Professional Focus Paper
Course: Biology
1.
Level: National 4
Who is this paper for and what is its purpose?
This paper is for teachers and other staff who provide learning, teaching and support as learners work towards
Biology National 4.
Curriculum for Excellence is a unique opportunity to raise achievement and to ensure that all learners are better
prepared than they have been in the past for learning, life and work. This is because the new curriculum gives real
scope to build learning from 3–18 in a joined-up, seamless way. As a result, progression in learning can be much
stronger with a clear focus on attributes and capabilities, skills (including higher-order thinking skills), and
knowledge and understanding. These are delivered through the experiences and outcomes of the 3–15 Broad
General Education (BGE) and, at the senior phase, through programmes that build directly on the BGE leading to
qualifications. Because of a strengthened focus on the nature and quality of learning experiences, self-motivation is
likely to be increased and learners consequently more engaged and enthused. To ensure continuity and
progression, qualifications at the senior phase have been designed to embrace this unambiguous focus on highquality learning.
Curriculum for Excellence has the flexibility to meet the needs of all learners in their local circumstances, enabling
each to achieve their very best. For example, some centres may take the opportunity to offer qualifications over two
years which might involve learners bypassing qualifications at a given level, whereas others may enable learners to
work towards qualifications within one year. In both cases, the advice in this paper is relevant to the learning and
teaching approaches that learners will encounter. This paper, then, is intended to stimulate professional reflection
and dialogue about learning. It highlights important features of learning which are enhanced or different from
previous arrangements at this SCQF level.
How will you plan for progression in learning and teaching, building on the BGE, to meet the needs of learners?
2.
What’s new and what are the implications for learning and teaching?
Biology National 4 consists of four Units, providing learners with the opportunity to develop and apply skills,
alongside increasing their depth of knowledge and understanding.
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Cell Biology
Multicellular Organisms
Life on Earth
Added Value Unit
To achieve Biology National 4, learners must pass all of the required Units, including the Added Value Unit.
BIOLOGY
What are the key aspects of Biology National 4?
Progression from the Broad General Education
This qualification has been designed to articulate with the BGE. Staff will find it useful alongside this paper to refer
to the Biology Progression Framework, as they plan learning that builds on the BGE into National 4.
Added Value Unit
The Added Value Unit offers scope for personalisation and choice. It pulls together the application of skills of
scientific inquiry and related biology knowledge and understanding, and the possible effects on the environment or
society. It will allow scope for further development and application of the literacy and numeracy skills developed
within the BGE.
Hierarchy of Units
From National 3 onwards, the hierarchical nature of the Units allows for flexible learning and teaching, in classes
and groups as appropriate to circumstances and enables learners to be given recognition for their best
achievement. Learners may gain Unit awards at more than one level, based on their level of skills and knowledge
and understanding of the key areas of biology. The degree of choice within the Units further allows for new areas of
study for learners who are able to progress from one level to another, while ensuring that learners are not required
to repeat content from one level to the next. This approach has the potential to encourage all learners to aim high.
Fewer, broader outcomes
Staff will now be able to build learning programmes that suit local circumstances because Units are less
prescriptive and more flexible with fewer, broader outcomes designed to encourage a more holistic and rounded
approach to learning. There is no mandatory content at National 4; rather there are key areas of knowledge and
understanding that learners should experience. These can be developed in contexts chosen locally in consideration
of the needs and interests of learners.
What are the key features of learning in Biology National 4?
Learning will be best when it applies a variety of creative and innovative approaches to the development of interest
and enthusiasm for biology. Biology provides opportunities for active and collaborative learning in creative,
relevant, inspiring and engaging contexts. Well-designed experiences in biology will develop learners’ curiosity and
problem solving and analytical thinking skills; skills for collaborative learning and independent thinking; and interest
and enthusiasm for learning. For example, the key area of biological actions in response to internal and external
changes to maintain stable body conditions within the Multicellular Organisms Unit would lend itself to learners
researching the causes of diabetes. Applying evaluative skills, learners could consider the scientific evidence, and
the extent to which conclusions can be drawn and causal links identified. Education Scotland’s National 4 Skills
advice and guidance provides a stimulus for this work.
How will you promote enthusiasm for biology through relevant, inspiring and engaging contexts?
BIOLOGY
A blend of classroom approaches will involve hands-on practical tasks, such as experiments and open-ended
investigations, together with whole-class plenary discussions and direct interactive teaching. For example, the key
areas of fertiliser design and environmental impact of fertilisers within the Life on Earth Unit and propagating and
growing plants and commercial use of plants within the Multicellular Organisms Unit provide opportunities for
learners to undertake open-ended investigations. These investigations will help them to explore the science which
will allow them to express informed views on reflective questions such as ‘How do you anticipate your life will be
different by 2020 or 2050 as a result of the pressures relating to global and national food security?’ This is
exemplified through Education Scotland’s National 4 Food Security advice and guidance.
