Bachelor of Education, Primary Education (EPR) EPC3903

Task S6/4
An interview with a Primary School Science coordinator/Teacher
Objectives:
For student teachers to:
Continue to develop positive working relationships in the classroom with both the teacher
and the students by acting as a TA within the classroom under the direction of the MST.

Interview the Science coordinator or the person responsible for science policy, syllabus,
and resource management to discuss science provision within the setting. Additionally try to
better understand all of the roles and responsibilities of science teachers at the school.
Record and/or document the interview See Table 7 for sample questions.

Continue to document the range of materials, manupulatives and equipment used

in the school; for specific grade levels

You will need:

The Teaching Practice Tasks booklet for Practicum 3b

Table 5: Documenting science materials used in the school

Table 7: An interview with a Primary School science coordinator

A digital camera

Table 4: TP Discussion Board Guidelines

Before implementing these tasks:

Discuss each of these tasks with your partner. Decide what each of you will do. Discuss the tasks
with your MST. (Ask for permission to take photographs)

Whilst implementing the Tasks:

Make notes about any areas of interest or issues you would like to discuss with your MCT and/or
MST.
Photograph evidence for the tasks and portfolio.

After completion of the tasks:

1. Complete Table 7: An interview with a Primary School science coordinator. PDF and upload it
to the TP Tasks section of your TP e-portfolio
2. Continue to work on Table 5: Documenting science materials used in the school. PDF and
upload it to your TP e-portfolio. Email tasks, etc. to [email protected] using the correct file
names/subject lines.

3. Complete your TP Discussion Board on BB Learn and reply to 2 others.

TP Guide for EPC3903 (EPR) Practicum 3b

Year Three, Semester Two / 2015-16 /

Bachelor of Education, Primary Education (EPR) EPC3903

Table 7: An interview with a Primary School science coordinator

Sample interview questions for the Principal and/or science
coordinator/teacher re: science provision in the setting.

Is there a science coordinator and/or how many

specified science teachers are there in the school?
What are the duties/responsibilities of the science
teacher/coordinator?

Responses from the Principal and/or science

coordinator/teacher re: science provision in the
setting.
Yes / 8 teachers
Coordinator -> planning - organizing - overseen the
science program - curriculum and assessments
Teachers -> design - write - update the curriculum assessments - reports

Does she teach any, all students or just specific year groups?
Teach all students of the year group
Obtain a teaching schedule and any schemes of work, lesson
plans, software used etc. from the science
coordinator/teacher.
2

Who is responsible for science policy and provision

within the setting?

Yes/ daily plan - weekly plan - yearly plan

Principal - VP - science coordinator

(Can we obtain a copy of the policy?)

Online/Blended Learning:
Does the setting have its own website? If so, what is the
URL, who created it and who is responsible for managing
and updating it?
Is there any online/blended learning taking place related to
science? If so, how is this delivered?

What ICT resources are used specifically for teaching

Yes / http://www.gemswestminsterschool-rak.com/

Yes/ We use education city as a tool of science

learning in uploading the science materials for the
students
Youtube - google - Education city - bitesize - TES

science?
4

What science equipment/manipulatives/resources can

be found the setting? (Is there a list? Differentiate between the
classroom; the science lab and other areas in the setting e.g. library)

Is there a budget for materials?

Yes

Who trains teachers and staff in the use the equipment?

Edulab

Who manages the equipment and materials?

Lab assistance

Is/Are there dedicated science labs in this setting?

Yes/ all basic science equipments for primary and

secondary

If yes, how is it used and by whom? How is it organised?

What equipment can be found here?
If no, why not? e.g. lack of funds? No need? Enough science
equipment and expertise in each classroom?
Does the setting feel it has enough specialist science

TP Guide for EPC3903 (EPR) Practicum 3b

Year Three, Semester Two / 2015-16 /

Bachelor of Education, Primary Education (EPR) EPC3903

teachers, technicians and dedicated science rooms?

