An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta

Department of Education and Science

 

Subject Inspection of Geography

REPORT

 

Carrigallen Vocational School

Carrigallen, County Leitrim

Roll number: 71540J

 

Date of inspection: 21 November 2008

 

 

 

 

Subject inspection report

Subject provision and whole school support

Planning and preparation

Teaching and learning

Assessment

Summary of main findings and recommendations

 

 

 

 

Report on the Quality of Learning and Teaching in Geography

 

 

Subject inspection report

 

This report has been written following a subject inspection in Carrigallen Vocational 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 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

 

Carrigallen Vocational School is under the auspices of County Leitrim Vocational Education Committee. It is a co-educational school with a current enrolment of 212 students, 114 girls and 98 boys. In the junior cycle, Geography is a compulsory subject and is allocated two class periods per week in first year. This allocation is increased to three class periods per week in second year and third year. Students in first year are taught in mixed-ability classes while in the other years in the junior cycle students are taught in higher level and ordinary level classes. It is recommended that the form of class organisation in second year and third year be reviewed and that the mixed-ability class grouping be continued from first year. For the Established Leaving Certificate (ELC) Geography is an optional subject. Commendably, students are presented with an open subject choice before option bands are generated and, from information supplied during the evaluation, it is evident that some subjects in the option bands vary from year to year. Students and parents are supported and advised prior to making subject choices in a variety of ways, including access to the guidance counsellor. The uptake of the subject to date has been broadly in line with national norms. There is one class group studying Geography in each of the Leaving Certificate years. Class groupings at this level are of mixed ability.

 

The school has developed a policy on providing for students with additional educational needs and this is included in the subject department plan for Geography. Teachers are aware of the needs of these students in their classes and lists of key geographical terms are being provided to the learning support department. Some students have the support of a special needs assistant (SNA) and students receive appropriate supports when taking in-school examinations. The provision of such supports for students is commended.

 

A good range of resources is available to support teaching and learning of Geography. These resources include a variety of Ordnance Survey (OS) maps, aerial photographs, rock samples, weather instruments and wall maps. In some lessons observed a wide range of teacher-generated resources was used and it was evident from folders provided to the inspector that a very extensive bank of such resources has been developed over a period of time. The provision of such resources deserves to be acknowledged and it reflects a commitment to providing rich learning experiences for students.

 

Information and communications technology (ICT) resources are available in the school. These include a computer room, a laptop computer and digital projector. The school also has internet access. These resources have been used by teachers to access and provide teaching resources to support teaching and learning.

 

Two teachers currently make up the geography teaching team in Carrigallen Vocational School. In-service has been availed of in relation to the introduction of the Revised Leaving Certificate Geography syllabus and commendably, teachers also attend branch meetings of the Association of Geography Teachers of Ireland (AGTI).

 

 

Planning and preparation

 

A subject department plan has been developed outlining an agreed teaching programme in each term for each year group. The planned teaching programme for junior cycle, in line with best practice, includes the introduction of OS map and photograph skills in first year. This will enable these key geographical skills to be integrated into the planned teaching programme. The first-year programme contains a strong emphasis on topics from physical geography. This places considerable demands on students in terms of technical vocabulary and of complex geomorphic processes to be understood at an early stage. It is recommended that the planned teaching programme for junior cycle be reviewed so as to provide greater variety in the units of the syllabus being taught in first year and to leave topics involving more complex geographical concepts until a later stage. Resource materials provided during the evaluation will support this review.

 

The plan also contains a mission statement, reference to providing for students with additional educational needs, homework, assessment and reporting procedures. It also contains a draft policy on school trips which will have particular relevance to students undertaking geographical investigations. The planning process is supported by the appointment of a subject co-ordinator and by the provision of time by school management for formal planning once per term. Minutes of subject department meetings are kept and these were made available during the evaluation. The subject plan is reviewed annually and amendments have been made in the light of experience. In some instances the subject department plan has been adapted by the class teacher to the needs of individual classes where a detailed weekly teaching plan was outlined and progress was recorded. This is very good practice. In reviewing the subject department plan it is recommended that teachers focus on learning outcomes as well as curriculum content and that these outcomes be related to teaching methodologies, resources and methods of assessment. This approach to curriculum planning is in line with National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) recommendations.

 

Clear learning objectives were evident for each of the lessons observed. Lessons were set within a larger planned unit of work. The good practice of sharing the planned learning outcomes with the students was a notable feature of all lessons and in some instances students wrote these into their copybooks. The learning outcomes provided a clear focus for students’ attention and, when the lesson was successfully concluded, their review provided students with a sense of achievement. Planning was most effective where student tasks were included in the lesson plan. In planning for individual lessons, in some instances, there is need to clearly identify student-based tasks.

 

 

Teaching and learning

 

Lessons began with roll call, homework was corrected and monitored and this was used to provide the context for the introduction of new subject matter. Lessons concluded with homework being assigned and recorded by students in their journals. These routines created a structured environment which supported teaching and learning and are examples of good practice.

