An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta
Department of Education and Science
Subject Inspection of Science
REPORT
Coláiste Muire
Tuar Mhic Éadaigh,
Roll number: 64691Q
Date of inspection: 14 May 2007
Date of issue of report: 6 December 2007
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 Coláiste Muire. 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, and the response of the board will be found in the appendix of this report.
Subject provision and whole school support
Coláiste Muire is the only second-level school in this Gaeltacht-designated area. Because so many of its students do not have sufficient Irish, the school has separate streams of Irish-medium and English-medium classes in junior cycle. The entire senior cycle is taught through the medium of English. The administrative work of the school is conducted entirely through the medium of Irish. The school has plans for an Irish stream in senior cycle from next year. Two of the classes observed during the evaluation were conducted through Irish and two through English. It is acknowledged that responding to the needs of the students of the area, while continuing as an Irish-medium school, is a challenge that the school is doing its best to meet. As part of its effort to improve the ability of students to carry out their class work through Irish, the school organises a week in August where incoming students receive intensive tuition in Irish grammar and conversation. The school is commended for this and is urged to continue in its efforts to increase the level of Irish in the school.
School management is supportive of Science. All students take Science in classes of mixed ability that have the required instructional time with double class periods for practical work. All classes have access to the school’s laboratory. The laboratory does not have a separate preparation and storage area and is inadequate for student practical work with regard to equipment, layout, and also on safety grounds. In particular the storage of chemicals on open shelves in the laboratory is unsatisfactory. The school is pursuing the replacement of this laboratory and it has plans for alternative accommodation that are contingent on Department of Education and Science approval and support. In the short term the school should dispose of the redundant material in the laboratory.
There are three teachers of science subjects in the school, one of whom teaches Biology at senior level only. Up to June 2006 the school had Physics as a Leaving Certificate subject but Agricultural Science has replaced this for the present pre-Leaving Certificate year. As this is the second year that the school has had a Transition Year (TY), there is no Leaving Certificate class this year. The programme for TY Science is mainly physics based and includes material that is also included in the Leaving Certificate programme. It is recommended that the school should review this programme so as to include a wider range of science-related topics less closely related to the Leaving Certificate syllabuses. Advice in this area can be obtained from the Second-Level Support Service (SLSS) (website: www.slss.ie).
The school is broadband enabled and has a computer room. Science classes use the computer room occasionally when researching projects. However there is no access to broadband in the laboratory. The school is urged to extend its broadband to the science teaching area as soon as is feasible.
Planning and preparation
Subject planning for Science takes place mainly on an individual teacher basis. Members of school staff have attended school development planning training and the school has also hosted a number of external presentations for the school staff. The school has a planning group that is documenting school policies in a range of areas. Subject department planning in Science takes place in conjunction with this. Two formal meetings of the subject department are held each year. While there is no coordinator for the department, teachers work together collaboratively and meet regularly on an informal basis to plan and to organise the laboratory and student practical work. It is recommended that the current arrangements in regard to co-operation among all the teachers of science subjects should be formalised through setting up a science department and establishing the position of subject co-ordinator that would rotate on an annual basis. Advice and information with regard to subject department planning may be obtained from the website of the School Development Planning Initiative (SDPI) (www.sdpi.ie).
There is a common outline plan for the topics to be covered in first and second year but not yet for third year. Science teachers are also working towards having a common programme, including assessment for each year. The science department needs to develop a strategy to support joint planning. School management support will be necessary at each stage of the implementation of this strategy. The science teachers should develop short-term, medium-term, and longer-term targets for their collaborative work. It is recommended that in the short term teachers should focus on minor improvements to the laboratory and on common course planning that would also include each of the senior cycle sciences. A medium-term focus should be on the incorporation of information and communication technology to a greater extent in the teaching and learning of science, and the development of shared resources in this area. As laboratory facilities improve attention will also need to be directed towards storage of equipment for student practical work in a more readily accessible way. At this stage also science teachers should be documenting and sharing teaching and learning methodologies and resources and deciding on the loner-term targets for their collaborative work.