Learning experiences can require independent learning and ensure learners develop the skills required to take
responsibility for their own learning and, as appropriate, to drawn on the support of their peers. For example, the
key area of controversial biological procedures within the Cell Biology Unit provides opportunities for learners to
make decisions, manage and take responsibility for their learning to explore the science which will allow them to
generate questions for inquiry and research, and to express informed views on topics, such as ‘saviour siblings’.
Approaches that allow space for personalisation and choice should be built in at all stages, taking account of
individual learner progress, how she/he learns and the contexts that each finds particularly interesting. The key
area of therapeutic use of cells within the Cell Biology Unit would lend itself to the learner being able to explore an
area of interest, appropriate to her/his individual progress. This might range from stem cell technologies to insulin
production via genetic engineering.
How will you ensure a balanced overall blend of approaches in the classroom?
Effective partnerships have an important role to play. These could include drawing on relevant expertise among
staff in other curriculum areas including, for example, social studies, technologies or RME, as well as links with
employers and businesses developed independently or through organisations such as STEMNET. These links can
also promote an understanding of potential careers, occupations, ways of learning and future training pathways.
Learning should develop high-quality scientific inquiry and investigation skills, building on skills developed within
the BGE. This should involve scientific inquiry, which includes finding associations and investigating models in reallife and relevant contexts. Learning and teaching should provide opportunities to generate and use suitable
questions for scientific inquiry and for practical investigation or research. Learners should continue to have
opportunities to decide on a course of action, for example, what to observe or measure, or how to carry out
observations or measurements. In addition, learners should be given opportunities to decide on an appropriate
approach to determine or discover answers or solutions, building on their learning within the BGE.
Learning experiences may include the use of data loggers, and the collection and analysis of increasingly complex
data, again progressing from the knowledge and skills gained through the BGE. Learners should continue to have
opportunities to evaluate the inquiry or investigative process, and the adequacy or appropriateness of their
approaches. Learning and teaching should offer opportunities for learners to make adjustments to investigations
and experimental design as their work progresses.
How will you ensure that learners have opportunities to encounter a broad and challenging range of data and
sources of evidence?
BIOLOGY
Learning and teaching will embed literacy at an appropriate level. This will include, for example, opportunities for
learners to access and use information from a range of sources to inform their learning in biology, selecting,
summarising and inferring. These experiences can involve working independently or collaboratively to evaluate
such sources, for example, considering the credibility and value of sources, reliability of information and techniques
used to influence opinion, including persuasion and bias. They will also enable learners to engage in informed
debate on biology-related and ethical issues. When presenting findings, learners could be given the opportunity to
select the appropriate way to share their thinking with others, and to develop skills that persuade, evaluate, explore
issues and express opinions, all based on scientific evidence.
Well-planned approaches to learning in biology enable learners to develop numeracy skills, including applying
and developing skills in: understanding the practical importance of accuracy and reliability; making choices about
how to record and display data in a clear way from an extended range of tables, charts, diagrams and graphs;
making effective use of technologies; interpreting data contained in a range of formats; evaluating and interpreting
raw data, and data from tables and graphs, from their own work or other sources; and commenting on observed
relationships within the data, and the extent to which that interpretation is realistic.
How will you ensure that learners develop and apply skills in literacy and numeracy?
Links with a range of curriculum areas such as other sciences, mathematics and social studies subjects, are
essential to help learners apply and make connections in their learning. This will help to ensure their skills are
reinforced and transferrable.
How can you ensure that learners can access opportunities to apply their learning in different curriculum areas?
BIOLOGY
3.
Qualification information
The SQA website provides you with the following documents:
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Assessment Overview
Course Specification
Unit Specification
Support Notes
Course Assessment Specification
Unit Assessment Support Packages
Biology Progression Framework
Full information on arrangements for this qualification is available at the SQA website:
Biology National 4: http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/47422.html
4.
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What other materials are available on the Education Scotland website which staff
could use?
Sciences Principles and Practices
Concept development in the Sciences
The Sciences 3–18 Curriculum Area Impact Report
Science – Food Security
Science Skills
Support materials have been produced over the last year to support Curriculum for Excellence and further support
materials and events are planned. This downloadable list is updated quarterly with the most up-to-date details
available from the page below.
Published and planned support for Curriculum for Excellence:
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/publishedandplannedsupport
T +44 (0)141 282 5000 E enquiries@educationscotland.gov.uk W www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Education Scotland, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA
© Crown copyright, 2012
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