013448 Science and Technology Education for Primary Schools

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

Description

This subject engages pre-service teachers with the teaching and learning of science and technology in the primary school. In this subject, pre-service teachers reflect on their reading of the literature and experiences in the classroom to develop their philosophy of learning and teaching in science and technology. The pre-service teachers also develop their understanding of the nature of science and technology, an important component of scientific knowledge and its development as a human endeavour. A focus of this subject is on clarifying and developing primary school students' conceptions in science and technology, primarily through inquiry-based, constructivist, pedagogical practices. Pre-service teachers learn how to access information in a variety of forms from a range of sources, and how to critically evaluate information and ideas. This is fundamental to lifelong learning and for developing scientific, technological, information and language literacies. The pre-service teachers are guided to use the NESA Science and Technology K–6 syllabus to organise content into effective learning and teaching sequences and to employ a range of teaching strategies and resources, including ICT, that engage school students in their learning. The subject locates learning and teaching in intellectual, practical, creative, social, gender-inclusive and culturally sensitive contexts.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

• Apply scholarly knowledge of the needs of primary school students and how they learn. (1.1)
• Interpret and critically analyse the content of relevant syllabuses & apply a scholarly approach to teach them. (1.2)
• Plan, implement and evaluate teaching & learning programs based on contemporary perspectives on teaching and learning. (1.3)
• Critically reflect on Indigenous contexts to inform professional capabilities to work effectively with and for Indigenous peoples across education contexts. (4.1)
• Communicate effectively in academic, professional& community contexts. (6.1)

Teaching and learning strategies

The subject will be presented through weekly one-hour asynchronous online delivery and two-hour synchronous on-campus workshops. The teaching and learning strategies employed in this subject will include lecturer input, practical tasks, structured discussions, and computer-based and on-line activities. Student experiences will include discussions, presentations, collaborative small group work in class and onsite with school children, individual research and engagement in assignments which critically examine and apply current literature to experiences, and familiarity with the current science and technology syllabus. Student learning will also be supported by Canvas which allows students to access subject information electronically as well as participate in online activities. Students will receive ongoing formative feedback in their workshops from their lecturer and peers throughout the teaching session, including early feedback prior to census date.

Formative feedback: Students will receive written feedback on an informal task conducted in Week 2 before submitting Task 1 in Week 5. Students will then receive further feedback on Task 1 prior to submitting subsequent Tasks 2 and 3.

Content (topics)

Knowledge of the central concepts, modes of inquiry and structure of the Science and Technology Key Learning Area including:

• developing scientific and technological understandings of the relevant content areas.

Exposure to and knowledge about Science and Technology pedagogy, including:?

• a variety of learning processes
• diversification of the curriculum via identification of appropriate concepts for learning by primary children at different Stage levels.
• assessment in Science and Technology
• learning processes and learning environments?
• purposes of teaching?
• concepts, processes, skills and attitudes that are appropriate to that content area for a particular Stage
• relationships between different lesson strategies.?

Exposure to, design of and experience in implementation of Science and Technology units, including selection of appropriate equipment and resources in lesson planning.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Theoretical Framework for Teaching and Learning in Science and Technology

Assessment task 2: Lesson Planning and Presentation

Assessment task 3: Lesson Sequencing for a Primary Science and Technology Unit of Work

Minimum requirements

None.

Required texts

NESA Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus:?

https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/learning-areas/science/science-and-technology-k-6-new-syllabus?

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (nd). Foundation to Year 10 Curriculum: Science. Sydney: ACARA.

https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/science/?

Primary Connections units and associated information can be accessed at

http://primaryconnections.org.au/?

References

Abruscato, J. & DeRosa, D. (2010). Teaching Children Science: A Discovery Approach (7th ed.). Sydney: Allyn & Bacon.?

Aubusson, P., Schuck, S., Ng, W., Burke, P., & Pressick-Kilborn, K. (2015). Quality learning and teaching in primary science and technology literature review (2nd ed.). Sydney: AIS NSW (on UTS Online).?

Aubusson, P., Schuck, S., Ng, W., Burke, P., Pressick-Kilborn, K., & Palmer, T.A. (2016). Case study report: Quality learning and teaching in primary science and technology. (on UTSOnline)?

Burke, P., Aubusson, P., Schuck, S., Palmer, T.A., Pressick-Kilborn, K., & Ng, W. (2016). Barriers to the effective teaching of primary science and technology: Report on best-worst scaling (BWS) (on UTSOnline)?

Co?tu, B., Ayas, A., & Niaz, M. (2012). Investigating the effectiveness of a POE-based teaching activity on students’ understanding of condensation. Instructional Science, 40(1), 47-67.?

Dawson, V., & Venville, G. (2007). The Art of Teaching Primary Science. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.?

Fitzgerald, A. (Ed.) (2013). Learning and Teaching Primary Science. New York: Cambridge University Press.?

Harlen, W. & Qualter, A. (2014). The Teaching of Science in Primary Schools (6th ed.). London: Routledge.?

Hanuscin, D. L., & Lee, M. H. (2008). Using the learning cycle as a model for teaching the learning cycle to preservice elementary teachers. Journal of Elementary Science Education, 20(2), 51-66.?

Hoban, G., Nielson, W. & Shepherd, A. (Eds.)(2016). Student-generated Digital Media in Science Education: Learning, Explaining and Communicating Content. London: Routledge.?

Martin, J. (2012). Elementary Science Methods: A Constructivist Approach (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage.?

McCrory, A. & Worthington, K. (2018). Mastering Primary Science. Sydney: Bloomsbury.?

Niess, M. L. (2012). Teacher knowledge for teaching with technology: A TPACK lens. In R. Ronau, C. Rakes & M. Niess (Eds.), Educational Technology, Teacher Knowledge, and Classroom Impact: A Research Handbook on Frameworks and Approaches (pp. 1-15). Hershey, Pennsylvania: IGI Global.?

Skamp, K. (Ed.) (2012). Teaching Primary Science Constructively (4th ed.). Melbourne: Cengage.?

Tytler, R. (2007). Re-imagining Science Education: Engaging students in science for Australia’s future. Melbourne: ACER Press.?

Venville, G., & Dawson, V. (Eds.). (2004). The Art of Teaching Science. Sydney, Australia: Allen & Unwin.