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www.earthscienceeducation.com
Earth Science in secondary schools in England & Wales
Teacher attitudesand
levels of teaching
www.earthscienceeducation.com
Earth Science Education Unit
Based at Keele University, UK
Provides in-service training for teachers
Key Stage 3 (11-14) & Key Stage 4 (14-16)
Based on National Curriculum requirements
www.earthscienceeducation.com
ESEU workshops
In-school delivery
Team of facilitators around UK
Short (typically 90 minute) format
Routine survey by questionnaire
– before workshop “baseline assessment”
– after workshop “workshop evaluation”
www.earthscienceeducation.com
Baseline data
Data collected prior to ESEU workshop
Responses from contact science teacher
Returns from 205 schools
May 2000 – March 2003
Demographic data collected
– school type, size, number of staff teaching science,
school status indicators (GCSE pass rates, free lunches)
www.earthscienceeducation.com
What do you feel is the overall confidence of staff in their Earth
science teaching?
What do you feel is the overall enjoyment of staff in their Earth
science teaching?
www.earthscienceeducation.com
Teacher confidence in teaching Earth science
1
23
7279
27
0
20
40
60
80
100
1 2 3 4 5responses on Likert scale
Nu
mb
er o
f re
spo
nse
s
Teacher enjoyment in teaching Earth science
216
69
83
32
0
20
40
60
80
100
1 2 3 4 5responses on Likert scale
Nu
mb
er o
f re
spo
nse
s
Likert scale where 1 is high, 5 is low
mean = 3.5
mean = 3.6
www.earthscienceeducation.com
What is the view of your colleagues of the value of teaching Earth
science topics in science?
What is the view of your colleagues of the importance of Earth science
to the National Science Curriculum?
www.earthscienceeducation.com
Teacher value of Earth science
3
28
82
58
30
0
20
40
60
80
100
1 2 3 4 5responses on Likert scale
Nu
mb
er o
f re
spo
nse
s
Teacher importance of Earth science
2
28
88
56
23
0
20
40
60
80
100
1 2 3 4 5responses on Likert scale
Nu
mb
er o
f re
spo
nse
s
Likert scale where 1 is high, 5 is low
mean = 3.4
mean = 3.4
www.earthscienceeducation.com
Teacher perceptions of children’s attitudes
What do you feel is the level of interest of the pupils in Earth
science?
What do you feel is the level of enjoyment of the pupils in Earth
science?
www.earthscienceeducation.com
Pupil interest in Earth science
3
45
79
62
13
0
20
40
60
80
100
1 2 3 4 5responses on Likert scale
Nu
mb
er o
f re
spo
nse
s
Pupil enjoyment of Earth science
5
31
88
63
15
0
20
40
60
80
100
1 2 3 4 5responses on Likert scale
Nu
mb
er o
f re
spo
nse
s
Likert scale where 1 is high, 5 is low
mean = 3.2
mean = 3.3
www.earthscienceeducation.com
in summary…
Teachers have neutral to moderately negative attitudes to teaching Earth science
They also have neutral to slightly negative opinions of the relevance of Earth science teaching
Teachers perceive pupils to have a neutral attitude to Earth science
www.earthscienceeducation.com
Comparison with previous study
King (2001) reported results of a similar survey undertaken in 1997
Individual teachers (rather than one contact per school) surveyed
Comparisons can be made between some of the survey items
www.earthscienceeducation.com
0.05.0
10.015.020.025.030.035.040.045.0
1 2 3 4 5
King 2001
2003
Confidence in teaching Earth science
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
1 2 3 4 5Likert scale
Per
cen
tag
e o
f re
spo
nse
s
mean = 2.7
mean = 3.5
Enjoyment of teaching Earth science
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
1 2 3 4 5Likert scale
Per
cen
tag
e o
f re
spo
nse
s
mean = 2.9
mean = 3.6
www.earthscienceeducation.com
Importance of Earth science toNational Science Curriculum
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
1 2 3 4 5Likert scale
Per
cen
tag
e o
f re
spo
nse
smean = 3.2
mean = 3.4
Pupil interest in Earth science
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
1 2 3 4 5Likert scale
Pe
rce
nta
ge
of
res
po
ns
es
mean = 2.9
mean = 3.20.05.0
10.015.020.025.030.035.040.045.0
1 2 3 4 5
King 2001
2003
www.earthscienceeducation.com
Types of teaching
Amount of practical work included in Earth science teaching across the school
Amount of Sc1 investigational work included in Earth science teaching across
the school
Amount of field work included in Earth science teaching across the school
Amount of practical work included in Earth science teaching across the school
= laboratory work
Amount of Sc1 investigational work included in Earth science teaching across
the school = National Curriculum scientific enquiry
requirements
www.earthscienceeducation.com
Amount of practical work
416
62
78
41
0
20
40
60
80
100
1 2 3 4 5responses on Likert scale
Nu
mb
er o
f re
spo
nse
s
Amount of Sc1 investigational work
0 4 13
46
136
020406080
100120140160
1 2 3 4 5responses on Likert scale
Nu
mb
er o
f re
spo
nse
s
Amount of field work
1 221
