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Going for gold: Securing attainment

First published in 2007

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Going for gold: securing attainment

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© Crown copyright 2007

1Secondary National Strategy: Going for gold: securing attainment

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Intervention teaching is usually associated with the additional ‘sticking plaster’ or ‘quick fix’ approach. Although this has a valuable place, it does not on its own guarantee that pupils make good, sustainable progress. The broader definition of intervention recognises that underachieving pupils need relevant, focused teaching at all times. A good way of thinking of the various types of intervention is in three waves.

Wave 1 is about offering the pupils an inclusive and well-differentiated experience in ●

everyday lessons, with plenty of support and opportunity to catch up with age-related expectations.

Wave 2 is about offering groups of pupils short-term, extra help to accelerate the key ●

points of learning. This enables smaller groups of pupils to cover what they have missed or address learning that is insecure.

Wave 3 is about offering intensive, targeted support to individual pupils when small ●

group interventions fail to work. This is where individual support is linked to very precise personal targets and timescales.

This booklet focuses on Wave 2 intervention by designing revision programmes to secure the learning of groups of pupils.

As a starting point for this booklet, we approached several schools across the country with a good or developing progress culture to identify the key features. The list below identifies the range of features.

It should be noted that effective schools did not have all of these features in place but what they did have was consistency of practice, strong leadership and a shared vision.

Key features:Positive climate for learning: a ‘buzz’ in the department. ●

A good match of: ●

teacher and group; –

pupil group with pupil needs; –

GCSE course with pupil needs. –

Well-developed progression in skills from Key Stages 2–4. ●

Rigorous use of data to support the learning. ●

High expectations in class, targets set and the scheme of work. ●

A well-planned targeted examination preparation. ●

Going for gold: securing attainment

Introduction

2 Secondary National Strategy: Going for gold: securing attainment

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A variety of teaching and learning approaches including independent research and ●

practical work to promote thinking.

Good senior leadership support. ●

The involvement of other adults, for example, parents, carers, teaching assistants ●

(TAs).

Enrichment activities to broaden and deepen understanding. ●

Assessment for learning principles embedded in everyday practice. ●

Effective talk: teacher–pupil and pupil–pupil. ●

Cross-curricular cooperation to help pupils see a bigger picture. ●

Careers advice and support to help pupils make informed choices. ●

This booklet is one of four self-study packs that are provided as part of a suite of materials to increase the number of pupils who reach L6+ at Key Stage 3 and A*/B at Key Stage 4. The four booklets are:

Parlez-pedagogy? ●

Creating a progress culture ●

Going for gold: securing attainment ●

Developing critical and creative thinking ● .

This booklet should be used in conjunction with Creating a progress culture, which looks at the longer-term issues that you should consider when planning to ensure that pupils make good progress in science. It is not intended that this booklet be used solely as a ‘quick fix’. The strategies suggested are possible ways of securing attainment made over a sustained period rather than an attempt to raise attainment in the final weeks before an exam.



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How to use this study unit 6

Deciding what to revise 7

Making the most of diagnostic script analysis ● 8

Involving pupils in the process ● 12

Design activities to address weaknesses ● 14

Effective revision 17

Promoting effective revision strategies ● 17

The interactive use of test questions ● 22

Reading images approach – 28

Living graphs approach – 28

Setting professional targets 30

Appendix 1: Snappy Starters! 31

Appendix 2: Thinking Words 33

Contents



How to use this study unit

This study unit offers practical suggestions for you to use when considering creating a progress culture within the department and classroom. All the strategies suggested have been tried and tested by practising teachers in their classrooms, as well as drawing on academic research. You may have looked at Teaching and learning in secondary school materials (DfES 0423-2004); although there are similarities with these materials, you will find that this unit gives specific advice that will be immediately relevant for use in your science lessons.

Your science consultant can help you work through this unit but it would be better to pair with a colleague who also wishes to enhance the progress of pupils. This way of working will build capacity within the department and capitalise on peer support.

The unit is structured so that the tasks listed towards the beginning are simple and quick to implement; more challenging activities come towards the end. It also contains ‘reflections’, which will help you revisit an idea or change your own practice. It includes practical tips and tasks that will help you to consider the advice or try out new techniques in the classroom. The final page invites you to reflect on the experience of trying out new materials and to set some personal targets for the future. You can work through the materials in several ways.

Start small: choose one class to work with. Ask another teacher or your subject ●

leader to help by providing a sounding board for your ideas.

Work with your science consultant on developing and planning your approach to ●

creating a progress culture. After three weeks, meet together to review how it is going. Discuss which strategies have been most effective with one class and plan how to use these with other classes.

