Practice and Perspectives: Learning in practical science: Teachers and pupils learning about working together in secondary science classrooms

How to teach science engagingly and effectively is high on the education and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) agenda. This book describes the thesis which set out to understand how and why teacher's pedagogy influences the nature of pupils learning together. The study examined how social interactions may benefit or impede cognitive development, and thus inform the teaching approach required in a secondary school setting, to support effective pupil learning. Teachers' and pupils' perspectives of learning in groups, to carry out practical tasks, were compared and contrasted. Peers were observed working together on tasks of similar context, but differentiated scaffolded support. Examination of their exchanges and practical resolutions suggested how varied scaffolding influences the social and cognitive processes as well as task outcomes. Experiential reflection, with teachers, through interactive INSET activities illuminated pedagogical approaches that could be used effectively in classrooms, with trios of pupils, to enhance thinking capability and enrich learning outcomes.

Dr Deb McGregor has been a science educator for over twenty years. She has worked in Schools, Colleges, Local Authorities and Universities in England and the United States. She is currently a Reader in Developing Pedagogy (with a particular interest in Science Education) at the University of Wolverhampton.