Investigating the use of popular children’s films to stimulate interest in science at key stage 2

A final year undergraduate thesis by Elenore Wadsworth

NOTE: This version has had all images removed and the schools involved have been made anonymous.[TG HARRISON supervisor]

AbstractThe drop in students taking science subjects at university is a worrying statistic 1. In schools throughout the country there is decline in interest in the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) 2. Career prospects in science are not attractive. For example, the stereotypical Scientist is an old Caucasian male with wild hair and a long white lab coat – an unattractive role model compared to the popularity of footballers or actors.

The Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme (UAS) 1 was set up with the aim to address this problem. The scheme places undergraduates in schools in order to inspire children with the hope of filling the next generation with budding scientists who will continue to advance the world. The research in this project aimed to find a modern teaching method to make science fun and interesting, yet still educational3.

In this project, films are used as a stimulus in order to remain up to date with a modernising world. Increasingly television and film are replacing reading as popular leisure activities for children. Films are a potential educational tool for all ages to enjoy, and most children learn whilst being entertained4.

The film industry brings millions of children to the cinema5. With children watching films a common activity outside of school, incorporating popular films that contain scientific references has the potential to spark interest in the classroom. Clips instead of the entire film are used as the pupils will maintain focus on the lesson objective whilst being excited by the appeal of the film. The clips can be used as starters to excite the pupils for the lesson ahead, plenaries to round off a lesson, or to break up long written assignments. A webpage was set up in order to show all the film clips found throughout this project, along with their scientific relevance to the National Curriculum (NC) 6. The webpage is aimed at teachers to use as a resource in class and is ‘fit-for-purpose’ in its ease of use. Each clip shown has a detailed synopsis in order to make it easier to find the clip most relevant to the lesson in question.

Questionnaires given to year 5 pupils in School 1 Primary School showed that all their pupils enjoyed watching films at home, and thus enjoyed watching them in class. The majority thought that using film clips made science more fun and wanted more to be shown in their lessons. The teachers questioned felt that the pupils benefitted from the use of clips in class by instantly engaging them, and by showing them that aspects of science are all around us, even in film. With response to the webpage they found it easy to use and an invaluable resource for modernising their lesson plans.

From the results of the questionnaires, the use of film clips has been found to stimulate pupils in lessons. It gave an alternative method of learning that linked an activity children enjoy at home- directly into the classroom. The pupils found science more enjoyable, which is what the project set out to do. Film clips could

hopefully be used by many more teachers to help increase the number of pupils remaining in education to study science.

Contents

Abstract................................................................................................................. 2Acknowledgements................................................................................................41. Introduction.....................................................................................................5

1.1 The Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme...................................................51.2 Education in England....................................................................................61.3 The National Curriculum...............................................................................81.4 A Potential New Curriculum........................................................................101.5 @@@ School 1 Information........................................................................111.6 @@@ School 2 Information........................................................................12

2. Research.......................................................................................................132.1 Learning styles...........................................................................................132.2 Teaching Styles..........................................................................................142.3 Intelligence Theories..................................................................................152.4 Modernising Education...............................................................................162.5 Film Education............................................................................................172.6 Copyright in Schools...................................................................................17

3. Observations.................................................................................................183.1 School 1......................................................................................................183.2 School 2......................................................................................................19

4. Teaching........................................................................................................194.1 ChemLabS Science Day at School 1 ..........................................................194.2 Science Week at School 2...........................................................................204.3 Film Clips....................................................................................................21

4.3.1 Space Chimps.......................................................................................214.3.2 Up.........................................................................................................22

5. Evidence........................................................................................................225.1 Questionnaires...........................................................................................225.2 Webpage....................................................................................................28

5.2.1 Home page...........................................................................................285.2.2 Year 3...................................................................................................30

5.2.3 Year 4...................................................................................................305.2.4 Year 5...................................................................................................315.2.5 Year 6...................................................................................................32

5.3 Teacher Feedback......................................................................................346. Further Work.................................................................................................367. Conclusion.....................................................................................................37References...........................................................................................................38Appendix..............................................................................................................40

Worksheet accompanying Space Chimps.........................................................40Example Worksheet accompanying Space Chimps..........................................41Session Plan accompanying Up........................................................................42Worksheet accompanying Up...........................................................................44Worksheet accompanying WALL.E....................................................................45Example Worksheet accompanying WALL.E.....................................................46Worksheet accompanying The Inconvenient Truth...........................................47Example Worksheet accompanying The Inconvenient Truth............................48Questionnaire conducted at the start...............................................................49Example Questionnaire conducted at the start................................................51Questionnaire conducted at the end................................................................53Example Questionnaire conducted at the end..................................................55Questionnaire for teachers...............................................................................57Example Questionnaire for teachers................................................................58Photo Consent Form.........................................................................................60

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Mr Tim Harrison and Dr David Smith for all their valued help throughout the duration of the project. Thanks also to Sophie Franklin for her advice and help, Dr Steve Croker and Mr Ian Penning for their help with the webpage, the technicians for the lending of the ChemLabS equipment, and Dr Alison Rivett.

I am also very grateful to School 1 Primary School and School 2, especially Teacher 1 and Teacher 2 and their pupils for their much appreciated advice and help.

1. Introduction

1.1 The Undergraduate Ambassadors SchemeThe Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme (UAS) 1 is run by an independent organisation, Undergraduate Ambassadors Limited, on a non-for-profit basis. The UAS was set up in 2002 as a result of the recent drop in university applicants to science subjects, and thus a drop in those following these subjects in to the teaching profession1. When the scheme started in 2002 it involved 4 university departments with 28 undergraduates, this has rapidly grown to 138 departments from 48 universities involving 1000 undergraduates. The original departments were maths and physics but due to the success of the programme, this has expanded to other areas such as in chemistry, biology and engineering. It works with primary schools through to mature students.

The UAS works with universities to develop a programme where undergraduates can earn 30 academic credits through working as a teaching assistant in place of a lab-based research project in their final year. The University of Bristol’s (UoB) Chemistry department provide this opportunity for those taking the BSc programme and gives an alternative to those students not wanting to follow a career in the research industry. The School of Chemistry at UoB have taken part in the programme since 2006, and each year has been a success7. If accepted on the UAS undergraduates have to complete a training day and undergo a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check before being placed into schools. A CRB check is required for all those working in schools in the UK.

School visits take place throughout 2 undergraduate terms with 1 or 2 visits per week depending on lecture timetables. This time period in the schools ensures the pupils get to know and be comfortable with the undergraduate. In return the undergraduate can develop the skills desired from this scheme.

There are many benefits from UAS for the undergraduate, the teachers, the university, and of course the pupils. The pupils receive extra attention in class from an enthusiastic assistant; this enthusiasm will hopefully transfer to the pupils. The undergraduate also has the opportunity to explain a problem to the pupil in an alternative way to their teacher, possibly advancing their understanding of an area which may otherwise been brushed over and left. Pupils get taught by someone closer to their age group, supplying a ‘role model’ that they can connect with. They also get to see a ‘normal’ person getting excited about science instead of the stereotypical crazy haired, lab-coat wearing, Caucasian male.

Someone who benefits the pupils is also an advantage to the teacher, as they receive a passionate assistant who can help conduct experiments and demonstrations in class that would not have been possible with only 1 pair of hands. In primary schools especially, a second pair of hands is invaluable. Teachers also have the advantage of using the undergraduate to focus on areas that would otherwise not receive as much attention as they the teacher would like. For example helping struggling pupils, pushing brighter ones, or simply inputting knowledge pupils may not have learnt without the presence of a science university student.

The university itself benefits from this scheme in the long-term by setting up links with local schools, and in the hope of establishing a generation who are more avid learners of science. These students will be more likely to continue on to higher education, thus creating the scientists of the future- potentially benefitting the world!

As well as gaining academic credit for their degree, undergraduates gain important transferable skills from participating in this programme. Undergraduates will learn how to teach, and communicate in an effective way to suit their audience. Their public speaking and ability to improvise will improve dramatically through having to teach in ever changing situations. Being a teacher provides skills which will prove invaluable in later life, such as problem solving, organisation, and time management- all of which are highly respected by graduate employers. This experience also gives undergraduates a taste of the teaching profession, and allows them to see if this is a potential career path. Those already considering teaching can use UAS as a beneficial experience to help pursue their career – boosting long-term recruitment for teachers in the shortage suffering area of science departments. Technical skills are also developed and are profitable to the teacher, such as handling apparatus, conducting experiments, and class control when using the equipment.

As an undergraduate my role was to support the teacher that I was assigned to, help plan lessons, and be an extra pair of hands in demonstrations and experiments. I was required to be enthusiastic and vibrant in the classroom when teaching or giving explanations, in order to stimulate the pupils’ interest and promote science in a positive and interesting way. I worked on a one to one basis as well as with groups, and adapted my approach of the subject in hand accordingly. I adapted my methods of explanation according to the needs of the individual in order to hopefully help the pupils understand something they hadn’t earlier on the board, for example if something was explained visually I would explain it kinesthically (see section 2.1). I also got involved in areas outside of science, for example, at Christmas I watched the school nativity play, and at times when I arrived early to class I’d lend a hand in literacy lessons. This extended my time in schools, which meant that the pupils got to see more of me and not just during the assigned times of the science lessons.