Find another science teacher to pair with and team-teach. Design the activities ●

together and divide the teacher’s role between you.

Work with a group of teachers in the department. Use the unit as a focus for joint ●

working, meet regularly to share ideas and then review progress after a few weeks.

Identify the sections of the unit that are most appropriate for you and focus on ●

those.

You may find it helpful to keep a journal of events. For some tasks you may want to make a video recording of yourself in action so you can make a realistic appraisal of your performance. You could add this, with any other notes and planning that you do, as you work your way through the unit, to your continuing professional development (CPD) portfolio.



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Deciding what to revise

How do you decide what to put in your revision programme? In the past, many teachers have made this decision on the basis of a hunch. As a consequence of this, revision has often focused solely on those topics that are perceived to be harder from the teacher’s perspective.

More recently, many science departments have adopted a more ‘scientific’ approach to targeted revision by using a variety of techniques to identify more accurately what pupils find difficult. In some cases this ‘diagnostic’ approach confirms what teachers already suspected were the areas of weakness. However, in many instances this diagnostic work reveals aspects that were not previously obvious, for example, pupils describe rather than explain; answers lack precision and do not use the correct scientific terminology. Many teachers have discovered that pupils frequently forget earlier work if it has not been consolidated or have misconceptions that have not been addressed. This type of analysis can give a very different focus to the revision sessions.

Stop and think

Sources of evidence

Which sources of evidence do you use to identify some of the main pupil weaknesses in your school?

Possible sources of information to assist this process might include the following.

Diagnosis of pupils’ responses to: ●

year 9 mock exams; –

year 11 mock exams; –

end-of-year exams in years 7 and 8; –

topic tests. –

Pupil voice ●

Open-ended questions ●

Teacher assessment ●

Assessment for learning tasks ●

Levelled-assessed tasks ●



Making the most of diagnostic script analysisDiagnostic script analysis as a tool to identify common strengths and weaknesses is a fundamental strategy. It is important to acknowledge the strengths as these are areas that do not need further emphasis, can provide positive reinforcement to the pupils about their progress and thus make the revision less onerous.

Many schools cite lack of time as a reason for not undertaking this type of analysis. The process below includes some techniques to reduce the burden and increase the effectiveness through pupil involvement. This is followed by some tasks and exemplification to support teachers through the process.

Decide how many scripts

It is important to have a clear sense of the purpose for the diagnostic work. If the focus is to identify a range of issues across the cohort, then a sample of 20–25 scripts selected from across the year should be sufficient. This will usually identify a range of issues.

If the intention is to direct revision/intervention work at a particular group of pupils, for example, those on the 4/5 borderline, then a sample of pupils’ scripts whose performance is clustered around the boundary mark is appropriate. Here a sample of 10–15 scripts may be sufficient to identify the main issues.

Stop and think

How secure are the processes and data that you use in your department for identifying groups of pupils?

Data entry

Some departments like to have a graphical representation of the analysis and use tools like RAISEonline, PAT or a simple spreadsheet. A record of the pupils’ correct and incorrect responses can be entered into this analysis tool.

This is also an opportunity for pupil self-assessment. Pupils compare their marks with the total available in the test/exam. (See Task 1.)

Review of pupils’ responses to weaker areas

This stage is crucial as it is very easy to jump to conclusions about why pupils have been unsuccessful in responding to particular questions. It is important to review the actual answers that pupils gave in order to understand why they might have given the answer they did. Sometimes the reasons are self-evident, but sometimes it is important to talk to the pupils about what they were thinking.

The use of pupil voice can enhance the understanding of specific difficulties. Select a small group of pupils to discuss their answers to particular questions: they will need to have their scripts in front of them. Select a few questions that caused most pupils a problem and probe to find out the reasons.



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For example:

a lack of understanding of the content tested; ●

an unfamiliar context; ●

not using the information given; ●

not using sufficient precision/scientific vocabulary in their answers; ●

describing not explaining; ●

not understanding what the question required. ●

A further opportunity for pupil self-assessment enables pupils to identify the reasons for some of the weak responses to questions for themselves. (See Task 3.)

Design activities to address the weaknesses identified

Once the reasons for pupils’ weaknesses are identified, devising strategies to address these becomes a much more precise activity. There are several existing resources such as Science Intervention Materials (DfES 0077-2004) which are also available on the Enhancing teaching and learning in secondary science (0349-2006DVD-EN) to support this.

The following tasks aim to support teachers (and pupils) in developing aspects of diagnostic script analysis that are less familiar.

Task 1: Getting started with script analysis

Choose a recent topic test or exam from one of your classes. Select your sample of pupils’ scripts.

