An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta

Department of Education and Science

 

 

Subject Inspection of Geography

REPORT

  

Bailieborough Community School

Bailieborough, County Cavan

Roll number: 91351S

  

Date of inspection: 20 March 2006

Date of issue of report: 26 October 2006

 

 

 

 

 

This Subject Inspection report

Subject Provision and Whole School Support

Planning and Preparation

Teaching and Learning

Assessment and Achievement

Summary of Main Findings and Recommendations

School Response to the Report


Report on the Quality of Learning and Teaching in Geography

 

This Subject Inspection report

 

This report has been written following a subject inspection in Bailieborough Community School.  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 the opportunity to comment on the findings and recommendations of the report; and the response of the board will be found in the appendix to this report.

 

 

Subject Provision and Whole School Support

 

There is very good whole school support and provision for the organisation, teaching and learning of Geography in Bailieborough Community School as teachers have been provided with base classrooms and a wide range of resources to support teaching and learning.  At junior cycle Geography is a compulsory subject and is allocated three class periods per week in first and third year, while in second year two class periods per week are provided.  Since the beginning of the current school year a policy of mixed ability classes has been introduced in first-year classes. 

 

At senior cycle Geography is an optional subject.  Students and parents receive appropriate support and guidance prior to choosing subjects to study for Leaving Certificate.  This support includes a planned meeting between student, parents and the Guidance Counsellor (GC) to explore subject choices and career options.  Students are presented with an open choice of subjects before making a final choice from option bands.  Geography appears on two option lines in both senior cycle years thereby providing as wide a choice as possible for students.  It was noted that the composition of the option bands differed between the years thus reflecting student choices.  The school is commended for catering for the needs and requests of it students in this way.  Five or six class periods per week are allocated in the senior cycle years and usually consist of at least one double class period.  All classes are of mixed ability.  This time allocation is in line with syllabus requirements.  The uptake of Geography at senior cycle level is healthy and teachers are commended for maintaining a high profile for the subject in the school. 

 

There are currently three geography teachers in Bailieborough Community School and they form an identifiable subject department, with one teacher acting as subject co-ordinator.  The good practice of rotating the role of co-ordinator is in operation.  Teachers have been involved in continuous professional development related to the introduction of the revised Leaving Certificate Geography syllabus and it is acknowledged that opportunities to develop Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills in personal time have been pursued.  Teachers have been provided with their own classrooms and have developed an extensive range of resources to support teaching and learning.  These resources include a large selection of up to date wall maps, charts, Ordnance Survey (OS) maps, both large and small scale, aerial photographs, weather instruments, rock samples and a selection of videos and CDs.  A laptop computer and data projector are made available on request and the school has recently been provided with Broadband Internet access.  It is recommended that the teachers produce a comprehensive catalogue of all available resources for the teaching of Geography.  This will facilitate the identification of future resource needs, planning for their provision and will also facilitate school budgeting.  While the Geography Department does not have an annual budget allocation school management provide resources as needs arise.  The school is commended for the development of these resources as they contribute to providing invaluable supports for teaching and learning.

 

 

Planning and Preparation

 

Documentation provided during the evaluation process showed that the process of subject department planning has been taking place.  A Geography Department plan, using a template provided under the School Development Planning Initiative (SDPI), had been used to develop a plan for the organisation, teaching and learning of the subject.  This plan included reference to agreed curriculum plans for each year group within given timeframes, resources to be used, procedures for record keeping and co-operation with the Learning Support Department.  Teachers are made aware of the learning and social needs of students by the Guidance Counsellor, the Year Leader and the Learning Support Department at a formal staff meeting in the first term and are kept informed as appropriate during the school year.  The school is commended for this good practice of involving all members of the teaching staff in caring for the needs of its students. 

 

It is recommended that teachers build on this good planning practice by working collaboratively to produce a more formal and comprehensive plan for the Geography Department.  Within this plan consideration could be given to a statement of learning outcomes for each year group, active learning methodologies, fieldwork policy, plans for the further integration of ICT into teaching and learning and the further development of appropriate resources.  The development of policies in the areas of teaching methodologies, the use of ICT and further contacts with the Learning Support teachers will be particularly important in meeting the challenges that will arise from the introduction of the mixed ability class structure.  The use of resource materials provided during the evaluation visit and the ‘Guidelines for Teachers’ relating to the Revised Leaving Certificate Geography syllabus will provide support for long term planning by the geography teaching team.  School management is commended for providing time throughout the year for subject department meetings and in addition to this formal planning time informal planning discussions also take place. 