6

Which science resources does the setting feel it needs or

would like to have to achieve its vision or better science
teaching and learning?
e.g. Science Kits, books, wifi, manipulatives/models, digital
cameras/camcorders, lab equipment OR soft materials
(consumables- colored paper, glue, popsicle sticks etc.).

Yes

Are the safety rules posted in the science setting?

Don't touch animals

Wear safety goggles
Wear lab coat
Wear gloves when necessary
Don't eat at your workstation
Clean up your workspace
Be careful with sharp tools
Wash your hands

What safety equipment is available and when is it used

commonly?
Is safety equipment available for all students in the
classrooms?
Is equipment cleaned, if so by whom? Who manages this
duty?

10

11

Science kits
Books
Lab equipments
Models

What are the safety rules?

Who developed these and are they mandatory/enforced?

Yes

Fume cupboard
Safety room for chemicals
Eye washer
Coat / Gloves / Glass

Lab assistant

Planning for learning- how are the science lessons

planned for in the setting?
Does the MOE/Zone/KHDA provide unit plans/lesson plans?
(can we obtain a copy of this?)

Moe - term plan - yearly plan - lesson plan

Are there weekly planning meetings? What is usually done

in the planning meetings?

Yes/ planning for the week lesson

Who attends the planning meetings?

Teachers with coordinator

Yes

Does the school have specific goals related to science

(TIMMS scores etc.)?

How is learning assessed in the science classroom?

By activities - projects - experiments - digital

Is there an assessment plan for the semester? What does it

include?

Yes / peer assessment / formative / summative

Do teachers collect student data? What data, when, and

what is it used for?

Yes / level the students / differentiation

How do students get feedback so that they can make

improvements?

They get feedback from the teacher after every

assessment / activity

What science professional development / training do

teachers currently receive or have recently had?
How frequently and from whom did they /are they receiving

TP Guide for EPC3903 (EPR) Practicum 3b

Year Three, Semester Two / 2015-16 /

Bachelor of Education, Primary Education (EPR) EPC3903

this?
Yes / Gems PD
Do they have a document that outlines this PD?
Classroom teaching and learning
What PD do they think teachers in the setting still need?

TP Guide for EPC3903 (EPR) Practicum 3b

Year Three, Semester Two / 2015-16 /

Bachelor of Education, Primary Education (EPR) EPC3903

Table 5: Documenting science materials used in the school

Material
Name, model, manufacturer,
photo (preferably being used)?

Function
Whats it used for?

Where
used?
Classroom/
lab?

Who uses
it? How
many can
use it?
Teacher/student
age range / IT
specialist

Microscope

Blood smear slide

Widely to
magnify and
resolve the
image of an
object that is
otherwise
invisible to
naked eye. For
resolving the
details of
objects, which
otherwise
cannot be
achieved by
naked eye, a
microscope is
used.

Lab

used to look
for
abnormalities
within the
blood

Lab

-the
science
teacher /
laboratory
teacher
use it for
grade six.
Only one
person can
use
because it
include
one eye
lens at the
top.

Both
students
and
teacher
can use it.
One
person can

When/How
often?
Every day,
sometimes in
class/lab?

Best
Relevant to the
curriculum, usable
for the gradelevel, safety

They use
this
sometime
to magnify
some of
the smears
such as
blood in
the
circulatory
system,
heart
smear, and
mammal
vein and
histology
cardiac
muscles.

Grade six
uses this to
magnify
mammal
vein and
histology
cardiac
muscles.

Students
use this
sometime
in the lab
to be clear
about the
component
s of the

Relevant to
the
curriculum:
students
need to
understand
the
contents of

TP Guide for EPC3903 (EPR) Practicum 3b

Year Three, Semester Two / 2015-16 /

Web link
to
manufact
urer /
supplier
site

http://w
ww.scop
eman.co
m/

Magnifying
the blood
smear at
the
circulatory
system.
Safety:
-With the
teacher
monitor the
microscope
will be safe.
- The
microscope
is a safe tool
for children.

