When studying science, many students do not develop higher order thinking skills which are improved through speaking and asking questions. In many situations a student may learn mainly by listening and get very little opportunity to ask questions or express themselves in a scientific manner.
At Cirencester Tuition Centre we believe that three of the most important factors in academic success are understanding, practice and positivity. With these three things in place, our tutees increase confidence in their abilities, and are able to boost their understanding and marks.
At Cirencester Tuition Centre our tutors aim for all children to see science as a vital part of everyday life. We want children to develop a confident and enthusiastic attitude towards science that will stay with them through their education.
A high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity, and all pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, pupils should be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They should be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes.
The national curriculum for science aims to ensure that all pupils:
-
develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
-
develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
-
are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future
he
While it is important that pupils make progress, it is also vitally important that they develop secure understanding of each key block of knowledge and concepts in order to progress to the next stage. Insecure, superficial understanding will not allow genuine progression: pupils may struggle at key points of transition (such as between primary and secondary school), build up serious misconceptions, and/or have significant difficulties in understanding higher-order content.
Pupils should be able to describe associated processes and key characteristics in common language, but they should also be familiar with, and use, technical terminology accurately and precisely. They should build up an extended specialist vocabulary. They should also apply their mathematical knowledge to their understanding of science, including collecting, presenting and analysing data. The social and economic implications of science are important but, generally, they are taught most appropriately within the wider school curriculum: tutors will use different contexts to maximise their pupils’ engagement with and motivation to study science.