University of Bath 
Department of Education		 Biology Subject Didactics Programme 2001/2002
PGCE in Partnership Purpose
Programme
Purpose The Biology SD Programme is designed to integrate with and complement the Science SD Programme throughout the course. Although our main aim is to prepare you to be a ‘science teacher’ in Key Stage 3, you are likely to be working mainly in your subject specialism in Key Stage 4 and certainly post-16 and you need to be able to see how that specialist subject ‘fits’ within science provision in schools.

The Biology Programme has several purposes;

• to consider the place of biology within a broad and balanced science curriculum in Key Stages 3 and 4; and within GCE A/AS courses and more vocationally oriented qualifications post-16; 

• to develop your subject knowledge in biology particularly in those areas which you did not study as part of your degree in order to meet the requirements of the DfEE National Curriculum for ITT;

• to study issues such as children’s ideas or safety which are raised in the Science Programme but which need to be explored in the specific context of biology;

• to develop knowledge of and expertise in using a variety of biological resources in teaching including familiarity with issues relating to planning and managing activities outside the laboratory.   

The Biology Programme for Serial 1 of the Induction Phase is firmly planned and is clearly related to sessions in the Science Programme. There may be some room for negotiation of sessions in Serial 2 of the Consolidation Phase and for the two-day programme in the Extension Phase in order to respond to the needs and experience of the novices. 

There are four timetabled Specialist Science sessions in Serial 1 and 2. Two sessions each term will be led by the specialist science tutor. You will be given tasks and activities for the other two sessions (in square brackets below) to work on in groups or individually as appropriate. All four sessions will take place in 1W 3.6.
Programme
 
 
Induction Phase - Serial 1
Session I 
Children's ideas about biological concepts		 Printed materials developed by the Children's Learning in Science Project (CLIS) will be used to explore children's ideas about 'animals' and 'plant nutrition'.
[Session II Concept development in biology] Making use of research articles to have a detailed look at the development of children’s ideas in biological topics. Common misconceptions and how they might be addressed.
Session III 
Planning investigations in biology

What is investigation? Selecting topics for investigation; asking questions; forming hypotheses; designing ways of testing hypotheses; data collection; data presentation; evaluation of data; assessment issues.
[Session IV Safety issues in biology] Identification of areas in the teaching of biology where there are particular safety considerations mostly involving the use of living organisms. Focus on safety in microbiology practical work. 'Takeaway' safety quiz.
Consolidation Phase - Serial 2 Session V Difficult topics in biology How are mitosis and meiosis different? What is water potential? What is the role of ADH in osmoregulation? Sexual reproduction in flowering plants? Be prepared to discuss solutions to your biological nightmares! 
[Session VI Biology at GCSE]
 
 		 Introduction to the overall structure and organisation of GCSE syllabuses and examinations. Detailed examination of biology components of GCSE Science and GCSE Biology syllabuses.
Session VII Approaches to teaching genetics
 		 Resources for teaching genetics and related topics will be evaluated, including ICT based approaches.
[Session VIII Biology post-16]
 
 		 Overview of science options post-16 including GCE A and AS examinations and GNVQ Science at Intermediate and Advanced levels. Comparison of GCE A/AS syllabuses to understand differences between them and their relationship to the ‘common core’.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

Extension Phase

Week 34

Practical techniques for biological fieldwork in (mainly) terrestrial habitats. Use of sampling and collection methods. Analysis and presentation of ecological data. The organisation and management of fieldwork activities with school groups.

Specialist Science Assignment Deadline: Week 18

As stated in the main SD booklet, the third PGCE Science assignment is set in the context of the Specialist Science. The title for the Biology SD assignment is as follows:

Present a critical discussion for a scheme of work for a post-16 biology topic clearly presenting a rationale for the way in which the topic would be taught. (2000 words)

Aim
The intention of this assignment is that you should use the opportunity to develop your knowledge of an area of biology which you may not have studied as part of your degree but that is in current GCE A-level or Advanced GNVQ Science specifications by producing a scheme of work.

Guidance
The assignment requires you the research the chosen topic using the literature to identify any problematic aspects for students learning the topic and any ideas for how it should be taught. You should then investigate how teachers approach the teaching of the topic and how textbooks deal with it. You will then be in a position to develop a scheme of work for the topic which is constructed around a rationale which explains the underlying approach to teaching it including the sequence in which it might be taught and issues such as what knowledge is required by students before studying the topic, what appropriate practical work might be done and what use of resources (including ICT) might be made to support the teaching and learning.

The assignment should be focus on the topic itself and your ideas about how it should be taught leading to the development of the scheme of work. The scheme of work should be included as an appendix to the assignment and does not need to be developed in detail. It should however show the sequence of lessons and an outline of content to support the rationale presented in the assignment itself.

Outcome
The assignment should provide evidence of the development of your subject knowledge in biology and should provide evidence in relation to the DfEE Standards for QTS (Secondary) A1, A3, A9 and A13.

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Information, materials and useful links will be posted from time to time on my personal home pages:

http://www.bath.ac.uk/~edsjcc/

To contact me by email: J.C.Cambridge@bath.ac.uk

Jim Cambridge (Biology Subject Specialist tutor)
September 2001