The common course planning should build on what has already been done to support course planning. This should be done initially on a term basis and then developed to give monthly and weekly plans for each year group that would include the learning objectives to be achieved, the resources required, and the assessment methodologies to be used. This collaborative planning will support the short-term planning of individual teachers and will ensure continuity for students when changes of teacher occur. Subject departmental planning should also include the provision made for students with special educational needs along with planning for cross-curricular links.
Teaching and learning
The topics of the lessons observed included pH of solutions, sexual reproduction, water treatment, and the circulatory system. All lessons were in line with the syllabus. Each lesson had a clear aim that was shared with the class at the outset and there was a clear structure to each lesson that reflected detailed planning by the teacher. It was evident that teachers had engaged in effective individual planning and preparation. A range of appropriate and varied teaching methodologies was employed, including use of the whiteboard, teacher demonstrations and student practical work. Lessons were communicated in a way that was understood by students and key concepts and instructions were clearly explained.
Teachers showed very good skills in conveying the material of each lesson. The questions, responses, and active involvement of students in each lesson reflected a high quality of understanding. Students responded well and were engaged in each lesson. This engagement was facilitated in some lessons by the linking by the teacher of the material of the lesson to students’ everyday experience. Given the range of abilities in each class it is recommended that teachers should focus on developing students’ understanding of the terminology associated with science through having lists of key words to support students’ learning.
In each lesson observed the required resources were readily to hand. The textbook was appropriately used in each lesson as a resource for students and to recapitulate the lesson. In the laboratory class due regard was taken of appropriate safety precautions. Teachers employed a range of questioning strategies and where good practice was in evidence some questions were directed to individual students to assess their understanding. In most lessons observed teachers affirmed students on their answering. Student participation and involvement in lessons were encouraged when teachers ensured a closer balance between the contributions of teachers and students to the lesson. Teachers demonstrated a very good understanding of students’ abilities and interests.
Student notebooks were examined during the evaluation. Teachers are recommended to take up all student notebooks on a regular basis and to generalise the practice of giving students individual written feedback on how their work can be improved. In all lessons classroom management was effective and discipline was maintained. Teaching in Coláiste Muire is of a high quality and student learning was taking place in each class observed.
Assessment
Formal assessment of students in Science takes place twice yearly with reports sent home on each occasion. As well as this students have regular class tests. The science teachers should develop further their practice of setting common assessments across year groups. The school has a homework policy that sets out the role of the student journal and recommends a set time for student homework. Homework in Science is set regularly.
The science teachers are beginning to include students’ laboratory work as part of the overall assessment results of students. It is recommended that this practice be further developed and that other work carried out by students, such as homework, is included also.
The practice of giving feedback to students should be generalised to all student work, including the outcomes of assessments. This feedback should indicate to students where they are achieving well and should also indicate what they could do to improve their outcomes.
The school is commended on the level of teachers’ expectations of students and of student achievement in Science as reflected by the proportion of students that takes Science at higher level in the Junior Certificate Examination.
Summary of main findings and recommendations
The following are the main strengths identified in the evaluation:
- School management is supportive of Science.
- Subject planning in Science has benefited from a high level of co-operation between the science teachers.
- The school and the science teachers are highly commended on the effort they make to provide students with the science subjects that they request.
- The school encourages as many students as possible to take Science at higher level in the Junior Certificate Examination.
- Teaching in Coláiste Muire is of a high quality and student learning was taking place in each class observed.
As a means of building on these strengths and to address areas for development, the following key recommendations are made:
- Planning at a subject departmental level for Science should be strengthened and broadened.
- Whole school support for Science should be further improved through planning for the extension of broadband to the science laboratory and supporting the greater use of information and communication technologies in teaching and learning Science.
- The school, through its board of management, should prioritise in its planning the improvement of laboratory resources for Science.
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.
Appendix
School Response to the Report
Submitted by the Board of Management
Area 1: Observations on the content of the inspection report
Chemicals are being stored on open shelves but they are behind the teacher’s bench, where students are not allowed. Common planning for the senior cycle science subjects cannot be done as there is only one teacher involved for each subject.
Area 2: Follow-up actions planned or undertaken since the completion of the inspection activity to implement the findings and recommendations of the inspection
- A planning meeting for each subject each term
- Broadband to be put into the laboratory.
- An application from the school’s engineer for a new laboratory has been sent to the Department already.