Science Learning Area - School Snapshots - Presbyterian Ladies College

Science
Updated: Feb 2000

Teaching & Learning | Case Studies of Integrated Teaching |
Presbyterian Ladies College

School Snapshots - Presbyterian Ladies College
Teaching Teams and Integrated Projects

Description of Integration
Middle School
Advantages of a Middle School Approach
Difficulties with a Middle School Approach

Description of Integration

In 1997, within the Middle School at Presbyterian Ladies College (PLC), five teachers worked as a team to teach English, Science, Social Studies and Mathematics to all four classes of Year 8 students (Class A, B, C and D).

The students took these subjects separately, but they sometimes worked on integrated projects. For example, the Year 8 coordinator reported that in term 1 the Year 8 students had an environmental theme day. The students went on an excursion to the river foreshore and all the subject areas undertook activities related to the environmental theme.

The Year 8 timetable is partly independent from the rest of the school, therefore excursions and other activities are easy to organise because it doesn't affect anyone else in the school.

In Science the work is very student-centred and some sections of the course, such as activities the students carried out the previous term in Astronomy, allowed for the integration of computer skills with Science. For example the students used the Internet to do research into comet Hale-Bopp, and utilised software such as HyperCard to make computer presentations to the rest of the class.

All the Year 8 students have their own laptop computers and each class room has Internet facilities and printing connections, with scanners also being available in some Year 8 areas. Computing is totally integrated into the subject areas rather than being taught as a separate subject.

Middle School

The PLC Middle School was established in 1995. By 1997, the Year 8 students had been organised with their own team of teachers and their own timetable. Each of the five core subject teachers on the team taught only Year 8 students.

Year 7, which is part of the Middle School, already had this structure with a team of specialist Year 7 teachers. In the latter half of 1997 the Year 8 team of core subject teachers was expanded to 6 and smaller classes were created.

Advantages of a Middle School Approach

The Middle School works best when it consist of teams of teachers who are dedicated to the education and pastoral care of that particular group of students. It should have rooms largely dedicated to the Middle School and have a timetable that is substantially independent of the rest of the timetable.

The team approach means that each teacher knows what the other members of the team are doing and the various curricula can be coordinated and where desirable integrated. The team approach means that each teacher gets to know all the students very well and the regular team meetings permit discussion about students.

The timetable can be dropped or changed for special activities without affecting the rest of the school.

With every student having their own laptop computer, and with CD rom's, internet access, printers, digital cameras and scanners available to students, the technology is now available to support the strong emphasis on student-centred learning.

Student-centred learning is much easier to implement when the teachers are working together as a team and working towards the same goals. When only one teacher is trying to take a student-centred approach the students have difficulty adapting as they move from teacher to teacher.

With the student-centred approach, courses can be structured with different activities being available for different ability students.

Difficulties with a Middle School Approach

It is difficult to get enough teachers who are willing to teach only in the Middle School.

It is difficult to produce a Middle School timetable that is independent of the rest of the school, since there are situations where some teachers have to teach both in the Middle school and in the Senior School.