I applied for this role in order to explore the teaching profession as a possible career, and get firsthand experience of being a teacher whilst still at university. If

I don’t become a teacher I would still work in the public sector, therefore the skills I gained throughout the programme are invaluable to future job prospects. One main characteristic that I wanted to improve on throughout this scheme was my confidence in public speaking. Being a teacher forces you to continually speak to an audience every day, thus making you more comfortable with the situation you are in. This skill is transferable to future career paths as confidence is a valuable tool in the working world.

1.2 Education in EnglandEducation is ‘a process of teaching, training and learning, especially in schools or colleges, to improve knowledge and develop skills’8.

The modern system of education in England has developed from events that began in the latter half of the 19th century9. Before this period children worked in factories bringing in wages for the family, this meant that there was no real urge to educate. Educating children would lead to the middle-class employers losing cheap labour, and the working-class employees losing earnings. Increasing the country’s wealth at this time was a higher priority than education. Religion was another factor that held back the establishment of an education system – the Factory Bill in 184310 caused violent controversy amongst Catholics and nonconformists, as according to the Bill, headmasters had to be members of the Church of England9. It was only in the 20th century when interest in religious teaching declined that nondenominational schooling became possible.

The Factory Acts of 1833, 1844 and 1867 promoted education throughout the nation10. They fought to improve factory working conditions as well as making schooling compulsory. Some, but unfortunately not all, factory owners ran schools inside their factories10. It was only during the latter part of the 19th

century that education began to be seen to be the key to economic and political stability, and thus a financially viable option. The Education Act of 1870, commonly known as the Forester Act10 was the real breakthrough - the state now took responsibility for the education for 5-13 year olds and it pressurised attendance. The Act of 187610 placed a duty on parents to ensure that their children attended school, and the 1880 Act10 furthered this by making education compulsory for 5-10 year olds, thus reinforcing what the Forester Act had intended to do.

Elementary education did not become free until 1891. In 1902 the Balfour Act10

created Local Education Authorities (LEA’s) which provided grants for school maintenance and supported teacher training colleges, all of which continued to support and improve education. But it was the Butler Act of 194410 which made all previous laws redundant and became the most important legislation regarding education to be enacted in the 20th century9. By this time, it was well known that education was vital to the success of the country; this is reflected in the act;

“It shall be the duty of the local education authority for every area, so far as their powers extend, to continue towards the spiritual, mental and physical developments of the community.” (1944 Education Act Part II, 7)

In this act primary education was reorganised into infants and juniors, with the transfer to secondary at the age of 11. Secondary education was split into 3 categories; grammar schools, secondary modern schools, and technical schools. In this act the leaving age was raised to 15, and soon to 16 in 197310. Grammar schools were available only to those who passed the 11+ examination which tested numeracy and literacy, thus these schools generally had the most academic children. Pupils who failed the 11+ could gain access to the other 2 types of schools. A secondary modern school provided a 4 year course in an array of subjects which lead to a School Leaving Certificate, whereas a technical school taught more practical subjects closely linked to the world of industry10, however this type of school was the least popular option.

The present system now sees children attending primary, then secondary school, which in England is most commonly a comprehensive school – 86.8% of pupils in England attend comprehensive schools9.

The 1988 Education Act10 saw the introduction of the National Curriculum (See Section 1.3). The National Curriculum made education requirements the same for all state-funded schools. A more recent development in education has been the introduction of Academies and Free Schools, “academies are publicly funded independent schools, free from local authority and national government control”10. They were designed to improve education in inner cities and used as a way of improving schools that were performing badly. The scheme brought with it a lot of controversy, because in order to gain academy status, the school must raise 2 million pounds from private funds. Free Schools work in the same way; they also receive money from sponsors and are free from the local authority10.

1.3 The National CurriculumThe National Curriculum was set up through the Education Act in 198810. It is a framework to make sure that all teaching and learning in state schools is the same and balanced in all subjects. In England the National Curriculum is statutory. As long as the standards of the National Curriculum are met, teachers can organise and teach their lessons as they see fit. Many schools use the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) 11 schemes of work to teach from, and the independent body Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA) 11, to control the National Curriculum and assessment. It was with the introduction of the National Curriculum that science was made a core subject with maths and English, much to the surprise of the primary school teachers at that time12.

The National Curriculum sets compulsory education into four key stages, and Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) for non-compulsory education for children below 5 years old13.

Age Year Key

Stage4-5 Reception EYFS5-6 1 16-7 2 17-8 3 28-9 4 29-10 5 210-11 6 211-12 7 312-13 8 313-14 9 314-15 10 415-16 11 4

Table 1: The key stages throughout education and their corresponding age and school year

The National Curriculum consists of 11 subjects, for key stages 1 and 2, the subjects are;

English Maths Science Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Religious Education (R.E) Physical Education (P.E) Art and Design Design Technology (D.T) History Geography Music

In the Education Act of 199610, Religious education became compulsory in all schools, but parents have the right to withdraw children from the classes if they wish. This is also the case with sex education, and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE).

Each subject at each key stage has its own programme of study, which sets out what content is to be covered, what the pupils should be achieving at certain stages, and how to assess their performance. The attainment targets set out for the pupils consist of 8 levels of increasing difficulty;

Pupils should be working at levels 1-3 at key stage 1 (KS1) Pupils should be working at levels 2-5 at key stage 2 (KS2)

Pupils receive their levels at the end of KS2 from the SATs tests, although this is a controversial issue as many want them scrapped like the SATs at KS3 were, as they create too much stress and anxiety at too young an age.

The National Curriculum for science is broken up into 4 main areas of study;

Scientific Enquiry Life Processes and Living Things Materials and their Properties Physical Processes

In these categories, biology, physics, chemistry and experimental work is covered. Scientific Enquiry is to be taught within the other 3 sections14. In KS2 this requires carrying out systematic investigations with others, as well as individually.

Topics covered in Life Processes and Living Things;

1. Life Processes2. Humans and Other Animals3. Green Plants4. Variation and Classification5. Living Things in Their Environment

Topics covered in Materials and their Properties;

1. Grouping and Classifying Materials2. Changing Materials3. Separating Mixtures of Materials

Topics covered by Physical Processes;

1. Electricity2. Forces and Motion3. Light and Sound4. The Earth and Beyond

‘The Standards Site’15 provides a further break down of the units to be covered within the 3 categories. The website is set up by the Department of Education and QCA, and teachers can use the ‘Schemes of Work’ in order to construct their lessons in accordance with the curriculum.

Unit 3A Teeth and Eating3B Helping Plants Grow Well3C Characteristics of Materials3D Rocks and Soils3E Magnets and Springs3F Light and Shadows4A Moving and Growing4B Habitats

4C Keeping Warm4D Solids, Liquids and How They Can Be

Separated4E Friction4F Circuits and Conductors5A Keeping Healthy5B Life Cycle5C Gases Around Us5D Changing State5E Earth, Sun and Moon5F Changing Sounds6A Interdependence and Adaptation6B Micro-organisms6C More About Dissolving6D Reversible and Irreversible Changes6E Forces in Action6F How We See Things6G Changing Circuits

Table 2: The non- statutory QCA Scheme of Work units for key stage 215

1.4 A Potential New CurriculumSince the National Curriculum began in 1988, it has undergone many reviews, receiving both praise and criticism16. In the early days of the National Curriculum schools struggled to keep up with requirements, there was too much content which reduced creative teaching and thus bored the children. With struggling schools becoming a problem, in 1993 the Government asked Lord Dearing to conduct a review of the curriculum16. Dearing urged for a stronger focus on numeracy and literacy, and to allow teachers to produce their own methods of assessment. As a result of this review content in the curriculum was reduced, and thus flexibility increased. The Dearing Review17 was the first review, but more recently Sir Jim Rose undertook one in 1998. The changes of which were meant to be introduced in September 201116 but the new UK government rejected the changes so schools have been told to carry on with the current curriculum until 201217.

The main emphasis of Rose’s report was that there was too much prescribed content; transitions between stages needed to be smoother, and cross-curricular work should be promoted. He stressed that the curriculum should not stifle the children as they must still be able to develop physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially, culturally, morally and spiritually at this unique stage of childhood. He recommended numeracy, literacy and ICT to form the new core subjects and to have 6 areas of learning16 that will create well-rounded learners;

1. Understanding English, Communications and Languages2. Mathematical Understanding3. Scientific and Technological Understanding4. Historical, Geographical and Social Understanding5. Understanding Physical Development, Health and Well-being6. Understanding the Arts

Rose wanted transitions throughout school to be more fluid, including beginning school. He wanted parents to be able to choose when to enrol their child according to maturity and readiness so that summer babies don’t fall short on education in that first influential year.

Cross-curricular studies have been criticised in the past, suggesting that it lost subjects such as history and geography16. Rose believed cross-curricular studies should be embraced and used to support knowledge and deepen understanding. Ofsted and the QCA agreed, stating that ‘the most effective learning occurs when connections are made between subjects’16.

Sir Jim Rose had a lot of strong ideas in his independent review of the primary curriculum, but unfortunately they will not come into effect until at least 2012.