 

A review of the planning documentation revealed there was a particular emphasis on teaching topics from the Physical Geography section of the syllabus to first year classes.  This places challenging demands on students in terms of the extensive range of precise terminology, understanding geomorphic processes and describing landform development.  It is recommended that this focus on the study of Physical Geography and the extensive coverage of the syllabus in first year be reviewed as a means of catering for the mixed ability class structure being developed.

 

There was clear evidence of effective short term planning and preparation for all the lessons observed.  Lessons were generally developed from previously taught subject matter or, as is appropriate at this time of year, there was a focus on revision and preparation for examinations as the pre-examinations had recently been completed.  Homework was regularly assigned and corrected.  Where teachers provided resource materials to support student learning they were effectively used and were integrated into the lesson plans.  Resources provided were a sample examination question, an overhead projector, and worksheets to be completed by students.  These materials were introduced into the lessons at appropriate times and made a significant contribution to reinforcing learning, to clarifying issues, and to challenging students to reflect on and to apply their knowledge.  The provision of such resources is commended and their greater use is encouraged as they can provide an opportunity for students to work independently or in pairs thereby adding variety to the pace and structure of a lesson.  The availability of broadband internet access should provide a further opportunity to create additional resource materials and teachers are encouraged to avail of this development

 

 

Teaching and Learning

 

In lessons observed the topics being studied included: analysis of examination questions, revision and preparation for a written answer, discussion of the multi-function nature of a town with reference to developing OS map skills, an introduction to sectors of the economy with particular reference to agriculture and a discussion on the differences between developing and developed countries with reference to the reasons for these differences.

 

A map-rich learning environment was in evidence in all of the classrooms visited with displays of up-to-date wall maps, charts and photographs.  This provided a stimulating learning environment for students and maps were frequently used during the course of lessons to teach Locational Geography.  The display of a list of key geographic terms and their meanings in one classroom deserves to be acknowledged as this very good practice can be a particularly good strategy for teaching the language of Geography and to developing related concepts.  Teachers are encouraged to build on these good practices by introducing the idea of a GeoNews notice board to classrooms.  Teachers and students could contribute photographs and articles from the print media for display and some of these could be developed into resources for worksheets.  The use of appropriate internet searches could also prove to be fruitful in this regard.  This use of the notice board can help to motivate students as they see more clearly the connection between the study of topics in class and the world outside the classroom. 

 

In all of the lessons observed clear classroom routines had been established; lessons began with a roll call and this was followed by the monitoring and correction of homework.  The correction of homework provided students with an opportunity to develop their oral skills as they willingly offered answers to questions posed by their teacher.  This correction time was also used to further clarify issues or for the teacher to provide further interesting and relevant pieces of information.  These good practices are commended as they create a sense of order and helped to prepare students for the introduction of new subject matter later in the lesson.  The good practice of sharing the aims of the lesson with students was also in evidence and this is commended as it provides students with a focus for their attention and when successfully achieved provides a sense of fulfilment, both of which are powerful motivational factors. 

 

Teachers have adopted a visual approach to the delivery of the syllabuses in Geography.  The whiteboard was used very effectively to build up the outline of lessons, and in some instances students were actively involved by writing on the board.  This approach enabled the main points in a topic to be clearly stated and for the interconnections between different sections to be established.  This was particularly effective where the differences between developing and developed economies were being discussed and where reasons for these differences were being explored in a lively question and answer session.  Allowing ‘quiet time’ for students to copy lessons summaries into their notes is encouraged as this will allow them to reflect on and to assimilate new knowledge.  Brainstorming and the completion worksheets were also used to introduce new topics or as part of the revision process and these good practices were effective in engaging students and are commended.  These methods could also be used to provide an opportunity for small group or paired work and teachers are encouraged to explore these and other teaching methodologies as a further means of engaging students in their own learning and of provided students with opportunities to learn from each other and to reducing the level of teacher input into lessons.  The overhead projector was also used to outline the structure of a lesson and to provide a clear outline of the planned learning outcomes. 

