• All activities
  • New study options
    • Engaging with practices of contemporary science
    • Inquiry science
    • Schools science project
    • Science in Schools
    • Science and mathematics specialist pathways
    • Science and Mathematics in the Classroom
  • Additional Experiences
    • AMSPP collaboration
    • ASELL for Schools - Victorian Node
    • Back to school
    • Communicating Science
    • Contemporary Biology and Environmental Science In Education
    • Contemporary Science Schools Network
    • Discovery STEM initiative
    • Maths videos
    • Multidisciplinary Science and Technology in Education collaboration
    • Reconceptualising Chemistry
    • Reconceptualising Rocks
    • Representing scientific practice at the Institute for Frontier Materials
    • Scientists as Partners in Education
    • Science Squad

ASELL for Schools - Victorian Node

ReMSTEP worked with the collective Advancing Science & Engineering through Laboratory Learning (ASELL) for Schools - Victorian Node to develop learning activities for Years 7-10 focusing on practical experiences to represent contemporary science.

Contact

Responds to ReMSTEP innovation(s):

2

Undergraduate maths and science students engaging with schools.

Key points

• Brought university science students, science education staff, and teachers together to develop practical activities for the secondary school curriculum
• Produced support materials for teachers of Year 7-10 students in contemporary science.

Advancing Science and Engineering through Laboratory Learning (ASELL) for Schools program is a collective of scientists, engineers, and educators across Australia that run workshops and creates resources to encourage learning through practical experiments. Their “For Schools” program brings university academics to a local school to facilitate a workshop involving teachers and students.

The ReMSTEP activity was a collaboration with the Australian Maths and Science Partnerships Program and ASELL for Schools - Victorian Node with the aim of bringing university science students, science education staff, and teachers together to develop practical activities for the secondary school curriculum.

Laboratory Learning Activities (LLAs) were developed to suit the ASELL for Schools - Victorian Node project for Years 7-10. They included contemporary science with an inquiry focus, and strong industry links.

This project introduced three innovative elements into the practical activity development:

• Representation of contemporary science research contexts.
• Representational construction/modelling focus consistent with contemporary scientific practices.
• Development by pre-service teachers working alongside scientists, science educators and teachers.

This activity also produced support materials for teachers and LLAs for Year 7-10 students in contemporary science. These were developed with an emphasis on a representation construction approach and inquiry skill development and inquiry learning, by academics and practicing teachers in schools during workshops. These materials will be published for all to access, on the ASELL for Schools - Vic Node website.

The involvement of ReMSTEP in ASELL for Schools - Victorian Node has changed the priorities of this program. Previously, the focus had been on laboratory activities that were scientifically sound and applied good pedagogy, but had not looked at the generation of student interest or relevance to the curriculum. Since the formation of the partnership, the Victorian Node of ASELL for Schools has focused on the inclusion of contemporary science, industry links, representation construction pedagogy, using an inquiry approach, and the development of science conceptual learning.

The participating PSTs gained insight into the way teachers think and the content knowledge of practicing teachers, have been exposed to practical activities with an inquiry and contemporary science focus, and engaged in reflection on what makes a good laboratory learning activity.

The activities have been taken up by a number of schools. Feedback from teachers via surveys has shown that teachers have found the workshops and activities enjoyable and very useful.