1.5 School 1Mission Statement;

“As we follow in Christ’s footsteps, let us grow in love, knowledge and understanding, so that our light may shine for all to see.”19

School 1is a smaller than average primary school with 1 class per year and an average of 30 students in each class. School 1 take male and female students from ages 4-11. It serves an area which is socially and economically advantaged, but pupils do come from a range of backgrounds. The proportion of pupils who speak English as their second language has risen over the years, with the majority of these being from Eastern European countries. The percentage of pupils with a disability reflects the national average.

School 1 is found on in Redland, Bristol and the Head teacher is @@@@@. The school was originally named Pro-Cathedral School and was located on Park Street, it was taught by nuns until its relocation in 1976. The school continues to have strong links with Parish Church @@@@@, Clifton and has regular visits from the Priest. School 1 is a Catholic voluntary aided primary school and therefore a state school ........ and have a substantial influence in the running of the school.

The school follows the national curriculum teaching English, science, ICT, maths, art, design technology, history, geography, music, physical education and religious education. Religious education is taught using the Catholic scheme of work – ‘Here I Am’. Religious education is a daily part of school life with regular school masses taking place in the school hall. School begins at 8:55am and ends at 3:15pm with before and after-school clubs available to accommodate parents’ routines. After-school clubs run every day and include sports clubs, music clubs, and French and art club. The school promotes a healthy lifestyle, participation in sport and healthy eating is encouraged and all children in key stage 1 receive a free piece of fruit every day.

“Pupils leave with attainment which is exceptionally high by national standards. Pupils attitudes and behaviour, and the care and respect they show to one another, are exemplary. This is an outstanding school.”19

School 1 achieved the grade ‘outstanding’ in their most recent Ofsted report19. Parents were overwhelmingly positive in their praise for the school; one parent said “Staff are enthusiastic and caring. They share in a common mission which helps create a nurturing environment.” The teaching is outstanding, pupils are inspired to learn, and lessons are well planned and balanced in their content. The lessons accommodate practical and written work, as well as team and individual work, all as a regular occurrence. The strong Christian values encourage a supportive and caring atmosphere – the school embraces inclusion and equal opportunities. This is reflected in the children’s positive attitudes towards the school and their respect for their peers and teachers alike. Everything in the Ofsted report achieved a grade 1; staff, lessons, pupils, their behaviour, their well-being and the overall effectiveness of the school.

1.6 School 2School 2 is an average sized school with 289 pupils on their attendance roll with ages ranging from 7 to 11. It is socially and economically advantaged, serving an area of mainly private housing. The majority of pupils have English as their native tongue and are white in ethnicity.

School 2 can be found in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, and the Head teacher is @@@@@. The school achieved a grade 1 in all areas in the recent Ofsted report20. Pupils enter year 3 with above average grades and retain those standards until they leave at the end of year 6. One parent said “My child is happy at school and is achieving a high academic standard. She especially enjoys participating in clubs and music lessons.” There are many clubs for pupils to get involved in, including academic and non-academic. The school has specialist teachers which enables this, for example in P.E and French.

The school follows the national curriculum teaching English, science, ICT, maths, art, design technology, history, geography, music, physical education and religious education. The school promotes a healthy lifestyle, participation in sport and healthy eating is encouraged, and in the recent Ofsted report one pupil said a healthy diet was “not just fruit- you need protein and some carbohydrate- not too much of anything – a balance”.

The teaching is outstanding, the pupils standards, the attendance, behaviour and well-being of the pupils is outstanding. The school has recently undergone an expansion in order to continue this high quality and to be able to offer it to more and more pupils – with an increase from 75 to 90 pupils admitted to each year group.

2. Research

2.1 Learning styles“You have learned something when either or both descriptions apply:-

You know something you didn’t earlier and can show it. You are able to do something you weren’t able to do before.”21

This is a definition of learning by Peter Honey and Alan Mumford21, it was made for a target audience of managers in business but their concepts can still be applied to learning at a younger level. Their version was published in 198221 and was an adaptation on David Kolb’s model. The Kolb model22 has 4 learning styles that a learner has a preference for, named Converger, Diverger, Assimilator and Accommodator.

Convergers are good at making practical application of ideas22. Divergers are imaginative and come up with the ideas22. Assimilators create theoretical models by means of inductive reasoning22. Accommodators actively engage with the world22.

Honey and Mumford’s learning styles are different and are more adaptable. They published a Learning Styles Questionnaire21 in which the reader answers questions according to their preferences in the learning environment – thus tallied up the result will reveal a preferred learning style. Honey and Mumford believe using your own style to learn enables much more effective learning to take place21. The 4 learning styles are named Activist, Reflector, Theorist and Pragmatist.

An Activist jumps in at the deep end with an activity with enthusiasm and confidence. They love new experiences and being the centre of attention. They learn best when there are short activities, involved in a team or lots of excitement is involved.

A Reflector thinks things through before tackling a problem; they observe and adopt a low profile in class. They learn best when they are given time to prepare and research a topic.

A Theorist is logical and adopts a step-by-step approach to problems; they also tend to be perfectionists. They learn best in structured situations and without emotions or feelings being involved.

A Pragmatist is down to earth, likes trying out new ideas but is impatient with open ended discussions. They learn best when they know the clear focus of an activity.

Once a preferred learning style is known, a more yielding learning experience can be obtained. As these styles are focused on an older generation some of the styles are less likely to be adopted by primary school children; the theorist and pragmatist are the 2 styles that focus on a more mature learning style21.

A more recent and the now most commonly used model in primary schools, is Neil Flemings VAK/VARK model23. Planning lessons to incorporate all 4 learning

styles now takes place in primary schools so that all children get a chance to maximise their learning capability.

Visual learners learn by seeing and would prefer visual aids such as PowerPoint’s, videos, colourful posters and handouts. Aural learners learn by listening and speaking, they prefer discussions, verbal repetition and creating jingles to learn. Read/Write learners learn by reading and writing and so prefer to take notes, make lists and rewriting handouts. Finally, kinaesthetic learners learn by doing, they have a ‘hands-on’ approach and like to try things out and experiment.

These learning styles are more adapted to primary school children, and most pupils are a mix of 2 or more styles so would benefit from using a variety of styles in the classroom.

2.2 Teaching StylesAccording to Dr Phelan and Sarah Jane Schnonour24, there are 4 types of teaching styles in today’s classroom; Authoritarian, Permissive, Detached and Authoritive.

An Authoritarian teacher has little management ability and controls the class through shouting. The teacher expects the pupils to obey and will raise their voice if they fail to do so. If the pupils do behave, it is generally out of fear.

A Permissive teacher does not have a firm discipline plan in place and just wants to be friends with the pupils. Pupils like this teacher but do not trust or respect them.

A Detached teacher has become desensitised to problems in the classroom and doesn’t really care about discipline or the grades the pupils achieve. The teacher will try and have as little contact time as possible – they will set work in the first 5 minutes then sit behind the desk for the rest of the class.

An Authoritive teacher imposes strong discipline but is also approachable, caring, and supports the pupils. Pupils trust this teacher and have respect for them. This is the style that most desire, but it is the most difficult to achieve.

The latter style is the most desired as it is the most likely to lead to effective learning. With a Detached and Permissive teacher, the pupils will take advantage of a weak discipline regime and misbehave, costing valuable learning time. With an Authoritarian teacher the pupils will not be learning as much as they are capable of, as they will be doing their work out of fear, not out of understanding of the topic24.

2.3 Intelligence TheoriesDefining intelligence has been a subject of controversy for many psychologists25. David W. Pyle25 gives many definitions, some taken to mean ability, some capability and for how it’s measured – Intelligence Quotient (IQ).

“Intelligence might be taken to mean the speed at which a child is developing mentally25.”

“The processes of intellectual (or cognitive) development are ones which enable a child to understand and know what the world is about25.”

Jean Piaget26 (1896-1980) studied the development of children’s understanding. There have been many more intelligence theories since Piaget’s Development Theory, however it is still used today and probably will be for many years to come26. His theory however has been heavily criticised25. Piaget believes that everybody follows the same intelligence path, and a child’s capability of understanding the world happens at different points along that path. His work continues to be used to sculpt the school curriculum to this day25. Piaget believes that there are certain stages where thinking develops along a child’s intellectual path, and no matter how bright a child is they won’t be able to understand certain things until they are psychologically ready.

The stages of cognitive development proposed by Piaget are as follows;

Sensori-motor (Birth to 2 years)

Differentiates self from objects Recognises self as agent of actions and acts intentionally Achieves object permanence

Pre-operational (2 to 7 years)

Learns to use language and represent objects by images and words Thinking is still egocentric Classifies objects by a single feature

Concrete operational (7 to 11 years)

Can think logically about objects and events Achieves conservation of number (age 6), mass (age 7) and weight (age 9) Classifies objects according to several features and can order them in

series along a single dimension such as size.

Formal operational (11 years and up)

Can think logically about abstract proposition and test hypothesis systematically

Becomes concerned with the hypothetical, the future and ideological problem.

This system has been criticised as being too rigid25, a child’s development is a lot more fluid and less clean cut. The problem with assessing how bright a child is in school is trying to differentiate between capability and performance. Capability represents the learning potential, the highest attainable level for that child whereas the performance is what is actually done at a particular time. The problem being, what if the task observed doesn’t represent a child’s true

capability once performed? Bortner and Birch’s25 (1970) theory is that how a child’s performance on a given task provides little evidence of their actual capabilities. Children may fail at a certain task, however the reason for their failing may be as a result of the way it was approached or presented, not because of low capabilities.

