An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta
Department of Education and Science
Subject Inspection of Science
REPORT
Our Lady’s Secondary School, Belmullet,
County Mayo
Roll number: 64570E
Date of inspection: 10 December 2008
Subject provision and whole school support
Summary of main findings and recommendations
Report on the Quality of Learning and Teaching in Science
Subject inspection report
This report has been written following a subject inspection in Our Lady’s Secondary School. It presents the findings of an evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning in Science 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 was given an opportunity to comment in writing on the findings and recommendations of the report; a response was not received from the board.
Subject provision and whole school support
The school has a well-staffed science department. Science is an optional subject that is taken by about 80% of students in mixed-ability classes that are of an appropriate size and have an appropriate time allocation. Students choose their first-year subjects before entry following an information night for parents. The senior cycle sciences currently taught are Chemistry and Biology, although Physics has been taught in the past. This is an appropriate range for the school. In accordance with good practice students who have not previously studied Science are allowed to commence a science subject in senior cycle and students are advised on subject selection for senior cycle by the school’s guidance department. The school should increase the involvement of the science department through increasing collaboration between it and the guidance department.
The school’s optional Transition Year includes a science module that has one double lesson for just half the year. This follows a reduction in time allocation as a result of a recommendation to increase the number of subjects sampled in TY following a recent TY evaluation. The outline plan for TY Science gives a brief overview of the programme that is based on the Institute of Physics in Ireland booklet Science on Stage 1 and 2. Given the importance of TY in the school, especially for students who may not have taken Science in junior cycle, it is important that the TY science programme be strengthened and its time allocation examined in the context of continual review of TY. Information on further suitable material for Physics and Chemistry in TY may be obtained through the relevant support services (accessible through the Second Level Support Service website). The Institute of Physics (IOP) website has ideas and materials for Physics in TY.(http://ireland.iop.org/activity/education/Transition_Year_Physics/TY_Physics Modules_and_Project_Ideas/page_25873.html). The website of the Royal Society of Chemistry (http://www.rsc.org/Education/Teachers/index.asp) also has a section with material that would be useful for TY.
The school supports and encourages teachers’ professional development. It has recently strengthened its information and communications (ICT) resources with support from the parents’ association and it is well equipped to support the use of ICT in students’ education. This is highly commended and will provide a basis for further development of the use of ICT in the school. Through its commendable involvement in the Discover Sensors project the science department has plans to develop further its use of ICT in Science.
There is good overall provision for Science in terms of resources and facilities. The prominent display of students’ work in the biology laboratory is a commendable means of encouraging students. There is a need to upgrade chemical storage so that chemicals are stored according to best safety practice. Information on the safe storage of chemicals can be obtained on the Second Level Support Service website, (chemistry.slss.ie). As part of the school’s health and safety procedures and to support the regular review of its safety statement, the science staff should carry out annual health and safety audits of the science laboratories. The work should be informed by the Department of Education and Science and the State Claims Agency publication Review of Occupational Health and Safety in the Technologies in Post-primary Schools (page 25). The science department should also give consideration to having a systematic procedure for stock control and identification of resource needs, for example a breakages book and a means of recording when stocks of equipment and other resources run out.
The school is commended on the range of extracurricular activities in which students are involved. It is a reflection of the commitment of their teachers.
Planning and preparation
School management is supportive of the development of subject departments in the school and of planning at a subject department level. In order to co-ordinate the science teachers’ collaborative planning and to facilitate the systematic sharing of resources and good practice, a subject co-ordinator should be appointed for Science. This position should be rotated approximately every two years among the members of the department so that the department can benefit from a range of experiences in a leadership role. As part of the organisation of the work of the department regular subject department meetings should be held and records should be kept of these meetings.
The collaborative planning that has taken place to date within the department needs to be further developed so that students benefit to a greater extent from a consistent approach to each aspect of the work of the department. The principal initial focus of this collaborative work should be the development of an overall subject plan for the department, building further on the commendable planning that has already taken place for the junior cycle science programme. This plan should be extended through the inclusion of columns for resources and assessment and should be stated in terms of student learning outcomes. A timescale should be included. Once the members of the department have agreed the plan, it should be used with all junior cycle classes.
A subject plan for each senior cycle science subject should be prepared in a similar manner and for ease of sharing among the science teachers the plans should be stored on the school’s intranet. The current plan for TY Science should be developed further at a subject departmental level through including more detail on its aims, the desired student learning outcomes, and student practical work. By having a concentration within TY Science on the development of students’ laboratory skills, students would be prepared for Leaving Certificate science practical activities.
Over time collaboration within the department should extend to the formulation of common policies and practices on such areas as the choice of levels for examinations by students, teaching methodologies, and systematic organisation and storage of resources. The science department should also develop further its approach to meeting the learning needs of students with additional educational needs in a systematic manner, including the interaction between the science department and the learning-support department.
Each lesson observed was well prepared and there was evidence of very good individual planning and preparation of work.
Teaching and learning
While each lesson observed had clear aims and desired learning outcomes it is important that these be communicated to students so that they are enabled to take responsibility for their learning. Lessons observed were well structured and students’ participation was encouraged. A highly commendable feature of one of the lessons was the attention being given to teaching students how to plan an investigation. Another highly commendable feature of this lesson was the posing to students of open questions seeking their suggestions on solving a problem. In the other lesson that was very well structured with a range of different activities contained within it, use was made of the internet in a highly effective manner to summarise the learning points of the lesson.
Classroom management was effective and discipline was maintained. There was a strong emphasis in each lesson on student activity with quite a lot being demanded of students and little room for passivity. Students were active participants in the learning activities, were engaged by the lessons, and were learning.
Students’ records of regular investigative work performed showed that they are encouraged to write their own accounts of investigations. As part of subject department planning teachers are encouraged to develop common procedures for the role of students’ notebooks and other records and for their monitoring. In checking students’ work teachers are encouraged to give developmental feedback to students that, as well as commenting on their work, also indicates what they should do to achieve better outcomes. Teachers should also as a rule follow up on incomplete work or on other comments made on students’ work.
Assessment
A range of assessment modes is used in Science as well as formal school examinations and pre-certificate examinations. Students are supported by the school’s homework policy. It is clear that homework is regularly set and is checked. As part of the department’s collaboration a common approach to student assessment in Science should be developed and included in the department plan.
Annual analysis of the school’s results in the State examinations by the science teachers should feed into regular self-review by the department of its performance. It is commendable that the science teachers award a percentage of marks in formal school examination for student practical work.
Summary of main findings and recommendations
The following are the main strengths identified in the evaluation:
- Science is well supported by school management through provision of resources and support of teachers’ continuing professional development
- The school is well equipped for the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in Science
- The school is involved in the Discover Sensors project
- Students were active and engaged participants in the learning activities observed
- Students’ choice of senior cycle subjects is based on an initial open choice
- Teachers award a proportion of students’ marks in school examinations for performance of investigative work
As a means of building on these strengths and to address areas for development, the following key recommendations are made:
- The issue of storage of resources, including chemicals, needs to be addressed
- Collaborative planning should be further developed, especially in the areas of planning for the science subjects, including TY Science, and for resources
Post-evaluation meetings were held with the teachers of Science and with the principal at the conclusion of the evaluation when the draft findings and recommendations of the evaluation were presented and discussed.
Published April 2009