Devise a simple grid with pupils’ names down the side and the question 1. numbers (whole or parts of questions) across the top – see Table 1.

Input the marks for each pupil into the grid.2.

Identify or highlight the questions/part of questions where pupils scored less 3. than half marks.

Refer back to the pupils’ responses. What have the pupils written or not 4. answered? This might suggest:

a lack of understanding of the content tested; –

fazed by an unfamiliar context; –

not using the information given; –

not using sufficient precision/scientific vocabulary in their answers; –

describing rather than explaining; –

not understanding what the question required. –

If you have time, interview some of the pupils about their answers.5.



Table 1 Simple grid for analysing pupils’ test papers

Q1 Total Q2 Total Q3 Total Q4 Total Q5 Total Etc.

Pupil Name

Mark achieved

Mark achieved

Mark achieved

Mark achieved

Mark achieved

Time-saving tip

You could ask pupils to fill in the table with their individual results. These could then be entered onto an overall grid that is passed round or pupils take it in turn to put their results onto the computer during a lesson.

Some departments have taken this a step further and put a question-level analysis grid, like the one below, onto the cover of all their internal assessment papers.

Question Maximum score

Actual score Comments

RAISEonline incorporates the PANDA and features of PAT such as question-level analysis. At the time of writing, PAT has still not been integrated within RAISEonline. At the moment there is only Key Stage 3 question-level analysis available in PAT. However, the issues raised by performing this analysis at the end of Key Stage 3 will have implications for pupils working at Key Stage 4.



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Task 2: Developing script analysis

This approach is more effective if it involves the whole department.Select a sample of last year’s year 9 papers, for example three sets of five pupils 1. whose marks are clustered around the 4/5, 5/6 and 6/7 level boundaries.

Input the marks for each pupil into the PAT or import the data from the school/2. department systems.

Use the different tools to filter the results. This allows you to compare the 3. performances of different groups of pupils both with national and school performance.

In the question level analysis you can break down the questions by:

AT: ● AT 1, 2, 3, 4 and breadth of study.

Topics: ● 15 of these based on the subheadings in the programme of study.

Topics extended: ● five key ideas and scientific enquiry.

Overall response: ● multiple choice, table completion, text matching, extended, short, one word answers, numerical, diagram completion, labelling, graph completion.

Skill: ● recall, explanation, data handling, data interpretation.

Question omission ● .



Involving pupils in the processEncouraging pupils to review their responses to test and exam questions is a valuable activity in helping pupils to identify their own weaknesses. This can be in addition to or as an alternative to the process highlighted in tasks 1 and 2. If undertaken after mock National Tests or GCSE papers, pupils can list their strengths and weaknesses and use it to make a personalised revision plan.

Task 3: Helping pupils undertake self-analysis

Provide pupils with a copy of a grid similar to Table 2 below. 1.

Pupils not only enter their marks but consider why they lost the marks.2.

Pupils could highlight questions where, for example, they scored less than half 3. marks.

Other possible reasons that could be added to the grid:

did not use the information given to help me; ●

put off by the unfamiliar situation or example; ●

ticked too many or not enough boxes; ●

pre-empting what the question required; ●

drew inaccurately, for example particles not touching, gap in circuit, no ruler for ●

ray diagram;

confusing words like ‘greatest’ and ‘higher’; ‘breathing’ and ‘respiration’; ●

not using comparative statements. ●

Use example answers to model the range of possible reasons.4.

Table 2 Pupil self-analysis grid

Q Total marks

Actual marks

Why I lost marksDid not understand the science

Did not use scientific vocabulary

Repeated what the question asked

Did not give enough points/information

Did not understand what the question was asking

Described rather than explained

1

2

etc.



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After their self-analysis, pupils can discuss in small groups their reasons for losing marks and ways to avoid those pitfalls in the future. There may be common issues across the group or cohort that indicates the need for a department approach.

Case study

The department wanted pupils to:

be able to frame a more accurate answer by understanding what makes the ●

difference between a correct and an incorrect response;

become more confident in the tests and exams; ●

discuss their work constructively with other pupils. ●

After early preparation for the mock National Tests and GCSEs, pupils used the teacher-marked paper formatively to address areas of weakness and strengths.

Teachers used Table 3 with the question numbers, total marks available and ●

identifying content/skill area pre-filled.

Pupils added their marks and then assessed their response by using the faces. ●

Pupils used a highlighter to identify questions where they had scored less than ●

half marks.

Pupils worked with a partner and used available resources to aim for full marks. ●

Pupils checked their answers against the mark scheme and completed the ●

remaining columns on the sheet.

Pupils devised a set of criteria or prompts to help answer test questions more ●

effectively.

One or two questions a week were answered this way.

Partners can work on different questions so that they become the ‘expert’ and they can then feed back to another pair. This moves some way towards ensuring that pupils understand the answer to the question rather than just ‘getting it right’.



Table 3 Case study grid

Question Total mark

Content/ skill

Mark obtained

Revised Mark

1

2

etc.

Total

Level/grade

Design activities to address weaknessesOnce the pupils’ weaknesses and problems have been identified, the teacher needs to design some activities to help address these. Often there are common areas of weakness that might require some amendment to the scheme of work. For example, if pupils have misconceptions about electric current this should be flagged up in the appropriate units. Teachers could use a diagnostic task to determine whether this is a weakness for their pupils and follow up with some activities to challenge the misconceptions. More information can be found in the accompanying Interactive Teaching materials (DCSF 00860-2007).

Table 4 below gives some common pupil weaknesses, strategies to address these and some Secondary National Strategy (SNS) resources that provide pupils and/or teacher materials or guidance.



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Table 4 Addressing weaknesses

Areas of weakness

Suggested strategies SNS resources

Not using the information given in the question

Model and make your thinking explicit as you read the information given, for example, when to pause and think, look for key words, clues that will help to answer the question.

Give pupils the information only and ask them to devise likely questions.

Improving pupils’ responses to test questions (DfES 0177-2005)

Question set in unfamiliar context

Model and make your thinking explicit as you read the question about how you look for clues and key words that point to the science that is familiar.

Make the point that although the context may be unknown the science will be familiar.

Improving pupils’ responses to test questions (DfES 0177-2005)

Describing rather than explaining

Teach pupils the difference between the two; begin with the familiar/everyday contexts before moving to science contexts.

Teach and model the construction of an explanation and a description.

Use Explanations from the Intervention materials.

Use example answers to ‘describe’ and ‘explain’ questions which pupils have to match correctly.

Literacy in science ● (DfES 0563-2002)

Science ●

intervention materials (DfES 0077-2004)

Repeating information given in the question

Show pupils a few examples of where this has been done. Ask them to rewrite the answer so that it does not just repeat the question information.

Give pupils a range of answers from past papers and the mark scheme to identify where pupils have done this.



Areas of weakness

Suggested strategies SNS resources

Did not understand the science

Use Loop card games.

Use Misconception dominoes.

Use Concept cartoons™.

Science intervention materials (DfES 0077-2004)

Scientific enquiry skills

Use Miniboosters 1–11 to teach a range of skills from the intervention materials.

Allow pupils to perform the practical from a scientific enquiry question and then to predict some possible questions.

Science intervention materials (DfES 0077-2004)

Moving forward with teaching scientific enquiry and intervention (DfES 0196-2005)

Running out of time

Teach exam technique to manage time well, for example completing ‘x’ number of questions in 30 minutes; using the number of marks to guide how long the question should take, leaving difficult questions to the end.

Practise timed sessions on individual questions as starters or plenaries to year 8 and 9 lessons.

Task 4: Addressing your pupils’ weaknesses

From Tasks 1, 2 and 3 you will have identified some issues for your pupils.

Decide on an approach to try to address the issue. You might like to consult table 4, your local science consultant or other members of the department.

Evaluate how well the strategy worked and any next steps.



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Promoting effective revision strategiesThis section is about developing teachers’ skills to help pupils make good use of revision materials such as revision guides, textbooks and pupils’ notes. The ideas that are presented here are designed to complement suggestions that are found in the GCSE booster pack (DfES 0696-2003), The Key Stage 4 Learning Challenge (DfES 0088-2004) and Science intervention materials (DfES 0077-2004).

Pupils may be routinely given access to revision materials to help them prepare for examinations. These can help pupils address weaknesses in their subject knowledge and help them to improve their ability to understand and answer examination questions. Teachers may make use of these resources in the pre-exam period but to make the learning effective, activities need to be carefully planned to ensure that there is a good level of engagement and participation.

Pupils may be expected to prepare for exams when they are away from school. Evidence suggests that many pupils do not automatically know how to revise effectively and many are not aware of the range of proven approaches to revision. In short, revision strategies need to be ‘taught not caught’. Revision is also a highly personal activity; what works for one pupil may not be effective for another. Pupils need to be shown a variety of strategies for refreshing their knowledge of science and for clarifying their own ideas. Revision needs to be challenging and stimulating. These strategies can be modelled in the classroom and pupils encouraged to identify the approach(es) that work for them.

Stop and Think

Discuss with a colleague, or as a department, what you understand by revision. Do you all have the same understanding? Do pupils know what they are expected to do when you ask them to revise? Do pupils have a range of different strategies for revision?

Having a clear idea about the meaning of revision can make it easier to:

plan appropriate revision activities into a lesson to help pupils prepare for exams; ●

support pupils by giving them guidance as to appropriate use of their time when ●

they are away from school.

Effective revision



Finding out what strategies are already used by other departments and subjects is also important. In many schools there are lessons devoted to teaching a range of revision techniques which can then be built on in science lessons.

The following list can be used to support the framing of learning objectives for revision lessons.

Learning objectives for effective exam preparationExam technique

To develop strategies/methods which help to manage my time effectively in an ●

exam.

To be able to explain the meaning of key terminology used in exam questions. ●

To develop strategies/methods which help to recall key information in an exam. ●

To develop strategies/methods to check my answers properly in an exam. ●

Reading exam questions

To be able to select the important key words and information from an exam ●

question.

To compare different strategies for reading and understanding the information ●

given in exam questions.

To develop strategies to ensure that I understand what the question is asking me to ●

do.

Answering exam questions

To be able to explain what is expected by different types of exam question. ●

To be able to explain the marking allocation of different-style exam questions. ●

To be able to write a good explanation in an exam question. ●

To be able to sequence information correctly in an exam question. ●

To be able to accurately plot and draw the correct graph for a set of data in an exam ●

question.

To be able to interpret and explain the information given in a graph in exam ●

questions.

To be able to interpret and explain information presented in tables and diagrams in ●

an exam question.

To be able to demonstrate how to gain full marks in numerical exam questions. ●

Reproduced with permission of Oxfordshire science consultants.



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Task 5: What do you do when you revise?

This task is most effective if you work with a colleague or as a whole department.

Help your pupils find out what they do when they access material using the steps below.

Find a short science-based article or an area of science that you know pupils 1. might have difficulty with, for example, from a newspaper, magazine, textbook, internet site, that has some relevance or interest to the pupils.

Devise six questions testing factual recall on the text. You could use the 6Ws: 2. Who, Where, What, Why, When and hoW as question stems.

Give the group copies of the material and ask them to review it for five minutes 3. or so. Tell the pupils that you will be asking them six questions about the material. Explain that they can use whatever technique they want to help them remember what is in the article but that you will be collecting in anything they have recorded before you ask the questions.

Collect in the article and any ‘notes’ that pupils have made. 4.

Ask your six questions!5.

Pupils write down their answers and then self-mark them.6.

Ask pupils to think about the advantages and disadvantages of the reviewing 7. strategies they used and to discuss their answers in pairs. Allow the pairs to join with another pair and collect feedback from the fours. Ask pupils to suggest other strategies they could have used.

Make a list of all these strategies and any advantages or disadvantages.8.

Compare your experience of this task and your pupils’ list with that of another colleague.

Pupils, and sometimes teachers, often have a limited range of strategies. Pupils might like to be asked to devise a revision strategy using an MP3 player, mobile phone or computer. Photography might be helpful to enable pupils to make links, for example, take photographs during lessons and use them as prompts for revision.



Task 6: Trying new revision strategies


Arrange pupils into groups of four and give each group a different strategy from 1. Table 5 below or use the list from Task 5. Try to give groups a strategy they have not used before.

Pupils discuss the strategy and their approach to using it for reviewing the 2. article.

Repeat the process from Task 5 using a different article and a different set of 3. questions.

Again, pupils write down their answers and self-mark them.4.

Ask the groups to give feedback about the revision strategy they used. Ask them 5. to describe what they did, how they felt it went and how effective it was. It may be possible for them to suggest the strengths and weaknesses of the strategies that they have used, with some suggestions for where its use might be the most appropriate. This can then be fed back to the rest of the group.

Pupils select a different revision strategy to try out for a current topic. This could 6. be a homework, starter or plenary activity.

Stress to pupils that these strategies form the basis of ‘active revision’ and they should select strategies that are both appropriate for the task and for their learning style.

It is important to regularly build in these opportunities to experience different strategies from Table 5. Allow pupils to reflect on how effective each strategy was for them for a given topic or section that they are revising. Help them to build a repertoire of techniques so that they can choose their preferred technique for a given situation.



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Table 5 Range of revision strategies

Turn the article into a series of bullet points. These could be recorded on postcard-sized revision cards or converted to text for a mobile phone message.

Choose the fifteen most important words in the article. Write a short story that has all these words in it.

Create an acrostic for the article. Choose one key word that might be a title for the article. Find words related to the article which begin with each letter of the key word.

Draw a diagram/concept map/flow chart that summarises the key points in the article.

Write a song or rap about the science article.

Make up a quiz to test a friend.

Write a short poem to summarise the article.