2.4 Modernising EducationThe recent lack of interest in science is worrying for the future generations of Great Britain. Science and technology are essential to economic competitiveness, quality of life, history and culture27, and without them we would suffer as a country. Primary level science is crucial, as a child’s first encounter with a subject has the potential to have a long term impact on their interest and attitudes to that subject27. The QCA and government are therefore urging teachers to provide ‘activities based on first-hand experiences that encourage exploration, observation, problem solving, prediction, critical thinking, decision making and discussion27’.

In their book, Pollard and Triggs28 state that ‘education policy, like any other is a social and political construction’ 28. This suggests that when teaching science it is necessary to consider modern society and culture, and teaching should adapt with the ever changing world. Science is such a malleable subject, this should be taken advantage of and used to stimulate pupils interest in about the world they live in27.

The proposals outlined within the Department of Education and Skills ‘Excellence and Enjoyment’: A strategy for primary schools3 in 2003 agrees and expects teachers to develop more creative ways of delivering the curriculum. An idea of how to achieve this is outlined in ‘Teaching Science in the Primary Classroom’27, it suggests games, role play and stories to stimulate interest and link previously learnt concepts with new ideas and situations in the real world. While this raises a good point, I feel that using stories as a way of exciting pupils about science does not necessarily keep up with modern society. Stories take time to read, are already covered in other subjects and are reducing in popularity. A reason for the decline in reading books for pleasure is the increase of more popular alternative of television and films. Why not use these methods instead? The film industry thrives on family films, with around 30 films released every year29. In the UK alone, 8 of the top 20 films of 2009 were children’s films, rated PG or U5. Recent box office data shows that within an all time worldwide top 20 films, 11 of these were children’s films5. Children watching films is a common and enjoyable pastime, so incorporating familiar children’s films that contain scientific references has the potential to spark interest in the classroom. The use of films to educate was urged by the British Film Institute in 2005 in order to inspire educators to take films as seriously as books, and this principle is what the charity Film Education30 now focuses on.

2.5 Film EducationFilm Education is a charity that was set up in 1984 with the purpose of bringing cinema and its magic to the classroom, allowing it to be academically appreciated30. The charity is supported by donations and the UK Film Industry. Film Education promotes the use of film within the national curriculum in almost every subject in order to excite children in subjects that they feel have no link or use in their lives. Its success over the past 27 years is proof alone that film is welcomed in the classroom. With a subject such as science, film isn’t closely associated with the classroom as a standard learning tool, whereas with media studies or history the link is much more apparent; but ‘whatever your focus, film can provide a valuable, accessible and engaging more of delivery to learners’31.

The Film Education’s resource library gives the film title, the certificate, the level of use and the subject to use in, but it requires the whole film to be watched in order to get the full use out of the resources given. For a subject like science, watching a whole film isn’t necessary, and may mask the true links to the curriculum. I feel that short clips work better within a science lesson as the appeal of the film, and an alternative method of learning, will stimulate the child’s interest, whilst not distracting too much from the lesson objectives.

2.6 Copyright in SchoolsIn order to show film clips in schools and show a webpage with images of the film’s characters on, the UK copyright legislation must be taken into account32.

The ‘Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988’ controls the copyright and its use in the UK32, it has been extensively modernised in the ‘Copyright and Related Rights Regulations33 (2003) due to the rapid changes involving the internet.

Copyright is the protection of original work by its creator. It protects the creator from third parties copying their work, both directly, by adapting it, or showing it to the general public without permission. This protection lasts 70 years after the death of the creator32. The laws of copyright are subject to the country you are using it in, i.e. schools showing the films in England are subject to UK laws.

Under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 198832, in order to show films in schools for entertainment purposes, a Public Video Screen Licence34 (PVSL) is required. The PVLA was created by Filmbank Distributors34, the licence covers most film studios including Disney and Warner Brothers, therefore as long as the films are borrowed or purchased there is no limit to how many can be shown. Most schools have a PVLA so that films can be shown for leisure at the end of term or in after school clubs, and so that they are not restricted to showing films purely for educational purposes. Fortunately schools are not generally seen as ‘public’, they are seen as private and films are allowed to be shown if that film is part of the curriculum34. Thus, showing clips for use in key stage 2 science lessons does not require a licence.

A small proportion of images and film stills from the internet are allowed in schools for educational use without obtaining permission first35, without being

regarded as an infringement of copyright. With this said credit still needs to be given to the copyright holder and quoted along with the material used35.

3. Observations

3.1 School 1 Primary SchoolMy first impression of School 1 Primary School was that it was calm and secure. It was civilised and lived up to its immaculate Ofsted report. This first impression lasted throughout my stay at the school, I came across no real behavioural issues and all the pupils genuinely seemed interested in learning, or at least if not they didn’t express their boredom through disrupting others.

I worked with a year 5 class throughout my stay. The teacher introduced me as a Bristol University chemistry student who was here to research the impact of using film clips in science lessons. The pupils became much more interested once the word film had been mentioned, which was encouraging. The teacher asked the pupils if they liked films, to which all raised their hands. Then the pupils were asked who would like film clips incorporated into their science lessons, all but 2 kept their hands raised – providing me with a clear target market. From the very first day my presence excited the children as it meant they would be watching a film clip, and as a result they were excited for their science lesson.

From my observations, the class as a whole were very bright, with the boys exceeding the girls in most subjects. They all asked intelligent answers, listened to instructions and carried out the tasks set by the teacher. It was a very good class, and they surprised me with their mature thinking and good behaviour, this meant that class control required minimal effort. The year 5 teacher complimented the pupils as she was very patient with them; the pupils weren’t badly behaved but they did ask a lot of questions and raised their hands to tell her a lot of irrelevant information. The teacher was tolerant and allowed the pupils to finish their stories, but miraculously managed to take what the pupil said and link it back to the topic in hand instead of disheartening the pupil by ignoring them or their story. The teacher allowed for an element of fun in her lessons, as the good behaviour of the class in general meant that they could easily be controlled if things started to get out of hand. From my stay at the school I noticed that the science lessons lacked written work and focused more on experiments and computer work, which the pupils incidentally prefer, but in the long run they will lack the scientific writing skills necessary in secondary school and beyond. The discussions in class on the other hand were mature and the teacher constantly pushed them to reword their sentences in order to incorporate more scientific language.

I found that when using my film clips in class, the pupils calmed down during and after watching the clip. As previously mentioned they were not a disruptive class, however an unforeseen advantage of the film clips was that they quietened the class down if the noise level did start to rise. The class all remained focused on

the clips as they were a manageable length of time, whereas with a discussion or work exercise there were always a few pupils not involved due to a lack of understanding or interest. With the film clips, all eyes were on the screen, therefore the film clips could be used not only for educational purposes but also for refocusing the group.

3.2 School 2In comparison, my first impression of School 2 was completely different. Due to its size it seemed much busier and there was a lot more going on. I worked with the same teacher each visit as opposed to the same class, so I never saw the pupils more than once; therefore I got to see a wider range of ages. Each year group that I worked with had some disruptive characters, verbally and physically, which was detrimental to the learning in the classroom as much time was dedicated to quietening them down. I observed a broader range of abilities in this school, there were also pupils who found the tasks easy and were bored towards the end, and there were also pupils who had little understanding of the task in hand and required more attention from the teacher. Unfortunately for the majority of the time the teacher’s attention was focused on the disruptive children.

I once again found that the majority of the focus was on experimental work, with whole lessons dedicated to an experiment with little to no writing involved. The groups they put themselves into for the experiments tended to stifle the learning, although also helped to control the behaviour of the class. This is because the disruptive pupils tended to congregate together, so when the class split into groups the disruption was together in one place instead of all over the classroom.

I found the teacher to be very patient and enthusiastic with everyone. She used me to help the weaker groups so that she could go round the class and give help to those that would usually get left out. I never saw her shout in the time I spent there, she would first try to reason with the pupils, and then if that failed she would send them out or get them to work in another classroom. The pupils seemed to like and respect her, but this alone did not seem to ensure good behaviour.

I spent a lot less time in School 2 than I did at School 1 . My visits were infrequent and manic whereas with SS Peter and Paul I had a routine and it was calmer. I think that this mirrored what I observed at the schools.

4. TeachingI didn’t do a great deal of teaching in my time spent in schools, the majority of what I did was assisting the teachers in their lessons, helping the less able and pushing the more able. The times when I did teach were during organised experiment days – ChemLabS (Bristol Chemical Laboratory Sciences) Science day at School 1 and Science week at School 2.

4.1 ChemLabS Science Day at School 1 I joined the ChemLabS team in School 1 and worked with the year 6 pupils. The year 6 pupils, like those in year 5, were well behaved, bright and excited to be doing experiments. I assisted with this day and saw the ChemLabS team teach the pupils the slime experiment, make polymorphs, the iodine clock experiment, the magnesium with acid experiment and finally the hydrogen test. The classroom was split into 3 stations, all of which were highly organised, and this was reflected in the pupil’s behaviour; they respected the equipment and listened to the instructions they were given. The pupils improved their practical skills from experiment to experiment, as well as their scientific language.