 

There was also a clear emphasis on developing skills in all of the lessons observed.  At this stage in the year, as the pre-examinations had recently been completed, there was an emphasis on developing good answering techniques amongst students.  In some lessons, examination questions were carefully analysed by a question and answer session and time was also used to provide for a wide discussion and revision of the particular topic.  Teachers are commended for this good practice and are encouraged to allow students, perhaps in pairs, to identify the main requirements of a question before engaging in whole class discussion.  The developing of map reading skills, worksheets requiring students to apply their knowledge through matching exercises and focused questioning that encouraged students to offer explanations for geographic phenomena all helped to develop higher order thinking skills.  This focus on skills development is highly commended and is in line with syllabus guidelines.

 

Fieldwork as part of the requirement for the Revised Leaving Certificate is provided for by a study in Fluvial Geomorphology and in Urban Geography.  Teachers are encouraged to develop fieldwork and mapping skills throughout all years with particular reference to using the large scale (1:1000) OS map of the local area.  The development of small-scale project work should be considered as a means of providing further variety in methodology and of developing students as independent learners.  Project work could also provide students with an opportunity to develop their research and presentation skills using the school’s ICT facilities.

 

In all of the classrooms visited there was a very positive and supportive atmosphere and as students were engaged in various tasks teachers moved around the classroom offering support and affirmation as required.  Students were engaged by the planned learning activities, willingly engaged in discussion sought clarification when necessary and displayed a very good knowledge of their courses.

 

 

Assessment and Achievement

 

Teachers use a variety of forms of assessment in Bailieborough Community School.  Formal examinations are held in December and in summer for students in non-examination years, while students in examination classes are assessed in November, based on class tests, and they sit formal pre-examinations in the second term.  All parents receive two reports from the school each year based on these formal assessments.  Student progress is also reported on at formal parent teacher meetings that are held in close proximity to the formal assessment periods.  It was reported that students also attend parent-teacher meetings and the school is commended for this development as it reinforces the partnership approach to a student’s education.  It is recommended that the school review the number of students taking the ordinary level in the Junior Certificate Examination in Geography and encourage as many students as possible to attempt the higher level paper, keeping in mind student abilities and aspirations.

 

Throughout all the lessons observed teachers assessed student understanding by the use of questioning and in some cases by the completion of worksheets.  Questions were directed to named individual students or were open to the entire class group.  Students displayed a very good knowledge of their courses and willingly engaged in discussion with their teachers.  A noted feature of the exchanges between students and teachers was the sensitivity with which incorrect answers were dealt with.  Class tests are held on the completion of sections of the syllabus and teachers had recorded these results.  An examination of students’ copybooks indicated high quality work, often with neatly drawn and coloured maps and diagrams.  This is commended as it provides students with a sense of achievement and reflects the high expectations teachers have for their students.  Teachers had monitored this work and had written supportive and affirming comments.  Where students had answered past examination questions they had received appropriate feedback from their teacher and this good practice is highly commended as it provides student with in insight into their strengths and indicates how improvements can be made both in the content of answers and in the answering technique.  In the initial stages of answering past examination questions teachers are encouraged to consider the use of ‘comment only marking’ as a means of focusing on formative assessment.  Further information on these ‘Assessment for Learning’ principles can be accessed on the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) website, www.ncca.ie and teachers are encouraged to access this site.

 

 

Summary of Main Findings and Recommendations

 

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:

 

 

 

A post-evaluation meeting was held with the principal and with the teachers of Geography at the conclusion of the evaluation at which the draft findings and recommendations of the evaluation were presented and discussed.

 

Appendix

 

School Response to the Report

 

Submitted by the Board of Management

 

Area 1:  Observations on the content of the inspection report

 

The B.O.M. wishes to acknowledge the very positive report of the Department of Education & Science regarding the Subject Inspection report of Geography.   The Board also wishes to thank the Geography teachers for the very considerable amount of their own free time which they give for Geography provision in the school.