Draw some little pictures/doodles to help you remember the main points.

Choose one word to represent the whole article. Pick a two-word phrase that explains what it is about. Find a three-word phrase that gives an example. Find a four-word phrase that describes a feature.

For example, for an article about climate change: Warming, World climate, More extreme weather, Sea levels may rise.

Revision guides These are a commonly-used resource, often given to pupils or bought by them. The impact could be increased if pupils were encouraged to use this resource more interactively. For example:

crossing out irrelevant information; ●

highlighting key sections; ●

using sticky notes to add additional hints, tips or information; ●

inserting a page at the front to act as a reference for work in exercise books; ●

representing the information as a picture, concept map or table. ●



Reflection

How will you plan opportunities for pupils to develop and/or use a range of revision strategies in your lessons?

Could your pupils make better use of their revision guides?

The interactive use of test questions

Stop and think

Consider a class you have taught recently that have been through a summative test. How many pupils did not perform as well as you were expecting?

One possible reason for this may be poor exam technique. Tackling this issue helps build pupil confidence and ensures that pupils feel less threatened by unfamiliar contexts in future exam questions.

Past papers are a valuable resource but there are possible pitfalls if their use is not carefully planned. ‘Death by past papers’ is a common experience for too many pupils. If pupils only receive feedback that consists of being told what the correct answer is, they will continue to rehearse misconceptions, which in turn can undermine confidence and self-esteem.

To enable pupils to get the most from questions on past papers, the approach needs to be varied and challenging.

Task 7: Answering past papers


Table 6, on page 24, outlines several ways that past papers can be answered by pupils.

Complete this table by considering the benefits and drawbacks of these approaches.

Are there any approaches that you do not use?



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Peer- and self-assessment are probably the least well-used of the approaches. The key requirements for successful peer- and self-assessment are:

clear learning outcomes for pupils that are shared and understood; ●

pupils need to be able to identify: ●

where they have been successful (WWW: what went well); –

how they can improve their work (EBI or even better if …); –

what they should do next (YNS or your next step); –

pupils need to be taught the skills of collaboration in peer assessment; ●

pupils need to be taught how to assess their work by the teacher modelling the ●

process;

pupils need to be taught a suitable dialogue for evaluating work. ●

Further information and guidance is available in Assessment for learning: whole school and subject specific training materials (0043-2004G).



Table 6 Answering past papers

Benefits Drawbacks Why would you use it?

Pupils answer on their own in silence

Pupils are not distracted by classroom noise.

Pupils do not have the opportunity to support each other.

Pupils answer a whole paper taken from a particular year

Pupils answer a selection of questions on a particular topic

Pupils answer a selection of questions which have a similar structure e.g., graph interpretation

Teacher gives verbal feedback on the paper or questions

Pupils self- or peer-assess using the exam board mark scheme

Pupils are given a specific amount of time to complete the questions

However, the questions themselves can provide a rich source of revision material that can be used in several ways. Most of these require little if any preparation. Appendix 1 contains ‘Snappy starters’, which are different ways of using graphs, tables and diagrams from examination papers.



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QCA produces a useful resource: Implications for teaching & learning posters and presentations. The PowerPoint presentations contain a more detailed examination of how pupils performed on specific questions and aspects of the tests. They have been developed to support school subject leaders or local authority subject advisers prepare and deliver INSET (www.qca.org.uk.).

Task 8 Different ways to use exam questions


In Table 7 there are several different ways of using past paper questions. Choose a strategy you have not used before and try it out!

Evaluate the impact it has on pupils by discussing how well this approach helped their learning.

Table 7 Different ways to use exam questions

Strategy

1 Question roundabout

Choose eight different examination questions. Split the class into eight groups and position each group near one of the questions. Give them enough time to attempt the answers together. Then ask the groups to move to a new question; this time they peer-assess the previous group’s answers and add anything that is missing. This process is repeated until all groups have had the chance to see all the questions. Review any questions that have been poorly answered. Compare the answers to the mark scheme.

2 Demonstrating the practical context

Find an examination question with a practical activity as part of the question. Demonstrate the practical in front of the class or use a computer simulation. Ask pupils to predict what questions might be on the exam paper.

3 What makes a good answer?

Give pupils an exam question with answers already filled in. Give them the mark scheme and ask them to assess the work. Allow pupils to collaborate to compare their marking. Collect feedback from the group and discuss the implications.



Strategy

4 Producing a revision resource

Give pupils an examination question. The task is not to answer it but to produce a revision resource (for example a revision card) that another pupil could use. Pupils could either compare revision resources or, if they have different questions, they could use each others’ revision aid and then answer the question.

