Alan Peacock

Access to science learning for children in rural Africa

Science has been part of the compulsory primary school curriculum in most of anglophone Africa since states achieved independence, but in practice many obstacles prevent children in rural areas from acquiring an adequate grounding in science. This paper addresses four main aspects of access to science learning, namely (1) obstacles to access; (2) the potential within existing curriculum and organizational structures; (3) the notion of a minimum entitlement in science learning in primary schools; and (4) the concept of the locally adapted curriculum for primary schools in rural areas. Examples draw on research and experience from Kenya, Botswana, Namibia and Ethiopia. The study concludes that there are advantages to this restructuring of the curriculum in terms of simplicity of teaching and training, potential for common texts and exams, congruence with traditional ideas, resource demand and community involvement.

An agenda for research on text material in primary science for second language learners of English in developing countries

Abstract The review focuses on evidence related to the readability and comprehensibility of text material for learning science in primary schools, which shows that texts are often too difficult for children, particularly in developing countries where pupils are learning through a medium of instruction which is not their first language. Evidence is reviewed in relation to six main features: teacher quality; cultural appropriateness of resources; language of instruction; textual and structural complexity; science content; learning context. The review concludes that the most urgent and appropriate research needs to focus on the age at which children begin to learn science in English as the medium of instruction, and needs to investigate links between science text and language schemes used to teach English prior to immersion. Research should also focus on meta‐textual factors, such as how text is mediated by teachers in the classroom; and on specific pedagogical‐cultural constraints and features of the enviro...

Helping teachers to develop competence criteria for evaluating their professional development

Abstract The paper presents evidence from three recent/ongoing projects in Sri Lanka and South Africa supported by the University of Exeter School of Education, the aim of each project being to enhance the capacity of teachers or trainers to evaluate their performance through the development of criteria of effectiveness or competence. Models of sustainable teacher development based on empowerment and collaborative engagement are reviewed and form the rationale for a process by which competence criteria were developed in each project by the participants themselves. Examples of the specific stages in the process and the outcomes from each project are presented and discussed.

Learning to teach “science” out of school: non‐school placements as part of a Primary PGCE programme

Primary teaching trainees were given a 1‐week placement in environmental science centres, to learn about teaching children in non‐school contexts. The placements were mainly in the South West of England, and included both residential and day‐visit centres. Evaluation was through written and oral feedback from hosts and students, against a set of criteria. The article provides a rationale for such placements within a PGCE programme, describes how they operated in practice and analyses the feedback to make recommendations for future operation of the programme. It recommends provision of more documentation on placements at the planning stage, and proposes a more structured programme for working with children and materials development. The article makes recommendations for further research into the logistics of such placements, the impact of materials developed by trainees, their role and status during placement, and potential benefits of negotiating their own placements. It concludes by discussing the implications for placements more generally.

So have things changed? Four generations at an English primary school

The article compares first-hand biographical evidence from four generations of one family who attended the same primary school over a period of 85 years (1916–23, 1947–53, 1981–83, 1996-present day). The evidence is used to examine ways in which practice in an English primary school has and has not changed during that period, and considers some of the possible reasons for this apparent regular reversion to older forms of ‘elementary schooling’.

What can we learn from other countries about teaching science investigation skills to primary children

Abstract The paper examines the explicit and implicit rationales, in several countries, for the place of science in the primary school curriculum. It relates these to notable contrasts between such countries as UK and Kenya on the one hand, which emphasise the teaching of science investigation skills; and Germany and France on the other hand, which stress the acquisition of knowledge. This comparison is used to highlight questions about the impact of current primary science policy in the English National Curriculum; about assumed links between science teaching and economic progress; and about the ambitions of our broader view of primary schooling in England. It concludes by proposing further international study of the actual learning of investigation skills in the primary phase.

Participation and learning: perspectives on education and the environment, health and sustainability

This is a welcome addition to the literature related to the development of effective learning in non-traditional contexts, and is put together by an impressive range of contributors from four continents. And whilst it does offer a wide range of perspectives on participatory learning in a variety of curriculum areas, these perspectives are predominantly theoretical and research-based. They testify to an effective and ongoing collaboration between academics from different backgrounds and disciplines, which makes for a comprehensive survey of the concepts from different perspectives. The 20 chapters address diverse aspects of learning, and explore quite different notions of participation. I did feel, however, that using the term ‘participation’ in the title of almost every chapter gave a false impression of similarity of content, when in fact the foci, concerns and styles were satisfyingly quite diverse. One slight paradox I found was in the writing; with some notable exceptions, the language was that of theoretical research, which would be quite difficult to access by many practitioners with whom the authors would wish to participate. To quote one example: