CPD Reflections: Curriculum Development & Planned Skill Progression

By Michelle Chen

I was fortunate enough to attend a CPD session on Science curriculum development called "How to work scientifically". Although this post is heavily science-focused I find that this topic can be adapted for all disciplines. One goal in working scientifically is to help students feel more confident in applying their skills to any discipline. The scientific process allows students to become open to critical thinking in light of new evidence. Curriculum Progression: What it means to get better at Science. What makes a great scientist? Is it the ability to recite all of the elements in the periodic table by heart or understanding all of Newton’s laws? No! The skills students use to work as a scientist stretch across multiple disciplines, which make it an important feature for teachers to consider in their lessons. Two types of knowledge are needed to work scientifically; The first is substantive knowledge, which is the knowledge that is produced by our academic subject. The second is disciplinary knowledge, which teaches students the skills they need to work scientifically. The two types of knowledge work cohesively together in order for students to learn effectively.

Why is planned skill progression important?

• Developing confidence and a growth mindset- We know that from a young age children are natural inquisitors; “Why is the sky blue? Why is the speed of light faster than the speed of sound?”. The big question is how can we, as educators, continue to encourage this behaviour? The implementation of planned skill progression plays a key role in encouraging students to develop a growth mindset and gain confidence in their learning. Ensuring the curriculum is well-sequenced also ensures that learning is accessible.

• Creating deeper understanding and connections- By breaking down and sequencing the curriculum into conceptual frameworks we are able to build students’ knowledge of science concepts. Pupils fail to develop any conceptual frameworks of understanding if the curriculum is structured in arbitrary collections of topics. If students build upon their existing knowledge they are able to make connections when new information is presented. A strong curriculum begins with a few of the most fundamental topics of science to support student learning. For example, I find the States of Matter Topic to be the most successful for Y7s as they have a strong foundation of substantive knowledge from KS2 that can be extended upon. It creates the opportunity for new knowledge to become part of an emerging conceptual structure to deepen their understanding of the material. 

• Application of knowledge to practical situations- A high-quality science curriculum should be sequenced carefully to showcase the interconnectedness of substantive and disciplinary knowledge. In doing so, our students will not only understand the world around them but can apply this knowledge to practical situations, without overwhelming their working memory.

How to design a curriculum that focuses on building skills:

The first step is to identify what are the skills that you are hoping to build within your curriculum.

For Working Scientifically these include the following:

• Asking questions
• Making predictions
• Carrying out an enquiry
• Use equipment effectively
• Take measurements
• Record data
• Present their findings
• Draw conclusions
• Evaluate results

Then you need to consider the role of the following seven elements of your curriculum, to ensure you are able to effectively build these skills across a period of time:

1. Build on their prior learning and meet the needs of pupils from all starting points
2. Develop and apply their knowledge
3. Apply mathematical concepts
4. Apply their literacy skills
   
5. Engage in practical learning activities Working Science skills
6. Cultural capital
7. Future study/careers

For example, considering "Apply their literacy skills", you might consider the vocabulary students are introduced to in the early stages of your curriculum. By ensuring a wide range of vocabulary is introduced and consolidated through these lessons, you provide "seeds" for developing scientific concepts that can be built upon later.

Key points to remember:

• Substantive knowledge is sequenced so that pupils build their knowledge of important concepts such as photosynthesis, magnetism, and substances throughout KS3/ KS4
• Knowledge is sequenced to make the deep structure of the scientific disciplines explicit. This allows for both students and teachers to see how the knowledge is connected across disciplines and subjects.
• Disciplinary knowledge is sequenced to take account of:
• Hierarchical structure
• The best substantive contexts in which to teach it
• Once disciplinary knowledge is introduced, it can be used and nurtured in a range of different substantive contexts
• Planning for progress takes account of what is taught in other subjects, ex. Mathematics