BEST STEPS GCSE:

Student Transitions to Enable

Progress in Science

Physics
• Specific heat capacity
• Analysing motion graphs
• Forces and reactions
• Wave diagrams
• Potential difference
• Calculating resistance
• Electromagnetic field
• Energy transfers

By Neil Wade
 Welcome to BEST STEPS...

How to use the BEST STEPS GCSE resource:

BEST STEPS (Student Transitions to Enable Progress in Science) GCSE consists of a set of teaching progressions for biology, chemistry and physics. These use
diagnostic questions from the Best Evidence Science Teaching (BEST) Project and GCSE examination questions to check student understanding of some key
scientific concepts.
BEST STEPS GCSE facilitates an individualised approach by using formative assessment to identify the educational needs of students. This enables support
to be provided to some students to address gaps in their understanding. Extension material may be offered to those students identified as having secure
understanding, to ensure that they are not held back. Appropriate extension material could involve the application of understanding of a key concept to an
unfamiliar context.
All GCSE subject content in this resource has been taken from the Department for Education subject guidelines (upon which all specifications in England are
based), meaning that this resource is suitable for all GCSE specifications. The topics selected are studied by all students regardless of tier and are required for
both combined science and triple science specifications. However, the science concepts developed are universal, so the resource can also be used to support
students studying for equivalent qualifications in other countries.
Introducing the Best Evidence Science Teaching (BEST) resources:
Best Evidence Science Teaching (BEST) is a collection of free research evidence-informed resources for effective teaching of difficult ideas, embedded formative
assessment and adaptive lesson planning. It is initially focused on science at ages 11-14, although new materials are now being written to extend BEST to
support students aged 11-16.
Research evidence-informed progression toolkits for key concepts in science are available free to download from the BEST website.
Each progression toolkit includes:
• appropriately-sequenced learning steps;
• diagnostic questions that provide evidence of learning and of common misunderstandings; and
• response activities that promote purposeful practical work, metacognition and conceptual progression.
If you are unfamiliar with the BEST resources, a short introduction may be downloaded from the BEST website. You may also find it helpful to watch an
introductory webinar on the project - “Introduction to Best Evidence Science Teaching (BEST)” - can be found in the “Secondary (11-19) science education “
section here on the ASE website.
 Welcome to BEST STEPS...

How to use the BEST STEPS GCSE resource:

The eight topics may be used in any order so use the topics in the order that works best for your students. The resource provides a sequence of three questions
for each topic, which together develop conceptual understanding of a key concept. Give your students the introductory question to start with. If students are
successful, give them the next question. If students have not grasped the introductory level idea, provide additional material or teaching that will develop their
understanding, before continuing to the next question in the progression. Use the final GCSE question to check that your students can apply their conceptual
understanding at GCSE level.

How to navigate the Best Evidence Science Teaching (BEST) resources

For your convenience, the BEST diagnostic questions used in these progressions are hyperlinked from each topic page - just click on the question image.
The BEST resources are categorised into “big ideas”, with the “big ideas” in physics being:
• Matter (PMA)
• Forces and motion (PFM)
• Sound, light and waves (PSL)
• Electricity and magnetism (PEM)
Use the three letter codes to help you navigate the full set of resources on the BEST website. Here you will find response activities for each diagnostic question
used in BEST STEPS GCSE, 11-14 subject maps and much more.

Using the GCSE questions

Clicking on the image of each GCSE question will bring up a word version of the question, guidance on how this can help to identify gaps in your students’
understanding and the official mark scheme.

Acknowledgements
All BEST resources are free to download thanks to the support of the Salters’ Institute and a partnership with STEM Learning. ASE is grateful to OCR for
permission to use its questions in this resource.
 Specific heat capacity
Guidance on each key concept, research summaries, more diagnostic questions and accompanying response activities may be downloaded from:
https://www.stem.org.uk/best-evidence-science-teaching

Introducing... Consolidating... Securing...

BEST Key concept PMA1.3: BEST Key concept PMA1.4: GCSE Subject content:
Thermal conduction Thermal store of energy Specific Heat Capacity
Heating makes the particles in a material
Each different material will have more The energy required to heat the material will
move more quickly. Heating raises the
energy in its thermal store if either its depend on mass and specific heat capacity.
temperature quickly throughout a good
temperature or mass is increased. Using the equation E = mcAT allows calculation
thermal conductor, and very slowly
of the energy needed to increase the
through a good thermal insulator.
temperature of a material.
 Analysing motion graphs
Guidance on each key concept, research summaries, more diagnostic questions and accompanying response activities may be downloaded from:
https://www.stem.org.uk/best-evidence-science-teaching

Introducing... Consolidating... Securing...

