Science
Updated: Feb 2000
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Science, Mathematics & Technology Summary of Integrated Approaches in Western Australia
  The information presented in this booklet resulted from visits to 16 schools, including 9 senior high schools, 4 primary schools and 3 district high schools in the metropolitan and country districts of Western Australia. The schools were selected on the recommendation of several key State curriculum personnel who advised that some integration of science, mathematics or technology had been attempted in these schools in Years 6-9. Five of the 16 schools were involved in the research as in-depth case study schools. Several different forms of integration were found in the 16 schools. In some cases, two or more forms of integration were found in different classrooms in the same school. The categories used here describe the various forms of integrated teaching encountered during the study, rather than distinct approaches used by individual schools.
A thematic approach to integrating science, mathematics and technology and other subjects was observed in two schools - one high school and one district high. In both schools a theme was used to integrate the curriculum and the teachers responsible for teaching each of the learning areas developed a program of work complementary to the theme. Examples of the themes used in these two schools included, differences, decision-making, the Olympics, relationships, systems, communication, popular culture, co-operation, Earth and people, and resources. Teachers commented on the different levels to which they were able to integrate their learning area topic with the theme, but most teachers felt they were able to make some links.
Several schools focused on cross-curricular issues such as numeracy, literacy, and computing skills and teachers commented that these issues served as a basis for their integration between learning areas. For example, a technology teacher pointed out that literacy was clearly integrated into the technology course through the interpretation of the design brief and the written assignments and that mathematics skills were utilised especially with measurement. Computing was also integrated with students using word processors for the research assignments and computing assisted design (CAD) programs for the design of products.
One high school used a technology-based project as a focal point for integration. Students were given a technology project to work on for 10 to 12 weeks which included technology, science and mathematics research components. An example of a technology project brief was to design and produce an electric powered vehicle that can climb a steeper gradient on the standard test track than anyone else's. The technology research component investigated traction options, materials and construction techniques, motor mounting options and power transmission systems. The science research component investigated friction, gears and pulleys, torque and power transfer and how scientific trials influenced their choice of traction, gearing and drive options. The mathematics research component examined the effects of changing variables on standard Lego model hill climbers and recording, presenting and analysing each group's results from the time trials.
Teachers at some of the schools mentioned that competitions such as Solar Car Challenge and Science Talent Search (Science Fair) provided good opportunities for integration between science, mathematics and technology. The Solar Car Challenge involved students in making a solar powered car and then racing the car against other students' creations. Students engaged in science through the investigation of solar energy, in technology through the construction and improvement of the vehicle, and in mathematics by working out the most efficient angle for the solar panel and the statistical analysis of racing trials. The Science Talent Search involved students in the design and conduct of individual research projects for entry into competition with other students.
Two schools - one community school and one high school - had a specialist focus, one on horticulture and one on marine studies, and teachers at both schools indicated that these focus areas were a good point of entry for integration. Teachers at a remote, northern community school using an horticultural program commented that many of the concepts and skills taught in all learning areas were related to the school farm experience. In the other school, science in Years 8-10 was integrated with the marine studies subjects to a certain degree and the marine studies co-ordinator was trying to integrate the marine theme through other learning areas.
A mathematics teacher and a social science teacher in one high school initiated an integrated project by amalgamating the mathematics topic of Statistics and the social science topic on World Environment. The project ran for three weeks and required groups of students to research a developed and a developing country and perform various statistical analyses on the data they collected such as mean, mode, median and standard deviation and present the results in a graphical form.
Three schools used integrated assignments between learning areas that took between one lesson and two weeks to complete. For example, one school held an environment day including an excursion and all the subject areas did assignments related to the environmental theme. In another school, the mathematics teacher organised integrated mathematics and science investigation assignments every five to six weeks. One of these investigations was on pendulums involving the Year 8 students in developing an hypothesis and experimental procedure, statistically evaluating the data and presenting the results in graphical form.
Synchronised Content and Processes Teachers in four schools explained that the content in the different learning areas was synchronised as much as possible to allow similar content and processes to be taught at similar times. This involved the teachers writing down everything they hoped to achieve in the year, making a map of the possible links and then rearranging the program where possible. One example of the links was between chi square analysis in mathematics and Punnett square problem-solving in genetics. The teachers in the school were able to synchronise the teaching of these concepts and explicitly link the ideas.
Two schools - a district high school and a high school - were involved in local community projects which integrated skills and content from a number of learning areas. One of these projects involved students in liaison with a local town council for the preparation of a pamphlet about a nearby wetlands area. The pamphlet included information about the wetland's flora and fauna, maps of the area and relevant poetry. The town council hoped to publish the pamphlet. A second school worked with the town council to prepare an inventory of local services.
Teachers in one high school used the same framework for designing and writing up investigations in mathematics and science. They said that using the same approach helped students to identify similarities in the processes involved in working scientifically or working mathematically. A teacher in another school also commented that the teachers in her school tried to utilise student-centred teaching strategies as much as possible and that this common base to their teaching approach provided a catalyst to integration of content and skills across the learning areas.
Teachers in three primary schools found that a considerable amount of integration happened naturally in their classrooms because they taught the majority of learning areas to the same group of students and links just crop up. In one of the primary schools, technology was promoted as a vital learning tool to extend and develop other subjects. For example, science investigations were sometimes extended into technology projects and the students explored such things as the cultural value and profit margin of the products. One group of students made a bird feeder by designing a template and then constructing the final product. The students' mathematics measurement skills were assessed through the technology bird feeder project.
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