Science
Updated: Feb 2000
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Case Studies - Leonora District High School
  Leonora is a small town in the rural goldfields of Western Australia. Leonora District High School caters for students from pre-primary to Year 10 with a total of twenty four teachers, five of whom teach the students in Years 8, 9 and 10. The high school teachers implemented an integrated, outcomes based curriculum in 1995. The integration of the learning areas occurred through themes that were collaboratively selected and developed by the teachers.
In 1994 the teachers at Leonora District High School held a series of meetings to discuss problems with the teaching of the high school students. Problems identified included lack of motivation, truancy, lack of success, low literacy levels and lack of positive leadership among students. The subject material also was thought to be lacking in interrelatedness and not flexible enough for the broad spectrum of students in each year level. It seemed to be a lack of motivation with the kids. The teachers found it very difficult to actually teach some of the kids because of their reading levels. And also there tends to be a lack of [positive] leadership among the kids. Even if they are capable they don't tend to be the leaders in the school. The teachers embarked on a mission to find solutions to these problems. Through this process they realised that extensive change was needed in the school and that this would require teachers to take risks. As a result, one of the major changes at Leonora District High School in 1995 was the introduction of an integrated curriculum based on the Draft Student Outcome Statements (Education Department of WA, 1994).
In 1995 structural changes within the school were necessary to get the new program started. The secondary teachers were given desks in an area called a secondary planning area allowing the teachers to plan their approach to teaching together. Collaborative planning time of three half-hour sessions per week was incorporated in the secondary timetable and this was found by teachers to be a powerful and necessary aspect for the establishment of the new curriculum. A team approach to schooling including the teachers and students was fostered.
A further structural change was to group the students into ability levels, rather than year levels. This continued in 1995 and 1996, but was abandoned in 1997 because the perceived lack of progress of students through the ability levels seemed to be counterproductive to the outcomes-based approach.
Description of the Approach to Integration Each year, since 1995, a theme plan has been used to provide a common thread for the integration between all the learning areas including science, mathematics and technology and enterprise. The student language problem in the school meant that literacy was a major factor underpinning the integration. In 1996, integrated projects with components from each of the learning areas also were incorporated into the teaching programs. However, this did not take place in 1997 because the amount of co-operative planning time for teachers had been reduced to one half-hour session per week. The theme plan for 1997 is shown below in Table 1. Programs of work were written by the teachers to reflect the relevant theme.
A variety of teaching strategies were used to facilitate the integrated approach to curriculum. Teachers tried to use teaching strategies that benefit Aboriginal students, with the purpose of benefiting all their students. Strategies included developing respect and positive relationships with the students, getting to know the students' families and giving rewards. One teacher said that he liked to get out of the classroom as much as possible.
Many of the students at Leonora have not experienced much of the world outside their community and they have difficulty relating what they are learning to what they already know in their experience. To address this problem, one teacher created visual images from books, pamphlets and video, on which they could build further concepts.
Another strategy mentioned by the teachers was to have concrete activities for the students in order to achieve outcomes.
In 1995 the school developed a new reporting method for parents based on student outcomes statements.
Less traditional methods of assessment have sometimes been adopted by teachers at Leonora District High School.
The Science teacher commented on the difficulty of embracing the open-ended kind of assessment necessary for an outcome-based approach to curriculum.
Because of the large staff turnover that occurs at Leonora District High School, the integrated approach to curriculum was included in the school development plan.
The intention was to look at the primary school practice and encourage a more integrated approach from primary teachers using the Student Outcome Statements. Further planning included professional development visits by teachers to other schools such as Ballajura Community College. The practice of using strategic and regular planning meetings, such as breakfast meetings, was strongly endorsed. The ability to select staff, so that more effective pairings of teachers could be achieved, was recommended.
We would like to thank the staff members from Leonora District High School for their assistance in the preparation of this case study.
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