31
139
020406080
100120140160
1 2 3 4 5responses on Likert scale
Nu
mb
er o
f re
spo
nse
s
Likert scale where 1 is high, 5 is low
mean = 3.7
mean = 4.6
mean = 4.6
Amount of practical work
Amount of fieldwork
Amount of Sc1 investigational work
www.earthscienceeducation.com
1
2
3
4
5
1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0
Likert scale for amount of practical work
(1 = high, 5 = low)
Lik
ert
scal
e fo
r co
nfi
den
ce
Relationship between confidence and amount of practical work
3.1
1.0
3.8
3.6
4.1
1
2
3
4
5
1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0
Likert scale for amount of practical work
(1 = high, 5 = low)
Lik
ert
scal
e fo
r co
nfi
den
ce
1
2
3
4
5
1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0
Likert scale for amount of practical work
(1 = high, 5 = low)
Lik
ert
scal
e fo
r co
nfi
den
ce
Investigational work
fieldwork
www.earthscienceeducation.com
in summary…
Relatively low levels of practical work
Very low levels of investigational and
field-based work
www.earthscienceeducation.com
0.05.0
10.015.020.025.030.035.040.045.0
1 2 3 4 5
King 2001
2003
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
1 2 3 4 5Responses on Likert scale
Nu
mb
er o
f re
spo
nse
s
mean = 3.4
mean = 3.7
0.0
20.0
40.0
60.0
80.0
100.0
1 2 3 4 5Responses on Likert scale
Nu
mb
er o
f re
spo
nse
s
mean = 4.4
mean = 4.6
0.0
20.0
40.0
60.0
80.0
100.0
1 2 3 4 5Responses on Likert scale
Nu
mb
er o
f re
spo
nse
s
mean = 4.7
mean = 4.6
Practical work
Fieldwork
Investigational work
www.earthscienceeducation.com
How much Earth science is actually being taught?
About how many hours/minutes are spent teaching core Earth science topics (e.g. weathering, the rock cycle, sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rock formation, geological time, evidence for rock formation, structure of the Earth, plate tectonics)?
www.earthscienceeducation.com
3.2
5.3
3.6
8.7
4.5
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
10.0
Y7 Y8 Y9 Y10 Y11
Year Group
Nu
mb
er o
f h
ou
rsAverage hours of Earth science
teaching per year group
www.earthscienceeducation.com
Proportion of National Science Curriculum teachingdevoted to Earth Science
0.010.0
20.030.040.0
50.060.070.080.0
90.0100.0110.0
120.0130.0140.0
150.0160.0
Y7 Y8 Y9 Y10 Y11 Year Group
Nu
mb
er o
f h
ou
rs
Total hours ofscience teachingbased on 1995 NCrecommendations
Mean hours ofEarth Scienceteaching
Proportion of National Curriculum science teaching devoted to
Earth science
4.1% 6.8% 3.1% 5.6% 2.9%
Key Stage 3 mean 4.4% KS4 mean 4.3%
www.earthscienceeducation.com
36%
21%
31%
5%
4%
3%
30%
32%
29%
3%
4%2%
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Space Science
Earth Science
Environment
Proportion of National Science Curriculum Statements devoted
to each subject area
Key Stage 3 Key Stage 4
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What does this mean for ESEU?
Engage with teachers to improve attitudes, particularly confidence and enthusiasm.
Help teachers to increase practical, investigational and field-based work, rather than simply teach more Earth science.
www.earthscienceeducation.com
Post-workshop survey
Individual teachers asked to reflect on
what they had gained from attending
ESEU INSET workshop
421 responses in sample covering
September 2002 – July 2003
Mean responses given for each item
www.earthscienceeducation.com
1
2
3
4
5
6
1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0
Likert Scale(1 = strongly agree, 5 = strongly disagree)
After the workshop:
1. I will feel more confident in my Earth science teaching
2. I am likely to enjoy teaching Earth science more
3. I have a better understanding of the importance of Earth science
4. I feel more enthusiastic about teaching Earth science
5. I feel that the level of interest of my pupils will increase
6. I feel that the level of achievement of my pupils in ES will increase
1.8
1.8
2.0
1.9
1.8
1.9
Likert scale1 = strongly agree
5 = strongly disagree
www.earthscienceeducation.com
I think the workshop will affect my Earth science teaching by:
1. Increasing the amount of ES practical work
2. Increasing the amount of ES investigational work
3. Increasing the amount of ES work out of doors
4. Increasing the total amount of Earth science I teach
Likert scale1 = strongly agree
5 = strongly disagree
1
2
3
4
1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0
Likert Scale(1 = strongly agree, 5 = strongly disagree)
1.5
2.0
2.9
2.7
www.earthscienceeducation.com
Conclusions
Teacher attitudes to Earth science teaching and learning in the UKcould be more positiveOverall levels of teaching in line with National Curriculum, but practical -based teaching is lowSome evidence that ESEU workshops are addressing these challengesQualitative research is needed
www.earthscienceeducation.com
EARTH SCIENCEEDUCATION UNIT
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