Science issues

KS3 Why hurry through a science education?
Author: Peter Campbell

curriculum.qca.org.uk

There’s lots of talk these days about completing KS3 science in two years, and then moving on to more personalised routes through a variety of KS4 science courses. The idea of a ‘condensed KS3’, which originated in a 2001 Green Paper, encompasses English, Maths and Science and has been explored by the Secondary National Strategy.

But is the idea in danger of being applied inappropriately, to impress parents or in a naïve hope of improving value-added scores at KS4? Fast-tracking may actually reduce student motivation, except perhaps for very able pupils.

The Secondary National Strategy suggests that completing programmes of study for KS3 in two years can:
• increase the pace of learning and raise standards
• enhance pupils’ motivation and engagement
• improve transfer between Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3
• increase curriculum flexibility at KS4 and beyond, through the use of saved time in KS3
This last point may appeal particularly to schools introducing separate science GCSEs without any extra curriculum time in Years 10 & 11.

On the other hand, the flexibility that QCA will be encouraging from September 2008 is intended to provide more time for:
• fun and engagement with science
• more careful teaching of difficult concepts, which builds pupil confidence
• developing practical skills, thinking and learning skills
• developing some understanding of how science works (ideas about science)
• enabling cross-curricular links, particularly among STEM subjects

If your school is considering a two-year KS3, do read this evaluation study from the DCSF Two-year KS3 evaluation, carried out for the DfES and published in 2007. The study identified three different models for implementation: foundation, acceleration and enrichment models. These models were not mutually exclusive and more than one could be found operating at a single school. No surprise: the most common pattern was to accelerate pupils through Key Stage 3 and make an early start on Key Stage 4 studies. The study clearly identifies challenges and trade-offs for schools. For example, an accelerated model of implementation may reduce opportunities for curricular enrichment.

Another document to read is Research Paper 19 Looking forward: Making Key Stage 3 science work, published by the University of York Science Education Group. As it says,
‘The guiding principle behind any changes must be that they should engage students more actively in thinking about and exploring the natural world around them, so they are more likely to see science as a subject that addresses important and interesting questions and not as a catalogue of facts that have to be remembered for an examination and can then be safely forgotten.’

Before introducing a condensed KS3, it is essential to think through the whole science curriculum, from Y7 to Y11 and beyond. Be sure it makes sense. Identify clearly how students are likely to benefit at each stage.

If you do decide to go ahead, carefully work out how to reduce the content covered in two years, so that you do not sacrifice flexibility. You could, for example, concentrate on developing skills associated with independent learning and scientific enquiry, while focusing on the five key scientific ideas (cells, interdependence, particles, forces, energy). Other strategies for success may include
• avoiding unnecessary repetition of ideas from KS2
• using assessment for learning to continuously adjust the teaching pace
• aiming to teach for understanding
Review progress regularly as a department and be prepared to make changes if you identify weaknesses in your new scheme of work.

The Nuffield Curriculum Centre is currently developing a series of KS3 STEM cross-curricular modules aiming to explore contemporary themes through authentic tasks.

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