 

The quality of teaching varied in the four lessons observed. Best practice was evident where a wide range of teaching methodologies was used to actively engage students in the learning process. Teaching was less effective where there was a reliance on more traditional methods with high levels of teacher input. The use of the overhead projector in one lesson provided stimulating material on which to base a question-and-answer session between teacher and students as they discussed the mediterranean climate and then moved on to examine how vegetation has adapted to the climatic regime. Students were effectively challenged to offer explanations for geographical phenomena and this encouraged the development of higher-order thinking skills. The provision of time for students to complete a very clearly presented worksheet with some climatic statistics introduced variety into the teaching methodology. As students individually completed the worksheet the teacher moved around the classroom offering support and affirmation as appropriate. As a means of introducing variety, students could be encouraged, from time to time, to complete such an exercise in pairs or in small groups. The integration of statistical data into lessons is commended as it encourages the development of appropriate skills. Feedback from individual named students was recorded on the white board as students’ work was corrected. Students were then directed to record the major findings of the discussion in their copybooks. This provided students with a further short student task and helped to ensure their continued engagement in the learning process. It is recommended that, where appropriate, a greater range of teaching methodologies be employed so as to more actively engage students in the learning process and to maintain their interest throughout the lesson. Resources provided during the evaluation will support the wider use of active learning methodologies. Topics taught in the lessons observed included: mediterranean regions, revision using past examination papers, rock classification, faulting.

 

Teachers have adopted a visual approach to teaching Geography and this is commended. In one lesson observed a selection of rocks was provided for students to examine as a means of introducing the concept of classification by origin. Students enjoyed this activity and were willing to discuss their holiday experiences in areas such as the Burren. Students were provided with a worksheet which was read in class and was to be used for homework. The use of diagrams on an overhead projector or on the board would have made the formation of the different rock types clearer for students. Commendably, students for whom English is not their first language were provided with some supplementary textual material. In a lesson on faulting, the use of ICT was particularly effective in helping students to understand and appreciate the tectonic processes involved. Clear diagrams were shown using a laptop computer and digital projector of various types of fault. Animation effects showed clearly the operation of the forces of tension and compression and the resultant earth movements. This was followed by an actual photograph of the resultant fault structure and this combination of diagram and photograph made clear to students the landscape effects of tectonic activity. This is an example of very good practice. As a means of providing variety in the teaching methodology, students were given time to record notes in their copybooks as the lesson progressed. Students were asked to examine the diagrams and photographs and to describe and to offer explanations for the features shown. This encourages an investigative and exploratory approach to learning and is a further example of good practice.

 

In all of the classrooms visited due attention was paid to the language appropriate to Geography. New terms were introduced throughout the lessons, were carefully explained, and students were encouraged to make use of these in their responses to teacher questions. There was also very good integration of locational geography as frequent references were made to wall maps to show the location of features referred to during the course of lessons. Students participated in the planned learning activities and were frequently affirmed by their teachers. During interactions with their teachers, students were knowledgeable about their courses, could recall knowledge from previous lessons and when answering past examination questions, in most instances, provided the correct answer.

 

 

Assessment

 

Teachers in Carrigallen Vocational School use a variety of methods to assess students’ progress.

Ongoing assessment was evident through questioning by teachers during lessons, by the setting and correction of homework and by the holding of class tests when sections of the planned teaching programme had been completed. Formal assessments take place at mid-term and at the end of the Christmas and summer terms. Students preparing to take certificate examinations in the current school year sit pre-examinations during the second term. Teachers record the results of these assessments. Reports on students’ progress is provided to parents in the students’ journal, through school reports and at formal parent-teacher meetings, held annually for each year group.

 

The good practice of students having separate copybooks for notes and homework was evident in the classrooms visited. A sample of students’ copybooks was examined during the evaluation and it was evident that the quality of written work varied. In some instances work was neatly presented, was complete and was kept in a logical order. However, in a number of instances this was not the case and students would benefit from greater support and clear guidance as to the standards expected for their written work.

 

Students preparing for certificate examinations were engaged in revision of their courses. In some instances they had produced written answers to past examination questions in a copybook kept specifically for this purpose and had received constructive feedback from their teacher. The provision of such feedback is commended as it enables students to identify area for improvement as well as recognising their strengths. Teachers are encouraged to develop a policy for ‘assessment for learning’ (AfL) and to include this in the subject department plan. Revision of courses is an essential part of effective preparation for examinations and revision can be achieved on an ongoing basis as well as having an intensive period of revision immediately prior to examinations. Planning for such revision was evident during the evaluation, however, it is recommended that the planned revision programme, in some instances, be reviewed so as to be more fully integrated into the planned teaching programme and that entire lessons should not be devoted to revision at this early stage of the school year.

 

Results obtained by students in certificate examinations are analysed annually and the outcomes of this analysis are included in the subject department plan. This is commended. An analysis of results obtained by students indicates that a number of students are obtaining high grades on the ordinary level paper in the Junior Certificate Examination in Geography. It is recommended that the school reviews the number of students taking the ordinary level in this examination and encourages as many students as possible to attempt the higher level paper, keeping in mind student abilities and aspirations.

 

 

Summary of main findings and recommendations

 

The following are the main strengths 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 teachers of Geography 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