4.2 Science Week at School 2From observing what the ChemLabS team did, I was able to organise and carry out a similar session with a fellow colleague at School 2 for their Science week for years 3 and 4. We set up 2 stations, 1 for the slime experiment which I taught, and the other for the iodine clock experiment. Having worked with a year 6 class on the slime experiment, to then work with year 3’s, I could see a notable difference in the levels of maturity when using equipment. They were harder to control and created more mess as their practical skills were not as advanced. I began the session by making the pupils think about the materials around the classroom and which of them were made of plastic. Once a sufficient amount of pupils had contributed to the discussion I proceeded to tell them about polymers and the bonding in plastics, whilst making sure my language was appropriate to the age group. I then ran the practical part of the experiment using imitation as a teaching technique; I performed each step and then waited until every pupil had caught up. It wasn’t necessary to apply a teaching style in this situation as they were all having fun and knew that paying attention was the key to making the slime, but if it was any teaching style it would have been a permissive one. When the time came for dying the slime a different colour, I deliberately chose only blue or green so that I could give them the choice of making Flubber or B.O.B from Monsters Vs Aliens. Both are characters from popular children’s films. This incorporated the use of films within the experiment and stimulated the children’s interest (even more) as the pupils were able to make a character they were familiar with.

The Slime Experiment

Equipment

Newspaper. Gloves, goggles and lab coats. Waste bin Beakers (3 per pair) Measuring cylinders Plastic cups (2 per pair) PVA solution Borax solution Food colouring and pipette

Plastic stirring rod

Risk Assessment

Correct size eye protection, lab coats and gloves. To be worn at all times, including adults.

Long hair tied back. Pupils must not kneel down when performing experiments, Borax solution can be skin irritant. Mess is a risk. Only half fill stock beakers to minimise spills. Make sure eye wash is available.

Experimental

Pour PVA solution into plastic cup, 2 fingers high. Add 1 or 2 drops of food colouring to PVA solution. Measure Borax solution into measuring cylinder, different amount for

different pair (2, 4, 6, 8 or 10cm3). Add Borax solution to PVA solution whilst stirring.

4.3 Film ClipsThe rest of my time in School 1 my teaching involved planning and doing starter activities involving film clips that were relevant to the topic in hand. With each film clip that I showed, I made a short worksheet for the pupils to fill in during or after the clip, asking scientific questions that related to what they were watching. I read the questions to the pupils beforehand to ensure that there was no confusion over the task in hand. I made sure they were all in a position to see the interactive whiteboard then I asked who had seen the film that the clip was from. For the majority of the clips all of the class had previously seen the films as I steered towards more popular or recent films. The use of well known films is beneficial because not only will pupils be excited to see the film clips, they will also be able to better relate to the science due to prior knowledge of the characters.

The clips that I used had scientific references to the key stage 2 units outlined in the national curriculum. The clips were approximately 90 seconds in length; short enough to keep pupils focused on the lesson objectives but long enough to get the point across. I used the clips as starters but they could easily be put into a lesson at a different point, allowing a degree of creativity and flexibility for the person planning the lesson. For example, for some clips a worksheet could be made to be completed during or after the clip, whereas other clips are better used to simply stimulate discussion on a given subject. The clips could be used as starters to excite the pupils for the lesson ahead, plenaries to round off a lesson or in the middle to relax the pupils or to break up long written assignments.

After I showed the clip a few times, I generated a discussion by going over the answers with the class straight away. This got the pupils to think about what they had written down and construct a scientific sentence to say and also to ensure that the focus was purely on the scientific relevance of the clip.

4.3.1 Space ChimpsThe first clip that I showed the year 5 class in School 1 linked to the Earth, Moon and Sun topic where pupils were learning about the difference in atmosphere on Earth and on the Moon and the significance of gravity. I showed 2 clips from the film Space Chimps, the first clip is set on Earth with gravity and the second is in space with very little gravity.

In the first clip Ham the Chimp is one of three chimps being sent into space. The clip shows the chimps being introduced to humans at a press conference. Ham then accidentally sets off his rocket pack and is sent flying up in to the air and around the conference. This clip was used to introduce gravity, and in the following discussion questions were asked such as: why does Ham require a rocket pack to float in the first place? Why does he fall to the ground once the pack has run out of power? This clip can be used as a contrast to the second clip. The second clip shows the three chimps in space after they have just left the earth’s atmosphere and are floating in their spaceship. This clip is about gravity, or lack of. In contrast to the first clip, the pupils could be asked why Ham doesn’t have a rocket pack yet he is floating, what is the difference?

A worksheet was made for the pupils to answer questions while the clips were played, then afterwards there was a discussion to check the answers and to make sure that the pupils realised that there is gravity on the Moon, just less than on Earth. A common misconception is that there is no gravity on the Moon. (The worksheet can be found in the Appendices.)

4.3.2 UpI showed the same class another film clip in the lesson following the Space Chimps clip. The teacher wasn’t sure if the concept of gravity had been completely understood in the last lesson, and so wanted a different clip that didn’t involve space to check the pupils understanding. I showed a clip from Up which deals with gravity on Earth.

In Up Carl, the main character, owns a house and wants to use it to get to Paradise Falls in South America. He transports his house using thousands of helium balloons attached to the roof. In this clip the house is grounded and cannot move because most of the balloons have lost their helium or have broken off the house. Carl then starts throwing belongings out of his house to make it lighter so that it will float again. This introduces the subject of gravity, why did the house stop floating in the first place and why it began to float again once the contents of his house was removed? The clip could be paused when Carl is thinking about what he should do with his grounded house in order to discuss what he should do to make it float again.

A worksheet was made to answer such questions, but the reassurance that the pupils understood came during the discussion afterwards. All the pupils knew that Carl was trying to make his house lighter because you would need fewer balloons to make it float. This linked to explaining that lighter items have less gravitational pull, which led on to thinking about the Moon having less gravitational pull. (The worksheet can be found in the Appendix)

5. Evidence

5.1 QuestionnairesIn order to gauge the popularity of science in the year 5 class in School 1, I constructed a questionnaire for them to fill in at our first meeting. I included a range of questions asking about the subjects they enjoyed then also questions specifically about science. The questions that I asked required a variety of ways to answer them, some required written answers, some circling and some just ticks in order to make the questionnaire less tedious so that the pupils would remain focused and give more accurate answers.

The first questions asked what their favourite and least favourite subjects at school were, to see where science ranked and to see how popular or unpopular it was. If pupils did put science as their least favourite subject, it would be those pupils that I would like my film clips to inspire and as a result hopefully reduce the number of pupils choosing science as their least favourite subject by the time the questionnaire was retaken at the end of my stay at School 1. The next question was to what they thought of science, I gave them 6 descriptive words to choose from. A similar question was asked in ‘Science in the Primary Classroom’36 where the pupils chose the descriptive words themselves, I gave the pupils a choice because if a questionnaire requires too much thought, they are likely to speed the process up by copying their neighbour – thus producing inaccurate results. I asked the pupils what they liked best about science and what they would like to do more of so I could see what type of learning they preferred in a science lesson and thus see if watching film clips would be welcomed in this class. The final question asked whether they would enjoy watching a film clip at the start of a lesson in order to get a quick figure of whether my research had a market or not.

I repeated the questionnaire on my last visit into the school after I had attended the class every Monday, had gotten to know the pupils and shown them a variety of film clips. I asked what their favourite and least favourite subjects were and what they thought of science again to see if it had increased in popularity. The final 4 questions were film orientated which required simple yes or no answers. I asked whether they liked watching films as a pastime, and whether they liked them being used in class and if they made their science lessons more enjoyable. The final question asked if they would like more film clips in class, this was to see if there was a potential market for using film after I had left the school.

What are your 2 favourite subjects at school? (Before)

Year 5 Pupils' Favourite Subjects REArt and DesignMusicICTEnglishMathsHistory GeographyPEScience

Figure 1: The most popular subjects with 9-10 year olds on first meeting

What are your least favourite subjects at school? (Before)

Year 5 Pupils' Least Favourite Sub-jects

REArt and DesignMusicICTEnglishMathsHistory GeographyPEScience

Figure 2: The least popular subjects with 9-10 year olds on first meeting

These were the results from the questionnaire the class did on my first visit to their class. Their favourite subjects were art and design and P.E, with science coming in third place (Figure 1). Their least favourite subjects were geography and maths (Figure 2). Science was only 2 pupil’s least favourite subject, which was a good start.

What are your 2 favourite subjects at school? (After)

Year 5 Pupils' Favourite Subjects

R.EArt and DesignMusicI.C.TEnglishMathsHistoryGeographyP.EScience

Figure 3: The most popular subjects with 9-10 year olds on final meeting

What are your least favourite subjects at school? (After)

Year 5 Pupils' Least Favourite Sub-ject

R.EArt and DesignMusicI.C.TEnglishMathsHistoryGeographyP.EScience

Figure 4: The least popular subjects with 9-10 year olds on final meeting

These are the results of the questionnaire on my last visit into their class. Their favourite subjects were P.E and I.C.T, with science coming fourth this time (Figure 3). Their least favourite subjects were geography and history (Figure 4). This time only 1 pupil put down that science was their least favourite subject, which was a definite improvement.

I think science is... (Before)

Year 5 Pupils' Think Science Is...

