geography syllabus. The geography teachers have attended a course on Geography and ICT and so are well equipped to take on this challenge.
There was evidence of collaborative long-term planning by the geography teaching team. The teachers meet informally on an ongoing basis and assist each other in the use of equipment. It is recommended that further communication be developed in order to facilitate the exchange of information on the learning needs and progress of individual students, discussion on the curricular areas to be developed at junior and senior cycles and the sharing of resources. The written planning documentation made available during the evaluation contains programmes for each year group to be delivered within specified time frames, and references to textbooks, homework, examinations, record keeping, procedures for reporting to parents, skills and attitudes to be developed and option structures. Particularly noteworthy was the detailed list of resources that has been compiled by the geography teachers. To build on this good practice and further develop a more comprehensive plan for the geography department, it is recommended that consideration be given to the inclusion of the following components; active learning methodologies, fieldwork policy, the integration of ICT and ways to increase the uptake of Geography at senior cycle. In working together to develop this plan the ‘Guidelines for Teachers’ relating to the Revised Leaving Certificate Geography syllabus will provide some useful information to assist with the process. It was noted that revision time is incorporated into the planned programmes of work. This good practice is acknowledged and commended as revision plays a vital role in consolidating learning and any difficulties encountered by students can be clarified.
The planning documentation revealed that there is an exclusive concentration on the teaching of physical Geography in first year, including geomorphology, meteorology and climate. These aspects of the syllabus present challenging academic demands to students in terms of the vast range of new geographical terminology and the myriad of processes to be studied. It is recommended that map and photographic skills be introduced at an earlier stage and from this base vital map and photographic skills could then be developed, expanded and exercised in association with some physical geography components. Students would accordingly be exposed to a more visual and activity-based approach which would greatly enrich the study of Geography for first year students.
There was clear evidence of planning and preparation by individual teachers in the lessons observed. All lessons had a clear purpose and a variety of resource materials including worksheets, overhead transparencies, diagrams on whiteboard and maps was effectively integrated into the delivery of the lesson content. Homework is assigned regularly and corrected in line with school policy.
The lessons observed had definite aims and the learning objective was clearly established and shared with the students from the start. Generally classes began with a review of the material taught in the previous lesson and within this context new content was introduced and progressed. This good practice is commended as it provides a clear and meaningful frame of reference for the development of the lesson. A variety of teaching methodologies and visual stimuli was employed in the classes observed. The topics under study included, climate, factors influencing industrial location, glaciation and students’ performance on sample examination questions.
In one class the factors influencing climate were listed on the whiteboard and students were thoroughly questioned on these to establish their depth of understanding. An overhead transparency of a map of Europe, showing three different cities with an accompanying table indicating their varying summer and winter temperatures, was used to examine the effect of distance from the sea on temperature. Students demonstrated a very good ability to interpret and explain the statistical information. A number of visual stimuli were used to explain and revise this difficult topic, including use of the globe to show the effect of air masses and a very colourful visual of world climates highlighted the influence of latitude. Use of such stimuli is in line with best practice. As a means of introducing the hot desert climate the students were provided with a worksheet and challenged to shade in red the locations of the deserts. An overhead transparency showing world climates was used to support this work and the teacher simultaneously pointed out the main deserts. Students were required to refer to their atlases and identify the relevant countries. This good attention to place geography is highly commended. The countries were then pointed out on a wall map by one student. The characteristics of hot desert climates were outlined and students were very capable in drawing on their previously acquired knowledge to explain these. Opportunities to recap on related content were exploited and a quick revision of the types of rainfall was appropriately integrated into the lesson. The concept of a region was well explained and in the discussion on animal and plant adaptations to the desert environment photographs were shown to the students. These visual and active learning strategies are highly commended and proved most successful in achieving the learning objective.
