With the quality of science teaching in primary schools in New Zealand under the spotlight, thirteen primary school teachers are part way through a teacher fellowship programme to help develop their science teaching skills.
The teachers are spending the first two terms of 2012 as Primary Science Teacher Fellows, under a scheme administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand and funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation.
Science education in primary schools has been under discussion after the Education Review Office released a report at the start of May that shows that only 27 per cent of schools have effective or generally effective science programmes for Years 5 to 8 students.
Around 100 teachers have been through the Primary Science Teacher Fellowship programme, since it began in 2009. The programme was started following a report in 2008 from the National Education Monitoring Project, which highlighted a downwards trend in the attitudes of primary aged students towards science.
Under the scheme, teachers take leave from their schools to work with researchers at host organisations and learn more about science and its application.
“The goal is to make these teachers science curriculum leaders,” says Richard Meylan, Manager – Education at the Royal Society of New Zealand.
“One of the conditions of the fellowships is that the principal and school must be fully behind the teachers and willing to make science a focus for the year following the fellowship.
“We hope the experiences the teachers have during their fellowships and the commitment the schools make to science will have a long-lasting positive effect on science teaching in these primary schools.”
The research topics for this group of teachers include dolphin monitoring, geology and earthquake studies, onion and fern research, conservation projects, dairying and physical exercise in athletes.
Host organisations for this group of teachers include organisations such as NIWA, Lincoln University, Department of Conservation, and GNS.
Details of the teachers selected and their regions are listed below. Please contact the teachers’ host organisations to arrange interviews.
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Teacher Fellow
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School |
Host organisation |
Project description |
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North of Auckland Region
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TKK o te Maori Rangiawhia, Far North |
Department of Conservation |
Puti is involved in several projects – the Dolphin photo-IDing project, developing surveys for Project Island Song, developing an educational package for the NZ Dotterel for schools in the far North as well as being involved in a raft of activities that are a part of the Department of Conservation’s daily routine. |
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Warkworth Primary School |
Leigh Marine Laboratory, University of Auckland |
Donna is eager to find out how scientists at the Marine Laboratory identify what they need to study, how they go about it and the way that they record their research. |
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Central North Island (Southern) Region
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Mount Biggs Primary School, Feilding |
Massey University |
Steven is interested in finding out about restorative conservation involving native fauna and flora. He is presently learning about what different research projects ecology department members and graduate students are embarking upon and where possible he will get involved. He aims to further his understanding of science as well as develop hands on skills that will enhance both his knowledge in and out of the classroom. |
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Waitara Central School, Taranaki |
GNS Wellington |
Donna will be involved in a programme of practical learning experiences across a range of disciplines, with particular emphasis on sedimentology and paleontology within the Taranaki Region. |
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Wellington Region
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Hampton Hill Primary School, Wellington |
NIWA |
Carol is learning about Argo float technology including how Argo float data is gathered and how it is analysed to increase our understanding of the Southern Ocean south of New Zealand. |
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Kapanui Primary School, Waikanae |
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Nga Manu Nature Reserve |
Wendy is working with two hosts. At Te Papa, she will identify, gps position, photograph and classify ferns. At Nga Manu Nature reserve, she will be involved in the day to day activities including helping to establish a fern educational resource for the centre’s new classroom. |
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South Island (Northern) Region
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Rolleston Primary School, |
Dairy New Zealand, Lincoln University |
Kim is working with two hosts during her Teacher Fellowship. DairyNZ has a number of research projects exploring sustainable dairying in New Zealand. Kim is involved with the project ‘ P21-Next Generation Dairy Systems’. The research team is studying the effects of rotating two herds of cows, at different stocking densities, on paddocks sown with different varieties and mixes of grasses, clover and chicory. |
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Mapua School, Nelson |
Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology |
Mandy is interested in finding out about what factors are involved in developing scientific research in relation to applied human studies, bio-mechanical studies and core strength training programmes for improved performance in athletes. |
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Westburn School, Christchurch |
NZ Institute of Plant and Food Research |
Darryn is involved in a range of scientific activities currently being performed by the onion genetics group at the research centre. Two examples are biochemical analysis of onion bulbs and other tissues, and genetic analysis of onion populations, including DNA isolation and genotyping by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). |
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Upper Moutere Primary School, Tasman |
University of Canterbury |
Rachael is interested in developing an understanding of earth research methods, the causes and effects of earthquakes and how future risks of earthquakes, rockfall and liquefaction are assessed. The programme will give Rachael an opportunity to build her knowledge and understanding of geology. |
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South Island (Southern) Region
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Balclutha Primary School |
University of Otago |
Jenny is interested in researching anthocyanins in plants and how they are used as colour indicators for acids and bases. She hopes her work will prove that science is a hero and that it is useful in everyday things. |
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St Gerards School, Alexandra |
Department of Conservation |
Angela is working on a range of biodiversity-based conservation management projects. Currently, she is working on developing a monitoring programme to determine whether the presence or absence of Sigaus Childi (grasshopper) is relative to the vegetation cover over the Earnscleugh Tailings Historic Reserve. |
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Tahuna Normal Intermediate School, Dunedin |
GNS Dunedin |
Robert is interested in finding out more about what makes up Dunedin’s and Otago’s landscape, how our country is changing geologically and how he can implement this learning into the classroom. |
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