Fun

Boring

OK

Exciting

Hard

Easy

Figure 5: Opinions of science of 9-10 year olds on first meeting

An equal amount in the first questionnaire thought that science was fun and exciting. Unfortunately 2 pupils thought that science was boring (Figure 5).

I think science is... (After)

Year 5 Pupils' think Science is...

FunBoringO.KExciting EasyHard

Figure 6: Opinions of science of 9-10 year olds on final meeting

The final questionnaire expressed a better impression of science, the majority of the students described science as exciting and none of them thought that it was boring (Figure 6).

What do you like best about science?

What the Best Thing About Science Is To Year 5 Pupils

Watching Teacher Do Something ExcitingWritingDrawingLearning Something NewExperiments With Friends

Figure 7: The best part of science for 9-10 year olds

The majority of the class thought that experiments with friends were the best thing about science, showing their enjoyment of interaction and practical work (Figure 7). Reflecting the amount of pupils that chose art and design as their favourite subject, a large part of the class most enjoyed drawing in a science lesson.

What would you like to do more of in science?

These are the answers that the pupils wrote themselves so they were all different, but the general theme was to do more experiments in class. A few mentioned doing more chemistry and watching videos.

Would you enjoy watching a film clip at the start of a lesson? (Before)

Yes No0

5

10

15

20

25

Year 5 Pupil's Response To Watching Film Clips in Class

Answer

No.

Of P

upils

Figure 8: The response of 9-10 year olds to watching film clips in class

A promising 23 out of the 25 pupils said they would enjoy watching a film clip at the start of a lesson, showing that there was a market in this class in particular (Figure 8). The next 4 figures show the results to the final 4 questions in the second questionnaire which focused on films and film clips.

Yes No0

102030

Do you the Year 5 Pupils' like films?

Response

No.

of p

upils

Yes No0

102030

Do Year 5 Pupils enjoy watching film clips in class?

Response

No.

of p

upils

Figure 9: The Opinions on films Figure 10: Enjoyment of film clips in class

Yes No0

10

20

30

Do Year 5 Pupils think it makes Science more fun?

Response

No.

of p

upils

Yes No0

10

20

Would Year 5 Pupils like more film clips in class?

Response

No.

of p

upils

Figure 11: Whether film clips make science fun. Figure 12: The response to having more film clips

All responses were extremely promising; all the class like films outside of the classroom (Figure 9) and enjoy watching the clips in science lessons (Figure 10). Only 2 pupils didn’t want more clips in class (Figure 12) and only 1 thought that it didn’t make science more fun (Figure 11), meaning 96% of the year 5 class thought that the film clips made their science lessons more enjoyable.

From the questionnaire results it can be seen that the pupils did in fact benefit from having film clips in their science lessons, and that they have created a positive outlook on science. All of the pupils enjoy watching films in their free time, thus incorporating a pleasurable pastime into education is a stimulating technique. A clip is enough to stimulate interest in the subject, but not too much so as to lose the focus of why it is being used. The amount of pupils choosing science as their least favourite subject dropped, and by the end of my stay no one chose the word ‘boring’ to describe science. All but one pupil found that the use of film clips made science more entertaining for them – corresponding to the initial reason of why the film clips were originally introduced.

5.2 WebpageIn order to bring together all the film clips that I found and their relevance to the national curriculum, I created a webpage which can be given to primary school teachers teaching key stage 2 science. I had never made a webpage before, and thus this was another transferable skill gained from the UAS scheme. The whole webpage layout is kept simple as I wanted it to be ‘fit-for-purpose’. The ability of teachers to use computers is very varied so the webpage needed to be easy to use so that the site would suit all and not be a challenge to anybody.

5.2.1 Home pageFigure 13: The home page with an introduction and instructions to use the webpage

The home page describes what the webpage is all about, why I am doing it and a little background on the children’s film industry and its relevance;

“The film industry thrives on family films, with around 50 films released every year. In the UK alone, 8 of the top 20 films of 2009 were children’s films, rated PG or U. Recent box office data shows that out of an all time worldwide top 20, 11 of these were children’s films. Children watching films is a common and enjoyable pastime, so for my dissertation I have found clips from a range of familiar children’s films that have scientific references to spark interest in the classroom. The films that have been referenced are recent and popular so they should be familiar to many of the pupils. The use of well known films is beneficial because not only will pupils be excited to see the film clips they will also be able to relate to the science better due to prior knowledge of the characters.”

There are links at the bottom of the home page which directs the user to year 3, year 4, year 5 and year 6 and a breakdown of the topics covered in those years. The film clips are categorised under the headings which the non-statutory QCA Scheme of Work uses (Figure 14) so that the webpage is easy to use and is consistent with the Schemes of Work set out by the government15.

Figure 14: the year 3 front page showing the units it is broken down into according to the QCA Scheme of Work

Under the headings there is a description of the topic and a list of the units that the topic is further broken down into, again mirroring the Standards Site15. For example in year 3, Unit A: Teeth and Eating it says “This unit is about personal health, dental care, diet and teeth. The sections the unit is divided into are; types of food, eating for health, what animals eat, investigating what pets eat, looking at teeth , different types of teeth, losing milk teeth and healthy teeth” (Figure 15).

5.2.2 Year 3Figure 15: Image Removed An example of a unit in year 3, with its relevant film clip, timings and description

Some units have more films and therefore more clips than others, but every unit apart from 6G: Changing Circuits has a clip relating to it that I have found. The timings are under the title of the film and are precise for any film that is legally purchased or rented. The clips are approximately 90 seconds in length; short enough to keep pupils focused on the lesson objectives but long enough to get the point across. The clip descriptions say what is being shown and why it is relevant. I include suggestions of how the clips could be used rather than specific guidelines in order to allow a degree of creativity and flexibility for the person planning the lesson. For example, for some clips a worksheet could be made to be completed during or after the clip, whereas other clips are better played to simply stimulate discussion on a given subject. The clips could be used as starters to excite the pupils for the lesson ahead, plenaries to round off a lesson or in the middle to relax the pupils or to break up long written assignments. With the clips that I showed to School 1, I used them all as starters to introduce a topic or to remind the class of what they learnt in the previous lesson, and used accompanying worksheets to fill in whilst watching.

5.2.3 Year 4Figure 16 : Image Removed An example of multiple film clips linked to 1 unit in year 4

In some units there are a few clips from the same film that can be shown together to compare and contrast, like in Unit 4A: Moving and Growing. All 3 clips from The Nightmare before Christmas are short and can be used to reinforce what the human body needs to function and why bones, muscle and skin are important. All are around 30 seconds to a minute in length and contrast the bodies of Jack Skeleton and Sally to highlight what is needed for the body to work. Jack is just a skeleton and thus has no body shape or structure, no organs, muscle or skin and Sally is made out of wadding and can fall out of buildings and not injure herself. If shown together the clips can create a discussion in class of what Jack and Sally are missing and why these components are vital for humans (Figure 16).

5.2.4 Year 5Figure 17: Image Removed An example of a film clip being linked to an experiment within a unit

In this example, the clip in Monsters Vs Aliens has been suggested as a starter not for a topic, but an experiment; the slime experiment that was previously mentioned (see section 5.2). Linking a film to an experiment can increase interest, in this film the character B.O.B is a lovable and fun character who the children like, and therefore telling them that they are making their very own version of B.O.B will no doubt create added excitement (Figure 17).

5.2.5 Year 6

Figure 18: An example of a unit being cross-referenced to another unit in a different year

At the bottom of the description of this example there is a subsection heading which suggests other units that the clip could be used in (Figure 18). For A Bug’s Life, the Interdependence and Adaptation clip could also be used in Unit 4B: Habitats. The clips are mentioned in every topic that they relate to; therefore the clip from A Bug’s Life will also be shown in the Habitats category, promoting ease of use.

Under all the images it states where they have been sourced from and next to it a copyright symbol with credit to the creator of the image. This is to abide by the copyright laws outlined in a previous section for the use of images in private or educational vicinities (see section 3.6). With copyright in mind I can only give the webpage to teachers as a standalone site that will only be used in the classroom for educational purposes, it cannot be put onto the internet as it breaches copyright. However, the webpage can be found without the images at;

http://www.chemlabs.bris.ac.uk/outreach/resources/UASWEB/home.html.

The stills below are given as an example of the clips used to highlight the scientific content in them. The 2 stills are from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in the year 6 topic Reversible and Irreversible changes. In this clip Grandpa Joe is telling Charlie the story of how Willy Wonka made a palace out of chocolate for

Prince Pondicherry in India. The construction of the palace is seen, and the chocolate is in many forms; solid, liquid and half way between the two, to use as cement. Unfortunately there is a hot day in India and the whole palace starts to melt and collapse, this clip can be used for Changing State topics and Reversible and Irreversible changes. The pupils could be asked if the palace can be remade with the same chocolate – is it reversible? What material isn’t reversible once melted? This clip could be used in cross-curricular work with geography for fair-trade and learning about the countries that grow the chocolate. This could also be combined with English lessons if actually reading the Roald Dahl book, or in cooking; pupils could experiment with melting and solidifying chocolate.

