The Beginning Science Teachers' Handbook

These resources, developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme in partnership with the Association for Science Education, are aimed at newly qualified secondary science teachers and their mentors. Originally published as a CD-ROM, the resources provide training activities and materials that can be used in a structured programme during a beginning secondary science teacher’s induction period and beyond, into the early years of teaching. The aim is to enhance induction such that secondary science teachers feel professionally supported and developed and, as a consequence, will be more likely to stay within the teaching profession.

This resource consists of 26 activities divided into the following 4 themes:

Preparing science classrooms

* Activity 1: Services and storage of students belongings

* Activity 2: Seatwork or exposition and students written work

* Activity 3: Demonstrations

* Activity 4: Benchwork or students practical work

Planning for teaching

* Activity 5: Preparing your schemes of work

* Activity 6: Starter activities in science lessons

* Activity 7: Main activities in science lessons

* Activity 8: Plenary activities in science lessons

* Activity 9: Practical work

* Activity 10: Scientific enquiry

* Activity 11: Differentiation

* Activity 12: Self-evaluation

* Activity 13: Using feedback constructively

Developing teaching

* Activity 14: Observing students practical work

* Activity 15: Observing scientific enquiry

* Activity 16: Observing the work of learning support assistants

* Activity 17: Observing exposition

* Activity 18: Competence with common place practical work

* Activity 19: Competence with science demonstrations

* Activity 20: Questioning students

* Activity 21: Student discussion

* Activity 22: Students written work

* Activity 23: Contemporary science

* Activity 24: Assessment for learning

* Activity 25: Learning from tests and examinations

Developing professionalism

* Activity 26: The work of a learning support assistant

* Activity 27: The work of a laboratory technician

* Activity 28: Situations in teaching

* Activity 29: Science reports for colleagues and parents

* Activity 30: Contributing to the work of the departments

To view the package, the files need to be downloaded and installed on an individual computer. The package can then be used as a complete stand-alone resource, or individual animations and video clips can be extracted and used independently.