Bachelor of Education, Primary Education (EPR) EPC3903

use it
because
the slide is
very tiny
but this
smear can
stay for a
long time.

Heart model

Model the real

heart for the
students.

Classroo
m-lab

Teacher:
can show
and teach
student by
the model.
Student:
can
investigate
the heart
and touch
it.
Many of
students
can use it
in the
same time

blood.

the blood at
their
vessels.
Usable for
the gradelevel: grade
six can use
this.
Safety:
teacher
monitoring
should be
there,
because the
slide can
heart
students
hands or
injure them.
Best
Relevant to
the
curriculum:
this model
relate to the
circulatory
system

When:
students
and
teacher
use this
model at
the
circulatory
system to
investigate Usable for
the parts of the gradethe heart.
level: grade
six uses this
How: they easily to
can use it
observe the
by
parts of the
observing
parts.
the model
and
Safety: the
touching it. model is
very safe
which
students
can use it by
them self.

TP Guide for EPC3903 (EPR) Practicum 3b

Year Three, Semester Two / 2015-16 /

Bachelor of Education, Primary Education (EPR) EPC3903

Vein smear
slide

Used to look
for veins and
how it looks.

Lab

Both
students
and
teacher
can use it.
One
person can
use it
because
the slide is
very tiny
but this
smear can
stay for a
long time
to use in
the future.

Students
use this
sometime
in the lab
to be clear
about the
veins and
the
circulatory
system.

Relevant to
the
curriculum:
students
need to
understand
the
contents of
the
circulatory
system
especially
veins.

Usable for
the gradelevel: grade
six can use
this with the
microscope
to look at
veins.
Safety:
monitoring
from the
teacher
should be
there,
because the
slide can
heart
students
hands or
injure them.
Moreover,
students
can damage
this smears
so teacher
has to be
careful.

TP Guide for EPC3903 (EPR) Practicum 3b

Year Three, Semester Two / 2015-16 /

Bachelor of Education, Primary Education (EPR) EPC3903

Discussion Board Notes- Completed weekly

Table 4: TP Discussion Board Notes
How did you feel about TP today/this week? What areas are you focused on and what progress have
you made? Explain.

The third week prompts the confidence at me which I feel comfortable about teaching at this school.
Classroom management is something important to have during the lesson. At this week, I notice that
my classroom managing improved, which nowadays I can control students in professional way. The
punctuality with the time at the lesson shows the teacher professional
What duties / activities did you carry out during the school today? Critically Reflect: Did you feel that
you did a good job?
There were lots of activities related to the 5E involved at my lessons at this week. Use this way lead to
have a good understanding at the students. For example, elaborating student made students thinking
to be expanded.
What was the most interesting science activity or strategy you saw? Why did you think it was
interesting and worth noting/remembering?
Moreover, the most interesting activity that I think it made students achieve the lesson goal was
creating models or posters. For example, at one of the lessons students create a nervous system by
limited materials so that made them learn by doing.
What did you try out? Was it successful? Why/why not? Which TP competencies do you feel you
achieved and which do you think that you need to focus on next time?

however, the MST was giving me a feedback which it help me to improve my lessons , for example
reduce giving all the information for grade 6 increase their capabilities at thinking and searching. At
the begging I thought that this will not be a good thing to do but after thinking I agreed that grade 6 is
good enough to learn by them selfs.
What was the most important thing you learnt about students or teaching science today? Can you
think of any way you could better engage students in any activity you saw today?

Critically Reflect: Identify an aspect of your own behaviour (e.g. time / behaviour management) that
you feel you could improve upon. Discuss ways in which you could improve this.

What are your agreed responsibilities for your next day/week in TP? Be specific

TP Guide for EPC3903 (EPR) Practicum 3b

Year Three, Semester Two / 2015-16 /