Figures 19 and 20: IMAGE REMOVED.The chocolate palace is originally in its shape how Willy created it, then next, melted to the ground due to the hot sun

In the first still the chocolate palace is completed and in a solid state (Figure 19), the second still is from later in the clip when the sun is melting the palace and it is losing its shape (Figure 20). The clip is full of fun ideas to get the pupils thinking about irreversible and reversible changes, when the sun goes in will the palace go back? Could they remake the palace with the same chocolate?

An example of a clip from this webpage being used is the trailer from The Inconvenient Truth. It was used with the year 5 class in School 1 in their science topic of Gases around Us, whilst they were learning about global warming. They had had a lesson on global warming the week previous to watching this clip, so the clip was used as a reminder of the causes and effects of global warming (Figure 21 and 22).

Figure 21 and 22: IMAGE REMOVED The year 5 class are sat watching the trailer for The Inconvenient Truth and filling in the accompanying worksheet

In these photos, the class are watching the trailer and filling in the worksheet which required them to watch the clip and write down all the causes and effects of global warming that they saw. (See appendices for worksheet).

5.3 Teacher FeedbackFeedback was required from the teachers as their opinions are as valuable as the pupils. I wanted to see if they thought the film clips were stimulating and whether there was a noticeable difference in interest levels. On the other hand it was worth knowing if the teachers thought bringing film clips into the classroom created a negative learning environment and if films should be kept as a non-educational activity. The teachers were also asked questions about the webpage; its ease of use, its aesthetics and its relevance to key stage 2 science. I asked a range of teachers and a trainee teacher, therefore not just the ones I worked with on the UAS Scheme. Of the teachers that were asked, some were computer

literate and some were not. I made a questionnaire (see appendix) for the teachers to fill in, but some gave their feedback verbally or in an email instead, due to the busy lives of teachers.

Did you find the webpage to be user friendly?

“Yes – very straight forward to navigate to the relevant year group and topic”

“Yes, the webpage is easy to use and I especially like the fact that precise timings are given for each clip. Each unit is clearly set out so it is easy to navigate between each one and each year group. Even more so, the creator of this webpage has given a detailed synopsis of each clip, which is extremely helpful as it saves time watching each clip and makes it easier to find one that would be relevant to the area of science you are teaching.”

Do you feel it is a helpful resource to Key Stage 2 science? Why?

“Yes – it saves time in preparing lessons and very helpful for engaging pupils at the start of lessons.”

“Yes, I think it is a very helpful resource as it relates to the units of work proposed by the NC. As a trainee teacher, I have found it difficult on previous teaching practices to engage all children in the class when teaching science. However, using interactive resources such as video clips in other areas of the curriculum has worked extremely well to engage and motivate children’s learning. Therefore, integrating film into science lessons is something I will try in future and this is a great resource to support me in the planning and delivery of those lessons.”

In what was, if any will the pupils benefit from working with film clips in a science lesson?

“Engaging from the start – immediately grabbing their attention with something familiar before introducing a scientific concept”

“I think that using film clips in a science lesson will help children to learn that aspects of science are all around us, even in films. This should hopefully reflect on what they notice happens in real-life, therefore helping them to develop the scientific knowledge and understanding required in order to understand the world they live in. Furthermore, I think a film clip could be used to consolidate an area of learning, possibly in a plenary, which would benefit pupils learning, or to stimulate their learning at the beginning of a lesson.”

Do you think using clips will interest more pupils, less pupils or make no difference?

All of the teachers that I asked said that the clips would interest more pupils. The teacher that I asked who I worked with said that she could already tell a difference.

“Having used video clips in lessons before, I know that they can help to increase children’s interest. However, using clips from children’s films I have not used before although I think it would be a fantastic resource to interest them as they will probably see watching films as an enjoyable and leisurely activity, so long as the clips relevant to the area of science you are teaching. Therefore, more children should be engaged by using this resource as they will probably see learning through this approach as fun!”

Would you use this webpage in the future?

All the teachers said yes and said it would be better if it was on an internet site, which I agree would be better, but due to copyright laws it would be against the law to put up the site on the internet without first gaining the rights of the images used.

Other comments?

Most teachers commented on the fact that the clips were not actually on the site to use and a DVD or video would be required to watch them. This would definitely be an area to look into to improve the webpage (see Further Work).

One teacher who didn’t fill in the questionnaire commented “I really like the way you’ve linked all the video clips to the QCA units. As teachers we are familiar with the QCA Schemes of Work so this is an easy transition to finding the right clip for the job.”

Overall, the feedback gained was positive; all the teachers thought it was a good idea that would work in the classroom and that all the clips linked well to the national curriculum. No one who was asked struggled with the complexity of the webpage, they all found it easy to navigate. An activity that is found to be easy to use is an activity that is likely to be used and thus successful.

6. Further WorkDuring the School’s Project there are many areas that I came across that I could have pursued or current work I would have liked to have extended. Unfortunately with limited time, potential work was restricted. If I had more time or had chosen a different direction for my project, I had a range of further ideas.

With my webpage there is potential to make it much more technical and advanced with more time and greater computer skills. On the webpage I would have liked to include the actual clips that are mentioned so that the chosen film doesn’t have to be owned or borrowed in order to use the clip in class. The clips could then also be used spontaneously as the teacher wouldn’t need to plan their use prior to the lesson and this would make the webpage more desirable as less effort would be required.

Copyright was an issue when making the webpage. As previously mentioned, the images can only be used when the webpage is shown in private or for educational purposes. This meant that I could only give the site to the teachers via email or disc; therefore the further work would be to gain copyright of the image so that the webpage could be put on the University’s website to enable easier access, and merely a link would be needed to forward the webpage.

To extend the current webpage, I could research more films as the process is never ending, films are continuously being released. I would research more recent family films such as Despicable Me or Megamind, however money is an issue here as new releases are more expensive to buy and rent. I feel that the newer the film is the better, because if the film is popular, the majority of the pupils will have seen it, it will be fresh in their minds and thus it will have a bigger impact on stimulating their interest. In addition to more films, further work would be to extend the age range and cover key stage 1 science. At School 1 , I worked with the year 2 class for an afternoon and the teacher there thought it would be beneficial to years 1 and 2 as well.

Whilst watching the films for my webpage I discovered the job of a scientist portrayed in many children’s films as an inaccurate stereotype, this could be a reason for the lack of interest in continuing science into higher education, or generally not being interested due to it not being ‘cool’ or ‘attractive’. In all the films I watched every scientist was a Caucasian male, old with manic hair and wearing a white coat. A stereotype which is not an appealing job to a primary school pupil when it is compared to the job of singers or a footballer. Therefore I would be interested to research the impact of the media on the reputation of jobs in science, and the extent to which the media affects the declining interest of pupils in taking science through to higher education.

Taking my research in a completely different direction I would have been interested to use the two schools that I attended to their full capacity and compare and contrast the impact of religion in primary schools. In today’s society Catholic schools do not control the education system like they used to, and Religious Education in the schools are tolerant of other religions and do not just learn about Christianity. I would have liked to have researched the change in the way Catholic schools are run and how science is taught; especially considering that some elements of science contrast with Catholic beliefs.

7. ConclusionThe purpose of this research was to find a more modern teaching method to engage key stage 2 pupils in science lessons. With alternative subjects having a more desirable, less academic reputation, science has declined in popularity. The Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme was set up as a result of this decline – it places final year undergraduates into primary and secondary Schools in an attempt to inspire the next generation of scientists.

While conducting research on learning styles, it was obvious that in order to make an impact on the maximum amount of pupils opinion of science, the activities done in the classroom would have to involve all learning styles; Visual, Auditory, Writing and Kinaesthetic. The film clips starter pack aimed to cover all styles, the film itself being primarily visual and auditory and involved writing in the accompanying worksheet. While it lacks a kinaesthetic element, watching science being demonstrated in the videos is more active and engaging that a simple written worksheet.

Children are no strangers to television, and in moderation it can be educational and entertaining. In order to stimulate interest in key stage 2 pupils, methods should be used where the pupils are already interested, such as watching television. From the results of the final questionnaire, 100% of pupils asked enjoyed watching films, another 100% saying they liked watching film clips in class. These results prove that watching film clips was enjoyable for the pupils, and from the answers on the worksheet accompanying the clip it is apparent that it was educational too. Already at this conclusion is the charity Film Education, they have been using film to educate pupils for over twenty years – and its inspiration to pupils is proven by its existence 27 years on. This shows that the use of films can indeed be linked to education in the classroom.

While conducting the film clips at School 1 as a starter activity, it could be seen that as a result of anticipation, the pupils settled down faster in order to be able to watch the clip faster 96% of pupils asked said that the film clips used in class resulted in them enjoying science more. When pupils enjoy educational activities, they naturally learn more – an improvement in learning and enjoyment should lead more pupils to continue further with science. In addition, with schools being exempt from copyright laws for educational use in the classroom, there is no reason why using film for education shouldn’t be taken advantage of.

Questionnaire results aside, evidence for stimulating interest in science was found on observation to my entrance to the classroom. My entrance into the classroom caused excitement and chatter, it was later revealed that this wasn’t necessarily only due to my entrance, but because my attendance meant that film clips would be shown in that lesson. Excitement for films equalling excitement for science.

In the short space of time I spent at School 1 , the results I gained mirrored the initial outline –using educational film clips to stimulate interest in science. The pupils were indeed excited for science and learned from the clips they were shown. After all, if films can bring thousands of children to the cinema, why not to the classroom as well?

