The Science Subject Knowledge Enhancement programme is for science teachers who would like to expand and strengthen their subject pedagogical knowledge. The aim of our SKE courses in Biology, Chemistry and Physics is to make teaching across all three science disciplines accessible to all science staff within NET. A series of online training sessions will outline key subject knowledge, curriculum links and teaching strategies to enable science teachers to deliver these areas of science successfully to their students.
This course would be suitable if:
- you are new to GCSE teaching in science including ECT
- your degree is not in science
- you are looking to develop teaching of a new science specialism
The sessions are delivered online with access to course materials and opportunities for questions and discussion.
The programme covers central themes of biology, chemistry and physics that are introduced at Key Stage 3 and then develop through GCSE. Staff are able to attend a full SKE course in biology, chemistry or physics; or choose specific sessions to attend which are most appropriate to their own professional development. Each session will include the following:
- links to pupil’s prior knowledge from KS2 and KS3 referring to the national curriculum, misconceptions and things students get wrong – including analysis of examiners reports
- a sequence through your topic from year 7 to 11
- the key and challenging ideas from the lesson sequence, both the science of it and the pedagogical subject knowledge, relevant practical links and how to transform the teacher’s science knowledge into pupil learning
- examples of GCSE questions- specifically Level 3 (Grade 6-9) questions
By considering some most difficult concepts of the biology, chemistry and physics curricula in depth and considering how to use practical work effectively, the sessions will develop the confidence of classroom teachers and their understanding of pedagogical approaches.
