Research strategies utilizing the SLH framework
In a recent project spanning one term, six teachers from four different schools delved into the Science Learning Hub (SLH), a comprehensive online platform offering a wealth of curriculum-aligned resources for New Zealand science educators. The project aimed to explore how teachers could effectively incorporate and adapt SLH resources into their science planning and teaching.
The teachers began by consulting the New Zealand Curriculum to identify and develop science ideas and learning intentions. Leveraging their pedagogical content knowledge, they crafted a unit tailored to specific subject ideas and their students. The SLH was invaluable in this process, serving as a treasure trove of over 11,550 free resources, including articles, activities, and professional learning and development (PLD) materials.
The teachers utilised the Hub to search and browse by specific science topics or concepts, ensuring they found up-to-date, relevant materials that aligned with their teaching goals. They also engaged with structured activities and resources designed to stimulate inquiry-based learning and critical thinking. These resources often came with prompts and questions to guide student exploration.
Moreover, the teachers benefited from the Hub's Teacher PLD opportunities, such as recorded webinars and professional learning sessions. These sessions demonstrated how to integrate the Hub’s resources into classroom practice, often highlighting how they support teaching of scientific capabilities and the inclusion of Māori knowledge, enriching science education with culturally responsive pedagogy.
Throughout the process, the teachers kept in mind all the facets of the planning process and aimed to develop a coherent plan driven by the big idea and related learning intentions. They designed activities as a connected sequence and searched for supporting resources from the SLH, adapting the materials to suit their students.
The teachers were able to do this because they had formed an overview of their unit idea and sequence, and they knew their students. Pedagogical linkmaking skills were required to connect the different facets of the SLH. The SLH supported teacher planning by providing a coherent plan driven by the big idea and related learning intentions.
The SLH also offered tools like a glossary and notifications for fresh content and new educational events, helping teachers keep lessons current and connected to participatory science and real-world contexts. Teachers could customise materials based on student needs and curriculum requirements, facilitated by flexible access and the ability to manage personal collections when they created accounts on the Hub.
In conclusion, the project demonstrated that teachers can effectively incorporate and adapt resources from the Science Learning Hub into their science planning and teaching. By leveraging the Hub’s extensive repository, teachers can create engaging, culturally responsive, and inquiry-driven science lessons, supported by ongoing professional learning and the latest science education research shared on the platform.
Teachers used the Science Learning Hub to find relevant resources aligned with their teaching goals, such as articles, activities, and professional learning and development materials, to create a unit tailored to specific science topics and their students. The SLH also provided tools like a glossary and notifications for fresh content, helping teachers keep lessons current and connected to participatory science and real-world contexts, thus enhancing education and self-development through science learning.