References1. www.uas.co.uk (October 2010)2. www.stemnet.org.uk (October 2010)

3. Department of Education and Skills, ‘Excellence and Enjoyment’: A Strategy for Primary Schools, 2003

4. www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/library/filmfestivals/ (March 2011)

5. www.the-numbers.com/movies/records (February 2011)6. www.nc.uk.net (November 2010)7. http://dppd.ubbcluj.ro/adn/article_2_2_4.pdf (November 2010)8. www.oxforddictionaries.com (November 2010)9. www.know-britain.com (November 2010)10.D Gillard, Education in England: a brief history, 2007

www.educationengland.org.uk/history (November 2010)11.www.qdca.gov.uk (October 2010)12.D Coulby and S Ward, The Primary Core National Curriculum: Policy into

Practice, Cassell 2nd Ed, 199613.www.direct.gov.uk (October 2010)14.www.curriculum.qdca.gov.uk (October 2010)15.www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk (December 2010)16.J Rose, Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum: Final Report, Crown

Copyright, 200917.Cambridge Primary Review, After the Election: policy priorities for primary

education, Cambridge, University of Cambridge Faculty of Education, 2010.http://www.primaryreview.org.uk/downloads/POLICY_PRORITIES_BRIEFING.pdf

18.R. Byers, the Dearing Review of the National Curriculum. British Journal of Special Education, 1994, 21: 92–96.

19.www.st-peter-st-paul.bristol.sch.uk (October 2010)20.http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxcare_providers/urn_search?

urn=108982&type=2 (January 2011)21.P Honey and A Mumford, The Manual of Learning Styles, Printique, 198622.D Kolb, Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and

development. Englewood Cliffs, 1984.23.W.L Leite, M Svinicki, and Y Shi, Attempted Validation of the Scores of the

VARK: Learning Styles Inventory With Multitrait–Multimethod Confirmatory Factor Analysis Models, pg. 2. SAGE Publications, 2009.

24.J Wagaman, Understanding the Four Teaching Styles, 2009 http://www.suite101.com/content/understanding-the-four-teaching-styles-a135809

25.D. W Pyle, Intelligence: An Introduction, Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd, 1979

26.http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/piaget.htm (November 2010)

27.H Wad, J Roden, C Hewlett and J Foreman, Teaching Science in the Primary Classroom, Paul Chapman Publishing, 2005

28.A Pollard and P Triggs, What Pupils Say – Changing Policy and Practice in Primary Education, Continuum, 2000

29.www.kidstvmovies.about.com (February 2011)

30.www.filmeducation.org (January 2011)31.www.nationalschoolsfilmweek.org (January 2011)32.www.ict4lt.org/en/en_copyright.htm (March 2011)33.www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/2498/contents/made (March 2011)34.http://www.filmbank.co.uk/images/45200/pvsl_education_broc.art%20web

%20copy.pdf) (March 2011)35.www.copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/p09_fair_use (February 2011)36.Y Garson, Science in the Primary Classroom, Routledge, London, 1988

Appendix

Worksheet accompanying Space Chimps

1st ClipWhy does Ham need a rocket pack to float? ...............................................................................

2nd ClipWhere are the chimps?

................................................................................

Why are they floating?

................................................................................

Why can’t we float in this classroom?

................................................................................

................................................................................

Images removed

Example Worksheet accompanying Space Chimps-

Images removed

Session Plan accompanying Up

Plan for focus group

Aim: to teach them about the size of the force gravity and how it differs for each object on earth. This will hopefully lead them to understand that the moon does have gravity, just not as much as earth as the moon is smaller than the earth.

This is because after the last worksheet I gave them on gravity on the moon and earth, everyone wrote that the moon doesn’t have any gravity. So they need to be taught that it does indeed have gravity just a lot less than we have on earth.

I’ll first start out with 2 objects in the classroom, one heavy and one light e.g. a piece of paper and a chair.

Which one is more likely to float when I drop them?

Why?

I’ll then check if they all know what helium balloons are and do.

How many helium balloons would it take to raise the paper and how many for the chair?

Then prepare the clip of Up but not show it, just pause it at the moment when the house is on the ground.

Images Removed

Why is the house not floating?

Then I’ll play the whole clip to them: 01:10:53- 01:12:00

Why does emptying his house make it float again?

Images Removed

Thinking back to our Earth and Moon topic, imagine the earth is the chair and the moon is the paper answer the following question about gravity and the moon;

Circle the answer you think is correct;

The earth has gravity, the moon does not

Both have gravity, but the moon has a weaker force than the earth because it is smaller

Worksheet accompanying Up

At the start of the clip why is the house not floating?

………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………

Why does emptying his house make it float again?

……………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………….

Images Removed

Thinking back to your earth and moon topic, with this in mind…

Circle the answer you think is correct;

The earth has gravity, the moon does not

Both have gravity, but the moon has a weaker force than the earth because it is smaller

Worksheet accompanying WALL.E

Name...............................................

Characteristics of the PlanetsWatch the clip and see if you can name the planets that WALL.E travels past on his trip to the spaceship Axiom. How do you tell which planet is which?

Images Removed

Example Worksheet accompanying WALL.E

Images removed

Worksheet accompanying The Inconvenient Truth

The Inconvenient Truth

Causes of Global Warming Effects of Global Warming

Example Worksheet accompanying The Inconvenient TruthIMAGES REMOVED

Questionnaire conducted at the start

QuestionnaireWhat class are you in?..........................................................

Are you a boy or a girl?...........................................................

What are your 2 favourite subjects at school? (Please circle them)

What are your least favourite subjects at school? (Please circle them)

I think science is... (Please circle)

English

Art and Design

Maths

Music

Science

Geography

P.E

Religious Education

History

Geography

History

Art and Design

Maths

Science

P.E English

MusicReligious Education

I.C.T

I.C.T

What do you like best about science? (Please tick)□ Watching my teacher do something exciting□ Writing in my exercise book□ Drawing□ Finding out something new□ Doing experiments with my friends

What would you like to do more of in science?............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

What do you think of science experiments? (Please circle)

Would you enjoy watching a film clip at the start of a lesson? (Please Circle)

Example Questionnaire conducted at the start

Questionnaire conducted at the end

QuestionnaireWhat class are you in?..........................................................

Are you a boy or a girl?...........................................................

What are your 2 favourite subjects at school? (Please circle them)

What are your least favourite subjects at school? (Please circle them)

I think science is... (Please circle)

EnglishArt and Design

Maths

Music

Science

Geography

P.E

Religious Education

History

Geography

History

Art and Design

Maths

Science

P.E English

Music

Religious Education

I.C.T

I.C.T

Do you like films? (Please tick)YES NO

Do you like watching film clips in class? (Please tick)YES NO

Does it make science more fun? (Please tick)YES NO

Would you like more film clips in science lessons? (Please tick)YES NO

Example Questionnaire conducted at the end

Questionnaire for teachers

Questionnaire1. Did you find the webpage to be user friendly?

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

.....................

2. Do you feel it is a helpful resource to Key Stage 2 science lessons? Why?

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

.....................

3. In what ways, if any, will the pupils benefit from working with film clips in a science lesson?

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

..........................................

4. Do you think using clips will interest more pupils, less pupils or make no difference?

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

.....................

5. Would you use this webpage in the future?

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

.....................

6. Other Comments

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

...................................

Thank you for your time.

Example Questionnaire for teachers

Questionnaire1. Did you find the webpage to be user friendly?

Yes, the webpage is easy to use and I especially like the fact that precise timings are given for each clip. Each unit is clearly set out so it is easy to navigate between each one and each year group. Even more so, the creator of this webpage has given a detailed synopsis of each clip, which is extremely helpful as it saves time watching each clip and makes it easier to find one that would be relevant to the area of science you are teaching. 2. Do you feel it is a helpful resource to Key Stage 2 science lessons? Why?

Yes, I think it is a very helpful resource as it relates to the units of work proposed by the NC. As a trainee teacher, I have found it difficult on previous teaching practices to engage all children in the class when teaching science. However, using interactive resources such as video clips in other areas of the curriculum has worked extremely well to engage and motivate children’s learning. Therefore, integrating film into science lessons is something I will try in future and this is a great resource to support me in the planning and delivery of those lessons.

3. In what ways, if any, will the pupils benefit from working with film clips in a science lesson?

I think that by using film clips in a science lesson will help children to learn that aspects of science are all around us, even in films. This should hopefully reflect on what they notice happens in real-life, therefore helping them to develop the scientific knowledge and understanding required in order to understand the world they live in. Furthermore, I think a film clip could be used to consolidate an area of learning, possibly in a plenary, which would benefit pupils learning, or to stimulate their learning at the beginning of a lesson.

4. Do you think using clips will interest more pupils, less pupils or make no difference?

Having used video clips in lessons before, I know that they can help to increase children’s interest. However, using clips from children’s films I have not used before although I think it would be a fantastic resource to interest them as they will probably see watching films as an enjoyable and leisurely activity, so long as the clips relevant to the area of science you

are teaching. Therefore, more children should be engaged by using this resource as they will probably see learning through this approach as fun!

5. Would you use this webpage in the future?Yes, definitely!

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