SEPTEMBER 2001 saw the start of teaching the GCSE science courses which reflect changes in the revised national curriculum. Changes include the introduction of a new strand - “Ideas and evidence in science” - and some modifications to the content programmes of study. There are also some changes to coursework assessment. These are not extensive. Following the introduction of science as a core subject in 1989, more than 80 per cent of pupils follow a “balanced science” course leading to a Double Award GCSE. This is a major achievement by teachers in broadening opportunities for progression to ASA-level GCE and AVCE.
The forthcoming Department for Education and Skills consultation on the 14-19 curriculum will raise important issues for GCSE science. To achieve increased participation in full-time education by students post-16 and 19, greater flexibility will be required. There will be a need for more opportunity to study vocational and applied courses. QCA has a substantial project on how to ensure that school science reflects contemporary science-related issues. One strand of the work is the development of a pilot GCSE in the sciences, designed for flexibility and alternative progression routes, post-16. The work began by addressing the nature of science as a core subject at key stage 4 and defining outcomes considered an essential entitlement. These include:
* the confidence and competence to engage with scientific and technical issues and phenomena which they encounter in everyday life * a sense of enquiry about the world and an understanding of the nature of scientific enquiry * an understanding of the explanatory frameworks of science, which play an important part in our culture.
The project has led to a proposal for a GCSE pilot with:
* a set of criteria called “science explanations” and “ideas about science” which together define the core of science knowledge and understanding, including the nature of science and its interaction with society. The criteria are designed to generate suites of topic modules to provide coherent and relevant courses.
* core modules designed to prepare students to be consumers and users rather than producers of scientific knowledge, with a better sense of the cultural importance of science in shaping everyday life. The modules will provide opportunities to think about the development of major ideas in science and will reflect the work of professional scientists by cutting across disciplinary boundaries. The core modules will be combined to provide a single compulsory Single Award course.
* additional modules, which will be designed to offer students a range of curriculum routes. Students may take combinations of two types of module - Type A (general) and Type B (applied) - to provide a specific approach andor a curriculum emphasis. For example, if a set of Type A modules is taken, it will, together with the core (Single Award) Science, comprise the equivalent of current GCSE Double Award Science. Further A modules could be added to “top up” to the three separate sciences. Type B modules will provide opportunities to study the additional part of Double Science in contexts such as agriculture and horticulture, food, forensics, transportation and electronics. This will support progress to post-16 AVCE, VRQs or NVQs.
The pilot starts in September 2003. Centres requiring further information or interested in trialling the materials or in joining the pilot, are invited to contact the QCA.
Martin Hollins is principal officer for science at the QCA, 83 Piccadilly, London W1J 8QA.Tel: 020 7509 5555. Web: www.qca.org