BEST Key concept PFM2.1: BEST Key concept PFM2.2: GCSE Subject content:
Describing speed Motion graphs Analysing motion graphs

Speed is a measure of how fast an Information about the motion of Distance-time graphs and velocity-time
object travels: how far it goes in a given an object can be summarised on a graphs represent a motion in different
time. distance-time graph. ways and can be used to quantify
displacement, velocity and acceleration.
 Forces and reactions
Guidance on each key concept, research summaries, more diagnostic questions and accompanying response activities may be downloaded from:
https://www.stem.org.uk/best-evidence-science-teaching

Introducing... Consolidating... Securing...

BEST Key concept PFM3.2: BEST Key concept PFM3.2: GCSE Subject content:
Hidden forces Hidden forces Forces and reactions
A string can support objects of At a microscopic level a floor is springy. Interactions between pairs of objects
different weights and hold each one at It pushes back on any object placed produce a force on each object, which
rest by balancing the force of gravity on on it with an equal-sized force in the can be represented as vectors.
the ball. opposite direction to the object’s
weight.
 Wave diagrams
Guidance on each key concept, research summaries, more diagnostic questions and accompanying response activities may be downloaded from:
https://www.stem.org.uk/best-evidence-science-teaching

Introducing... Consolidating... Securing...

BEST Key concept PSL4.1: BEST Key concept PSL4.2: GCSE Subject content:
Waves on water and ropes A wave model of sound Wave diagrams
A transverse wave travelling across As a sound wave (longitudinal wave) Wave diagrams represent measurable
the surface of water (or along a rope) travels, it transfers energy, as particles features of both longitudinal and
transfers energy, as particles of water (or of the medium through which it travels transverse waves.
rope) are successively made to vibrate at are successively made to vibrate
right angles to the direction in which the forwards and backwards along the
wave travels. direction in which the wave travels.
 Potential difference
Guidance on each key concept, research summaries, more diagnostic questions and accompanying response activities may be downloaded from:
https://www.stem.org.uk/best-evidence-science-teaching

Introducing... Consolidating... Securing...

BEST Key concept PEM1.1: BEST Key concept PEM1.2: GCSE Subject content:
Making circuits Electric current Potential difference
An electric circuit is a closed Electric current is the flow of electric Currents, potential differences and resistances
conducting loop containing a battery. charge around a circuit that stops or in d.c. series circuits can be calculated and the
starts flowing everywhere in the circuit design and use of such circuits for measurement
at the same time. In a series circuit the and testing purposes explained. Conventions of
current is the same in all places. positive and negative terminals, and the symbols,
are important in understanding the action of any
given circuit.
 Calculating resistance
Guidance on each key concept, research summaries, more diagnostic questions and accompanying response activities may be downloaded from:
https://www.stem.org.uk/best-evidence-science-teaching

Introducing... Consolidating... Securing...

BEST Key concept PEM2.1: BEST Key concept PEM2.1: GCSE Subject content:
Resistance Resistance Calculating resistance
Current (I) depends on both resistance (R) and potential
Resistance (in Ohms, Ω) is a measure The resistance of a wire depends on its
difference (V) with the relationship between I, R and V
of how hard it is for charge to flow. length and its cross-sectional area (its
being recalled and applied. For some resistors, the value
thickness).
of R remains constant but, in other specific components,
resistance can change as the current changes. The
design and use of circuits to explore such effects –
including for lamps, diodes, thermistors and LDRs – can
also be related to this relationship.
 Electromagnetic field
Guidance on each key concept, research summaries, more diagnostic questions and accompanying response activities may be downloaded from:
https://www.stem.org.uk/best-evidence-science-teaching

Introducing... Consolidating... Securing...

BEST Key concept PEM3.1: BEST Key concept PEM3.2: GCSE Subject content:
Magnetic fields Electromagnets Electromagnetic field
The magnetic field around a magnet The direction of the magnetic field around
Different factors can change the
can be represented by field lines, which a conducting wire can be shown using
strength of a magnetic field around a
indicate the size and direction of the compasses. The strength of the field
coil of wire.
force of the magnet on the north- depends on the current and the distance
seeking pole of another magnet. from the conductor.
 Energy transfers
Guidance on each key concept, research summaries, more diagnostic questions and accompanying response activities may be downloaded from:
https://www.stem.org.uk/best-evidence-science-teaching

Introducing... Consolidating... Securing...

BEST Key concept PFM1.5: BEST Key concept PFM1.5: GCSE Subject content:
Energy stores and transfers Energy stores and transfers Energy transfers
An energy store of some kind is When a force makes things change, it Students should be able to describe all
necessary for something to happen, mechanically transfers energy between the changes involved in the way energy
and something happens when energy different energy stores. Friction is stored when a system changes, for
transfers between energy stores. transfers energy mechanically into a common situations.
heat store of energy.
 NEXT STEPS....
www.ase.org.uk
We are hoping that you find these progressions useful, but there may be concepts that have not been covered in this resource that you would like to create. This
step by step guide will help you develop your own teaching progressions...

Although the publisher has made every effort to obtain permissions for any third party material in these resources, we would ask that anyone with concerns should contact [email protected]