We are looking for enthusiastic research scientists to get involved with a project with local primary schools.

The publishing of the new National Curriculum for Science for implementation from 2014 and the 2013 OFSTED report on Science Education consolidates the desire to encourage children to work scientifically with purpose – in ways that enable them to see the value and use of science in everyday life. Encouragingly it champions the need to encourage children’s curiosity and to develop science subject knowledge and develop their analytical and reasoning skills.

The Smart Scientists project is driven to further explore what it means for primary children to ‘work scientifically’, ‘to be a scientist’. Although there are skills mapped out in our new curriculum, it is far from what it means to be scientific – simply using skills doesn’t necessarily enable one behave, think and feel scientific – it is the attitudes, dispositions and personal capabilities that coupled with skills may actually enable our children to be. We don’t know enough about working scientifically to really understand what it is to engage children’s physical, psychological and emotional learning needs to assist them to experience and then hopefully embody and become scientists.

By adopting a co-teaching approach with teachers, scientists and curriculum developers we can unpick and model an approach to learning science that really demonstrates what it means to ‘be’ a scientist, thus developing scientific knowledge and understanding through working scientifically.

Project make up:

  • 5 primary schools
  • 10 teachers from infant and early juniors
  • A willingness to innovate and collaborate
  • 6 month exploration phase
  • Support both for thinking together and financial

What we are looking for…

  • up to 5 PhD or postdoctoral research scientists who are passionate to share what they do and how they do it
  • who are willing to collaborate and work ‘with’, not ‘for’ teachers
  • who can offer at least 4 days support/activity ‘with’ teachers
  • would be affiliated to a particular school (located in Stockport)
  • share a passion to engage with us to discover and push the boundaries of primary science curriculum development

Areas of interest: geology, plant science, environmental science, pharmacy, astronomy, vision research… to be quite honest we believe that if you’re a researcher willing to share, then we have a lot to gain from whatever area of research you are in! So don’t feel limited by this list.

If you are interested in getting involved – please contact lynne.bianchi@manchester.ac.uk by 25 February 2014.

Smart Scientists: A University of Manchester Science Education Research & Innovation Hub project