The factors of industrial location were revised through a series of global and targeted questions and the provision of worksheets to students. Aughinish Alumina was selected as a case study. A series of overhead transparencies, exercises and photographs were appropriately employed to present and progress the content and to actively engage the students in the lesson. Sample vials of bauxite and alumina were shown to students. A creative task on tracking the transport cycle to and from the plant was productive in introducing place Geography and in exercising map skills. The use of a local example to examine the factors of industrial location is commended as students were provided with a very good insight into the practical application and implementation of geographical concepts in the real world. In building on this good practice of linking Geography to the real world it is recommended that consideration be given to the creation of a Geo news board where newspaper articles and other materials related to Geography could be displayed. This would provide a rich and interesting learning resource for students and would also help to increase the profile of Geography within the school.
In one class there was a very good feedback session on students’ achievement in sample examination questions. Students were thoroughly advised on presenting their information in line with marking scheme requirements, common mistakes were pointed out and areas requiring further development were also outlined. This good practice is highly commended and its continued use is encouraged as these insights provide students with a significant learning opportunity to improve on their performance. Overhead transparencies were used to show areas covered with ice sheets and the European distribution of loess soils resulting from the last major glaciation. The impact of altitude and latitude were explained and students were challenged to refer to their atlases to locate certain features. The formation of ice was presented diagrammatically on the whiteboard. A range of slides was used to show glacial features. The causes of the Ice Age and the influence of obliquity, orbital stretch and precession were well portrayed on a series of visual transparencies. To further enhance this visual approach to the teaching of Geography it is recommended that the key points under each aspect of the topic are structured and outlined on the board. Structuring of the topic would greatly benefit students of mixed abilities in that it provides an effective summary for use in learning and revision. The students should be instructed to take the main points and diagrams down in their copies. Use of such a strategy would help to engage students more actively and introduce variety so that teacher led discussion would not be the dominant methodology. The provision of quiet time to record main points is good practice as it enables students to assimilate and reflect on subject matter.
In most classes students were impressive in their understanding of the topics for study. They showed good levels of recall in answering global and targeted questions and were very capable in applying previously learned knowledge and concepts to new learning contexts. An examination of students’ copybooks revealed a high standard of work in completion of homework and their notes and glossaries were very well presented and organised.
In all classes visited classroom management was effective. Students were addressed by name and were affirmed for all their contributions and efforts. Students were polite, courteous and respectful of their teachers. A positive and relaxed atmosphere prevailed and students willingly engaged with all classroom activities
Informal assessment is carried out on a continuing basis in class. Oral assessment was incorporated to varying degrees in all classes. This good practice is commended and its expanded and regular use is encouraged Questioning strategies establish the students present level of knowledge, actively engage them in the learning process and they are challenged to remain alert and on task. In some classes worksheets were distributed to students. During completion of the tasks the teacher rotated among students which allowed for immediate monitoring of their progress. Any student experiencing difficulty with the task received assistance from the teacher. Homework is regularly assigned and corrected. In the junior-cycle classes a journal system is employed to monitor homework and this document forms an important line of communication between home and school. Parents are informed in the event of homework not been completed as this is recorded in the journal. They may also be contacted by telephone or letter if deemed necessary by the teacher. This good practice of involving parents in their childrens’ education is commended and its wider use is encouraged. At senior cycle, homework correction in class is confined to short questions and students are required to submit one long question per week, for correction. This practice is most laudable as students are receiving a level of individual feedback on their work on a regular basis that would be difficult to obtain within a whole class setting. Project work and case studies form part of student achievement at senior cycle. This good practice is commended and its wider use is encouraged as project work promotes independent learning and students also have the opportunity to use ICT for research purposes and in the presentation of information.
Class tests are given at the end of chapters and records of students’ achievement are maintained by teachers. If a student is perceived to be underperforming relative to his/her ability the parents are informed. It was evident from students’ copies, observations in class and discussion with teachers that Assessment for Learning principles are being used. It is recommended that this good practice be further developed in assisting students to achieve their maximum potential. The website of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment www.ncca.ie will provide some valuable guidelines on this.
Formal assessment for all year groups takes place at Christmas and at end of year. State examination classes also sit mock examinations in February. Reports on these assessments, including examination results and comments, are issued to parents. Parent-teacher meetings are held once a year for each group. Outside of this formal time arrangement teachers are available to meet with parents at mutually agreed times.
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 the teachers of Geography at the conclusion of the evaluation at which the draft findings and recommendations of the evaluation were presented and discussed.