Science in secondary school

Hi all,

Are science practicals a covid casualty in secondary schools?

Or is it up to the teacher whether the kids do practicals themselves or just watch the teacher demonstrate??

amacca

MikeOxsgreen wrote: »

Hi all,

Are science practicals a covid casualty in secondary schools?

Or is it up to the teacher whether the kids do practicals themselves or just watch the teacher demonstrate??

Its practically impossible to enforce distancing in a practical.....if youll excuse the pun.

It would help if there were resources so groups could be a lot smaller

It would help if class groups were a lot smaller

It would help if disciplinary standards were a lot higher and enforced so students actually did what they were told for their own and their classmates safety never mind the teachers.....and not have to be reminded every three seconds to keep goggles on/watch bunsen and turn off if flame goes out/dont fill drinming bottke from tap/stop talking/move slowly around the room and only if you need to for the purposes of the experiment/stop eating your sandwich in the lab even if you are hungry (thats what your breaks are for etc etc


All of these things applied pre-covid so they apply doubly now ......no doubt some teachers struggling to entertain them (especially juniors as thats what its largely become) are taking it on them selves to run a practical but its hard to see how it coukd be done safely in terms of covid unless there are good resources, a small group and rules are obeyed.......add in the seeming impossibilty for a certain cohort to not wander around touching each other or swapping equipment in some way unless they ate watched like a hawk before you even think about teaching them (something that is easier when they actually have to sit down in their desk with some distancing if somewhat notional in some circumstances rather than gather around a bench together)

Demonstration would be the best bet imo.....in fact a well run demostration is better than a practical in my previous experience......practical for a lot of students means an excuse to chat/doss and do less than a theory class as the teacher has his/her attention taken up managing students not following instructions etc (Im thinking of science here with gas taps, chemicals, bunsen burners etc - it may be different for subjects that are primarily practical and hans on like materials technology/woodwork/metalwork etc)

amacca

amacca wrote: »

Its practically impossible to enforce distancing in a practical.....if youll excuse the pun.

It would help if there were resources so groups could be a lot smaller

It would help if class groups were a lot smaller

It would help if disciplinary standards were a lot higher and enforced so students actually did what they were told for their own and their classmates safety never mind the teachers.....and not have to be reminded every three seconds to keep goggles on/watch bunsen and turn off if flame goes out/dont fill drinming bottke from tap/stop talking/move slowly around the room and only if you need to for the purposes of the experiment/stop eating your sandwich in the lab even if you are hungry (thats what your breaks are for etc etc


All of these things applied pre-covid so they apply doubly now ......no doubt some teachers struggling to entertain them (especially juniors as thats what its largely become) are taking it on them selves to run a practical but its hard to see how it coukd be done safely in terms of covid unless there are good resources, a small group and rules are obeyed.......add in the seeming impossibilty for a certain cohort to not wander around touching each other or swapping equipment in some way unless they ate watched like a hawk before you even think about teaching them (something that is easier when they actually have to sit down in their desk with some distancing if somewhat notional in some circumstances rather than gather around a bench together)

Demonstration would be the best bet imo.....in fact a well run demostration is better than a practical in my previous experience......practical for a lot of students means an excuse to chat/doss and do less than a theory class as the teacher has his/her attention taken up managing students not following instructions etc (Im thinking of science here with gas taps, chemicals, bunsen burners etc - it may be different for subjects that are primarily practical and hans on like materials technology/woodwork/metalwork etc)

Cheers amacca

Just wondering is there a policy though?
In my young fellas school it seems some teachers are, some aren't.

Hard to learn about vernier calipers without using one, or cutting a heart open. Fair enough about the dossing, but science is a practical subject, if potential dossing is being used as an excuse, its a bad one.

amacca

MikeOxsgreen wrote: »

Cheers amacca

Just wondering is there a policy though?
In my young fellas school it seems some teachers are, some aren't.

Hard to learn about vernier calipers without using one, or cutting a heart open. Fair enough about the dossing, but science is a practical subject, if potential dossing is being used as an excuse, its a bad one.

Oh I agree but good or bad its reality in some places not an excuse as you characterise it...the system panders to the moaning and whining and brushes misbehaviour under the carpet. Its even harder to learn about vernier calipers if a small but growing cohort get to do more or less what they please, its something it would do people good to witness and experience to properly understand the reality.

I dont know if there is a specific dont do practicals policy but im fairly sure theres a local arrangements "where possible" direction somewhere going on what dept/govt have adopted so far.

The thing is its not possible under to run most practicals in a lot of places safely in terms of reducing covid if we are being honest.........the risk of increasing transmission is increased ....id guess by a lot.

But if some teachers are doing them, but others aren't (in the same school- same facilities), it suggests there's no diktat from DES (or TUI/ASTI)? and its down to individual teachers?
In my daughters school (different) they are doing them.

TheValeyard

MikeOxsgreen wrote: »

But if some teachers are doing them, but others aren't (in the same school- same facilities), it suggests there's no diktat from DES (or TUI/ASTI)? and its down to individual teachers?
In my daughters school (different) they are doing them.

Some teachers might not be doing practicals on health grounds. Trying to maintain distance between themselves and students, particularly if they have health issues or deal with elderly family

Treppen

MikeOxsgreen wrote: »

But if some teachers are doing them, but others aren't (in the same school- same facilities), it suggests there's no diktat from DES (or TUI/ASTI)? and its down to individual teachers?
In my daughters school (different) they are doing them.

You really need to ring the school. Local arrangements probably apply but the science teachers and management were supposed to come to a consensus .

But usually a consensus would mean to err on the side of caution.

Treppen

Treppen wrote: »

You really need to ring the school. Local arrangements probably apply but the science teachers and management were supposed to come to a consensus .

But usually a consensus would mean to err on the side of caution.

Thats my next step, was wondering was there any Deot.E.S guidance out.

TheValeyard wrote: »

Some teachers might not be doing practicals on health grounds. Trying to maintain distance between themselves and students, particularly if they have health issues or deal with elderly family

Fair point.

Moody_mona

My 1st years fit in the lab so I'm doing practicals with them. My second years don't, so I'm not. I teach them in a classroom (I hate it). Just to add another potential scenario. Some schools doing practicals some not, some teachers doing practicals some not, some classes doing practicals some not.

vikings2012

I still do practicals with my classes. We have small class sizes so it’s easier to maintain distance in the lab and make sure the practicals run smoothly.

I have noted that the neighboring school has suspended all lab practicals. It would be a much larger school.