Science issues
ASE Presidential Address from Mike Tomlinson inspires hope
Author: Peter Campbell
teachingphysics.iop.org
Mike Tomlinson’s address at the ASE Annual Meeting on Friday had the flavour of a champion returning home. It made clear that he is now batting for the county team.
His main message: if science education is to recover from its recent downturn in popularity among students, the country must once again trust its science teachers.
In his speech, Tomlinson compared features of the best and the worst in science curriculum innovation and classroom practice over recent decades.
The best periods for UK science education, he said, were the Nuffield projects of the 1960s and 1970s and the School Science Curriculum Review of the early 1980s. Its characteristics:
- teacher involvement, from both independent and maintained sectors
- development of student investigative work
- new styles of teaching & learning
- new resources
- a regional network of science centres that provided in-service training for teachers
These were exciting and challenging times for science teachers. They were encouraged to innovate and take risks. Both charitable trusts and private companies provided financial support for teachers to develop new approaches. In the wake of curriculum changes, formal assessment too changed. Virtually all exam courses were affected.
By contrast, Tomlinson said, the introduction of a closely-specified National Curriculum (NC) and, later, league tables, led to the worst period for science education. Its characteristics:
- pedagogical orthodoxy
- little sense of teacher ownership
- a decline in the range and quantity of student practical work
Teachers were encouraged to play safe in order to maximise their students’ exam performance. The one positive achievement of the NC was a significant improvement in primary science.
Then Tomlinson turned to what needs to be done. On his list:
- ring-fenced money for subject-specific Continuing Professional Development. Otherwise the national network of Science learning Centres may perish.
- more time for teaching and learning
- ethical and moral discussion alongside the development of scientific knowledge. In other words, a better balance of scientific literacy and scientific competence. He held up GCSE Twenty First Century Science as a model to emulate.
- more flexibility in science education at key stage 3
- a reduced burden of summative assessment and improved assessment for learning (formative assessment)
- a more intelligent system for public accountability in education. At present, only what is measurable is valued.
National development in science education, Tomlinson stated, must be based on an effective national strategy. To ensure that this happens, he urged the ASE to coordinate teachers in lobbying politicians and the DfES.
Mike Tomlinson began his career as a teacher and has been a member of the ASE for 40 years. In a humorous vote of thanks, Bob Kibble (Faculty of Education, University of Edinburgh) referred to Tomlinson’s period out in the world and welcomed him back. Bob proffered Mike the tee-shirt of an ASE champion.
Some of what Mike Tomlinson had to say echoes a review of the impact of curriculum projects in a booklet that you can download as a pdf file from the Institute of Physics web site (see link above). The article by Andrew Hunt starts on page 16.
