Published: March 17, 2009
Motivated Teachers Reduce Decline in Science
Findings from new Europe-wide research that sought to change pupils' and teachers' attitudes to science
New research into the declining numbers of pupils choosing to study science across Europe reveals schools and teachers shape their attitudes.
The University of Leicester study led by Professor Tina Jarvis of the School of Education investigated how young children's ideas of science and technology develop.
Professor Jarvis said: "There is a concern that there have been declining numbers of pupils choosing to study science in Europe. There is evidence that the decline in attitudes to science starts in the primary school and is particularly noticeable for girls.
"EU countries need to educate both potential scientists of the future and all citizens to enable them to engage with socio-scientific issues. In this context, it is important to study attitudes to science as they influence pupils' choice of careers and attainment."
Professor Jarvis will present details of her research at an inaugural lecture today (Tuesday 17 March) at the University of Leicester.
Her lecture, 'Changing European primary pupils' and their teachers' attitudes to science' starts at 5.30pm and will be held in Lecture Theatre 1, Ken Edwards Building. It is open to the public and free. A reception will follow at 6.30pm in the Park Side Lounge on the fifth floor of the Charles Wilson Building.
The presentation documents Professor Jarvis' investigations into how young children's ideas of science and technology develop. Initially pupils have a narrow or erroneous view of both science and technology. One important factor that influences their development is the school and training of teachers.
Further research in the early 1990s led Professor Jarvis to explore the relationship between pupils' and teachers' attitudes' and cognition during a major 2-year in-service programme in the City of Leicester schools.
Four types of teacher were identified, who needed different types of science in-service. A relationship was found between the teacher types and the rate of development of pupils' science understanding and their attitudes. The importance of the teachers' attitude to science was confirmed through additional research undertaken at the National Space Centre in Leicester.
All research findings were applied in a new EU funded in-service project involving 12 countries: Pollen Seed Cities for Europe: A Community Approach for Sustainable Growth of Science Education in Europe (2006-09). The City of Leicester is the UK's Seed City.
The presentation also looks at some of the differences in teachers' confidence and attitudes to science in the different countries and to what extent the in-service programme has been able to change them.
Biographical note:
Following a career in Education Administration, Professor Jarvis qualified to teach and worked in 4 inner-ring primary schools in Birmingham before joining the University of Leicester in 1989, initially as lecturer in primary science education.
She has been influencing science development since 1986 when she was involved in the development of the Primary Science, Design &Technology and Special Educational Needs National Curriculum in England. She became the first woman to obtain an Association of Commonwealth Universities Development Fellowship in 1991 for new researchers in the area of educational research to spend 3 months in Australian Universities. This experience enabled her to build links with the National Key Centre for Science and Mathematics at Curtin University, Perth and other Australian Universities. Professor Jarvis has also been a consultant for the Australian curriculum (1995 & 2001).
Since 1990, as the lead researcher / applicant she has raised over £4 million from a variety of bodies to develop and promote innovative in-service science education as well as to carry out research on factors that influence the impact of in-service and other types of intervention to improve attitudes and understanding of science and technology. She set up SCIcentre: National Centre for Initial Teacher Training in Primary Science in 1996; developed a major in-service programme for the AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust (1999-2000); and established the Regional Science Learning Centre East Midlands in 2003. As Director of the Science Learning Centre East Midlands she has been in the unusual position as a researcher of being able to constantly and systematically research factors of impact and then act on and test findings as they are identified. She has written two books on primary education and produced many quality articles in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences. For example, her conference presentation on changes in primary teachers attitudes and cognition at ESERA (European Science Education Research Association) Conference 2003 was chosen as one of 40 from 309 papers presented at the conference that were considered 'outstanding, representative of progress in a variety of fields'.
In 2005 she was invited by École Normale Supérieure in France to lead the UK in-service and carry out research on teacher change for the EU 'Pollen Project: Seed cities for science, a community approach for a sustainable growth of science education in Europe' which is developing cities of excellence in primary science to share innovative strategies between 12 countries.
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