VCAA Update: Senior Science
February 2012
Key messages
• National curriculum
- Years F-10 Science content and achievement standards approved by
state/territory/federal education ministers
- substantial implementation in Victoria from 2013
- an inquiry-based curriculum
- public consultation draft national senior science subjects expected from ACARA
in Term 2, 2012
- Victoria is the only Australian state/territory that holds mid-year examinations
• VCE Sciences
- current study designs accredited until 2014
- mid-year examinations will be discontinued from 2013
- mid-cycle amendments to study design will apply from 2013
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Science participation rate - Australia
Physics Participation Rate by State
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
Vic
NSW
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Years
With thanks to the Australian Institute of
Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
http://www.vicphysics.org/edresearch.html
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Science participation rate - Victoria
Physics is the 11th most popular VCE study!
With thanks to the Australian Institute of
Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee
http://www.vicphysics.org/edresearch.html
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Science enrolments - Victoria
VCE Science enrolments 1995-2011
18,000
16,000
Number of students
14,000
12,000
Biology
10,000
Chemistry
8,000
Environmental Science
Physics
6,000
Psychology
4,000
2,000
0
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Year
5
Popularity of VCE science studies in 2011
VCE study
Popularity
Biology
Chemistry
6th
7th
Environmental
Science
Physics
Psychology
numbers almost
doubled in 2011
11th
3rd
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Strands and sub-strands in the Australian Curriculum
sub-strands
strands
Science
understanding
Science as a
human
endeavour
Science
inquiry skills
•Biological
sciences
•Nature and
development of
science
•Questioning and
predicting
•Chemical
sciences
•Earth and space
sciences
•Physical
sciences
•Planning and
conducting
•Use and
influence of
science
•Processing and
analysing data
and information
•Evaluating
•Communicating
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Inquiry-based science curriculum
Years F-4:
SIS strand
•The Australian Curriculum: Science emphasises inquirybased teaching and learning
Teacher-led
inquiry
Years 5/6:
With
guidance,
select
appropriate
investigation
methods to
answer
questions or
solve
problems…
decide which
variable
should be
changed and
measured in
fair tests
Semistructured
inquiry
Studentdriven
inquiry
???????
Years 11 and 12:
•Opportunities for student-led open inquiry should be
provided within each phase of schooling
Years 7/8:
Collaboratively and
individually plan and
conduct a range of
investigation types…in fair
tests, measure and
control variables, and
select equipment to
collect data with accuracy
appropriate to the task
Years 9/10:
Formulate questions
or hypotheses that
can be investigated
scientifically… plan,
select and use
appropriate
investigation
methods… select and
use appropriate
equipment
What are the
implications for
curriculum and
assessment of an
inquiry-based
approach to
science education?
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Effective instructional strategies
Strategies that improve student achievement:
•
•
•
•
•
•
identifying similarities and differences (45%)
summarising and note-taking (34%)
using non-linguistic representations (27%)
incorporating cooperative learning effectively (27%)
setting objectives and providing feedback (23%)
generating and testing hypotheses (23%)
Robert Marzano, Debra Pickering and Jane Pollock, 2001
Refer also:
- James Stigler and James Hiebert: the Teaching Gap (1998)
- Anne Tweed: Designing Effective Science Instruction (2007)
- John Hattie: Visible learning (2009)
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Bloom’s revised taxonomy
Cognitive skill
Activities
Products
Remembering
memorise; know vocabulary; match;
listen
facts; date/location/person;
record
Understanding
sort; compare; question; observe;
research; list
diagram; model; procedure;
article
Applying
construct; demonstrate; manipulate;
plan; report; experiment; construct;
interview; simulate; draw; interview
journal/blog; diagram; map;
model; collection; puzzle;
illustration
Analysing
categorise; classify; organise; survey;
integrate; separate; simplify; contrast
questionnaire; graph;
spreadsheet; data; report
Evaluating
recommend; conclude; judge; debate;
discuss; reflect; critique; survey; test;
investigate; propose; edit; choose
recommendation; self
evaluation; survey; conclusion;
group discussion; news item
Creating
combine; hypothesise; estimate; infer;
predict; invent; imagine; design; make
podcast; invention; structure;
product; news article; machine
Reflection: Which of these cognitive skills can be effectively assessed through exams? SACs?
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VCAA consultation feedback: general science
• Too much content for a single examination
• Weighting exam:SACs of 66:34 overemphasises
contribution of examination (‘bad day’ = ‘bad score’)
• Weighting exam:SACs of 66:34 is not equitable with
other VCE studies
• Students will no longer receive mid-year feedback so
that they can make changes to improve their
performance
• Study designs require further minor ‘tweaking’ re
clarity and scope
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VCE consultation feedback: Physics
Stakeholder feedback:
• More information needed about examination format
• Consider assessing only one Detailed Study in the
exam, or no Detailed Studies in the exam (only by
coursework)
• Allow choice of two from the six available Detailed
Studies
• Trial examination paper should be prepared sooner
rather than later
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Further consultation
The VCAA is eager to receive further feedback about specific proposals developed to
address issues identified through the February online consultation process:
Issue
Considerations
Exam length = 2½ hours
•
•
•
Two student exam sheets
No change to current situation
Weighting of exam:SAC =
60:40
•
•
Less reliance on assessment for a single examination
Minimal change for teacher workload
Choice from 6 Detailed
studies
(as per Units 1&2)
•
Greater flexibility for teachers to develop programs and for
students to revise work
Teachers will still be required to complete one DS in Unit 3,
and one DS for Unit 4, to meet reporting and S/N
requirements
Exam structure – students
address only one of the
two Detailed Studies
•
•
•
Move towards increased alignment with other VCE studies
Feasible to examine content
3 hours may be arduous/inequitable, especially for students
undertaking multiple science studies
Both Detailed Studies are assessed through School-assessed
coursework
Choice provided for students as per other studies (e.g. English
– students study multiple novels, but choose one in exam) 13
Contact
Maria James
Curriculum Manager, Science
VCAA
Telephone: 9651 4655
Email: james.maria.m@edumail.vic.gov.au
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