Leading learning through the science capabilities
The nature of science strand explores how science knowledge is created and used. The science capabilities help ākonga develop and build their understanding of what it is to engage with the practices of science.
Explicit teaching and use of these capabilities provide platforms/reasons for learning content and using science knowledge when considering participatory decisions and actions.
Prompting questions/ngā pātai
What do you know about the science capabilities?
How do you use them or how have you seen them used in science teaching?
How do the capabilities bring science to life?
How do they help students become functional and participating citizens?
Transcript
Mairi Borthwick
Our focus became the science capabilities, so we really started to cut down to what is the essential little bit that we want to learn here and then build on that the next year and build on that next year. There was an aha moment for one of my teachers when he saw his year 11s using the skills that they’ve been developing through the science capabilities in their assessment answer, that he suddenly was like, “Oh my goodness, this is the way to go.”
Anna Thornton
So we’re trying to hit these skills – the investigation, the participating, contributing – across all the topics so that they can see the tie-in between different subjects.
Andrea Tritton
They had investigation skills, so they knew how to ask questions, how to write methods, how to design around variables. They could communicate their findings. We were teaching them how to do research and make sure that they’re using valid sources of information and critiquing this evidence that they’re looking at. If they can carry out an investigation and communicate really well and they know how to research, then actually the content just comes when we do get to that place because it’s still important.
Lian Soh
These are competencies which we need to teach to our students and build upon at school. The whole purpose behind this is, is to help these students become functional and participating citizens.
Acknowledgements
Mairi Borthwick, Head of Science, Freyberg High School
Anna Thornton, Learning Area Head of Science, Mana College
Andrea Tritton, Deputy Principal, Hobsonville Point Secondary School
Lian Soh, Science and Chemistry Teacher, Pāpāmoa College
Tāhūrangi – New Zealand curriculum website, Ministry of Education. © Crown Copyright. Released under Creative Commons licence, CC BY-NC 4.0
Students on rocky shore, field trip, by Lian Soh. © Pāpāmoa College