5 Homing in

The question will need to be projected onto a screen or whiteboard to enable you to annotate it with your thoughts. Model your thought processes when answering an examination question that has a table of data or a diagram. Use the ‘Stop, Think, Locate’ technique. Stop after each clause (put a slash) and think briefly about the information. If reference is made to a diagram or table locate where this is (circle the information and draw in linking lines).

Underline any keywords in the question and cross out all information in the table or diagram which is superfluous.

Ask pupils to replicate the process of annotation. This could be a homework activity.

6 Role play the question or use a kinaesthetic approach

Find a question with several characters or roles in it. These might be famous scientists or pupils performing an investigation. Ask pupils to write a short script.

Or

Devise a way to act out the question or graph (Refer to Getting to grips with graphs: AKSIS. ISBN 086 357 3029.)

7 What is the question?

Give pupils several answers to questions and ask them to decide on the question.



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Strategy

8 Collective memory task1

Use a diagram, graph or arrangement of apparatus that is concealed from view. The pupils work in small groups to replicate the diagram, etc. Pupils come up in turn and have 10 seconds to view the diagram, etc., followed by 10 seconds to draw/assemble what he/she can remember to the rest of the group. This is repeated until all members of the group have visited the diagram, etc.

Pupils compare their diagram, etc. with the original.

This is a good way to encourage pupils to look carefully at the component parts of an image and to consider the strategies they have used to commit them to memory.

9 6W SWAP: Think of a question

Pupils are given a diagram, table, photograph or graph obtained from a test question. Pupils work in groups and write possible questions that could be asked. The 6Ws are a framework to structure this and to ensure progression.

W ● hat

W ● here

W ● hich

W ● ho

W ● hy

Ho ● W

The group then passes the item (diagram, graph, etc.) and the questions generated to another group who try to answer them. The answers are then passed back. Pupils could assess these answers. Any questions that have not been answered could be researched by pupils as part of their independent revision programme.

Pupils often have problems interpreting diagrams, tables and graphs accurately.

Both of the approaches below are based on work undertaken in Nottinghamshire Local Authority using two thinking skills strategies. The approach requires collaborative group work in which pupils come up with ideas and justify their decisions. There must be a plenary to help pupils think about how they learned and where they could use a similar skill in everyday life. Further guidance on the techniques and effective plenaries are available in the Leading in learning teachers’ handbook (0034-2005G).

1 More detail is available in the Leading in learning teacher's handbook (0034-2005G)



Reading images approachThere is a difference between looking and seeing. Two people can look at something but see different things because one is more able to make connections. This is a powerful technique where pupils are provided with a diagram, table, photograph or graph obtained from a test question that has been reproduced onto A3 paper leaving a deep white border round the outside.

Pupils annotate round the border with links to previous work and what they already know. Alternatively there can be a series of progressive borders round the image so that what pupils are asked to write in each becomes more difficult. For example:

Border 1: what features can you see?

Border 2: what science knowledge could this image link to?

Border 3: what inferences can you make from the image?

After pupils have annotated the diagram they suggest a title or overall heading.

Living graphs approachThis strategy moves pupils beyond just plotting points or reading off information. Pupils are encouraged to suggest hypotheses and to give reasons for their deductions based on what they think the data indicates. This should begin to raise awareness that a variety of answers are sometimes possible.

As an example, use the graph and diagram from the 2004 Key Stage 3 tests paper 1: Tier 3-6 question 15 or Tier 5-7 question 6 reproduced onto A3 and the set of cards in table 8 on page 29. Use a few simple questions to clue the pupils in. For example, what is being used to heat the water? What state is stearic acid at the start? What is used to measure the temperature? What is actually heating the stearic acid?

Pupils discuss and place the statements at appropriate places on the graph and give reasons for their choices. They then compare their living graph with that of another group.

The living graphs approach can be used for tables, pictures, diagrams, models and cartoons.

Task 9

Try one of the two approaches above with one of your classes.

If you use the living graphs approach, you will need to make a set of cards with statements that allow for pupils to make inference.

The aim is to make pupils look hard, find patterns and make connections. Circulate and eavesdrop into conversations. Avoid getting involved with any group. If one group is really stuck ask open-ended questions to move their thinking along.

Remember that, initially, pupils will find this a hard process and may need an appropriate vocabulary to talk about their thinking. A list of useful words is available in Appendix 2.



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Table 8 Cards for living graphs approach

'Hey,' said Balbinder, 'the data logger has broken'.

'The water is really boiling now', said Balbinder.

The pupils switched the hotplate on and readings on the data logger started to rise slowly.

Stearic acid boils at 360˚C.

The data logger showed a steadily increasing rise in temperature.

