teaching - Earth Science Teachers' Association

TEACHING EARTH SCIENCES ● Volume 31 ● Number 4, 2006
Does gender matter in science?
An article by Ben A Barres in inSECT, the
newletter from the Wales’ Resource
Centre for Women in Science,
Engineering and Technology, notes that
some Professors have suggested that
women are not progressing in science
because of an innate inability rather than
discrimination. In his book Manliness,
Harvey Mansfield, a Harvard Professor,
states that women don’t like to compete,
are risk adverse, less abstract and too
emotional. Barres argues that available
scientific data do not provide credible
Rolls-Royce Science Prize
support for these suggestions – but
instead support the hypothesis that
women are not advancing because of
discrimination. In her book Why so slow?
Virginia Valian highlights many studies
demonstrating a substantial degree of bias
against women. She says “Simply raising
expectations for women in science may be
the single most important factor in
helping them make it to the top”.
Further information about inSECT
and to receive a copy of the newsletter
Tel: 029 2049 3351
Just think of any science teaching project idea that meets a need in your school or
college and send it in online. Register on the website and receive monthly newsletters
and guidance on how to put together an entry. Deadline for entries 28 February
2007. Register now on www.rolls-royce.com/scienceprize
1,000 candidates sit GCSE Astronomy
For the first time since the introduction of the GCSE in the late 1980s, over one
thousand candidates sat the GCSE examination in Astronomy. This summer’s largest
ever cohort maintained the high standards shown in previous years, with 75% of
students gaining an A* - C grade. There has also been a shift in the composition of
students. Although originally a qualification taken mostly by adults and sixth form
students (years 12 and 13) the past few years have seen a steady rise in the number of
secondary schools beginning to run the course as a GCSE option for Key Stage 4
students (years 10 and 11) or even as an ‘early start’ GCSE course for year 9 students.
For many schools this provides a popular component within a Science Specialist
School or Gifted and Talented provision.
From an article by Julien King (Principal Moderator for GCSE Astronomy
Edexcel Examinations) in Gnomon, the Newsletter of the Association of
Astronomy Education, Vol. 26, No. 1, Autumn 2006.
A new science resource website from the ASE
From January 2007 www.schoolscience.co.uk (sponsored by industrial partners and
providing free on-line resources) will merge with the Association for Science
Education’s (ASE’s) www.scienceonestop.com (the information resources
directory) to provide an enhanced resources site simply called
www.schoolscience.co.uk and managed and administered by the ASE.
The site will be free for all users and aims to provide a comprehensive directory of
resources, information and contacts for teachers and learners of science everywhere.
Further details contact Rebecca Dixon-Watmough on
Tel: 01254 247764 or Rebecca@ase.org.uk
Giving scientists
some good press
New York University’s film school is
one of six schools across the US
where students are eligible to receive
award money from the Alfred P Loan
Foundation for incorporating science
into their films. Winning films are
then featured on the Sloan Science
Cinematheque Web site. Creators of
Sloan Science Cinematheque cite
Apollo 13 starring Tom Hanks, as a
prime example of a film that brings
science to broad audience with good
excitement and drama.
From an article in Kathryn Hansen
in Geotimes July 2006, pp 46-47.
Wow and Vow
In an article about the experiences of
primary science teachers and when they
were exposed to a new and innovative
teaching strategy for the first time,
Nelofer Halal noted that one teacher
went through at least three stages that
were termed:
● Wow and vow
● Muddling through
● Second thoughts stage
The challenge for teacher educators is to
design and implement teaching strategies
where the teachers can undergo 203
cycles of the ‘muddling through’ stage
and to finally integrate these new ideas
into their pre-workshop repertoire of
teaching tools.
Science Education International,
Vol. 17, No. 2, June 2006, pp 123-132.
33 www.esta-uk.org