Stearic acid is used for making soap, candles and cosmetics.

For a while there appeared to be no temperature change in the stearic acid.

As a solid is melting, the energy transferred is used to pull the particles apart.

'Look! The temperature is moving. It’s going up fast now,' cried Ruth.

'I wonder why the temperature goes up more quickly when the stearic acid is liquid,' wondered Ruth.

'There’s been solid and liquid in the test tube for at least 5 minutes!' mused Ruth.

The data logger stood upright in the test tube supported by the solid stearic acid.

'Do you remember Sir saying last week that particles in a solid are packed close together,' said Balbinder.

'Where on earth is the heat energy going if the temperature of the stearic acid isn’t rising?' wondered Ruth.

As the particles in a solid are heated they vibrate more and the temperature rises.

A soap factory with bars of scented soap was found in the ruins of Pompeii (79 AD).

When all the particles are pulled apart they are free to move. Then as more energy is put in it makes them move even faster and raises the temperature.

All the time there is energy transfer, something is happening.

As energy is transferred the temperature rises.

Generated by Secondary Strategy Consultants - Nottinghamshire LA.



Setting professional targets

Reflect on the experiences you have had while undertaking this unit and set yourself two targets to develop over the next year. Below are just a few suggestions of the kinds of things you might want to undertake.

Work with your science consultant to plan and team-teach some of the techniques you have explored during this module.

Plan a series of lessons for next term using these techniques and invite a colleague to observe you teaching.

Plan a session to deliver to the department during a staff training day or department meeting.



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Appendix 1: Snappy starters!

Copy a graph, results table or illustration from a textbook, revision guide or past examination paper onto an overhead transparency or interactive whiteboard. Use each of the following ‘Snappy starters’ with it, in concurrent lessons over a two or three week period. Pupils could respond on paper or using mini whiteboards.

Starters for use with tables Sketch ● the graph you think this table of results would produce.

Plot ● the graph using the results in the table.

Spot the/any ● trend(s) in the/each column(s).

Spot any ● relationships present in the table.

What experiment may have been performed to generate these results? ●

What would the ● prediction have been?

Write a ● conclusion for the results in this table.

What are the ● units?

Are there any ● anomalous results? What should this value be?

Which are the ● dependent and independent variables?

Starters for use with graphsWorking in pairs, each pupil is given a different graph and 5 minutes to write down ●

briefly all the important information from the graph. They swap information and then use this to recreate each other’s graphs.

Identify any ● units present on the graph and define them.

Work out the ● scales on the ‘x’ and ‘y’ axes and compare.

Tell the story of the ● graph.

Give the graph a ● title.

Make ● predictions based on the graph, e.g. what is the value of ‘x’ when ‘y’ is … .

If there is more than one ● line on the graph, compare and contrast them.

Produce a ● results table from which this graph could have been drawn.



Draw a ● diagram to show the equipment which would have been used to generate the results which produced this graph.

Suggest a prediction which could have been ● tested by this experiment.

Starters for use with illustrations (photograph, cartoon, picture)Suggest a ● title for the investigation being performed.

What ● prediction is being tested?

What further information do you need? ●

What ● safety precautions should be taken and why?

Draw a possible ● results table for the investigation.

Fill in your table with measurements that you might expect to get. Give ● units.

What do these ● measurements tell you?

Plot/sketch a ● graph of the measurements and label it correctly.

What does the ● graph tell you?

Compare what you concluded from the graph with your conclusion from the table. ●

Which was the best? Why?

Suggest a different way of doing the investigation. ●

Compare and contrast the two approaches. ●

Reproduced with permission of Warwickshire science consultants.



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Appendix 2: Thinking words

adapt

analogy

apply

assess

assumption

attitude

belief

clarify

classify

combine

compare

compose

consider

context

contradict(ion)

contrast

convert

decide

decipher

decode

define

design

develop

differentiate

distinguish

evaluate

evidence

examine

experience

experiment

explain

extrapolate

formulate

hypothesise

identify

image

imagine

implement

interpret

interrelate

judge

justify

juxtapose

link

long-term memory

meaning

metaphor

model

negotiate

organise

paraphrase

plan

predict

prioritise

realisation

recall

recognise

reconstruct

refine

reflect

reorganise

response

scan

sequence

short-term memory

skim

specification

stereotype

stimulus/stimulate

structure

summarise

symbol

synthesise

transform

translate

trigger

visualise

Copies of this publication may be available from: www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications

You can download this publication and obtain further information at: www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/

Audience: Science Subject leaders, teachers of science and higher level teaching assistants. Date of issue: 11-2007 Please quote ref: 00905-2007PDF-EN-02

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