GCSE Physics Outreach Programme

Do you want to help your students
improve their GCSE Science grades?

Do you want to increase the uptake of Physics at A Level?

The South East Physics Network (SEPnet) has been provided with funding to run a series of events aimed at GCSE science students to support the teaching in physics and chemistry. The aim is to have three events a year and to run each event, initially, in three different locations to enable as many schools as possible to take advantage of this learning opportunity. The events are designed to be large scale, delivered to 300-400 pupils at a time. The goal of these events is to increase the number of GCSE pupils continuing to further study in physical sciences. A subsidiary goal is to provide strong teacher support especially where physical sciences are currently taught by non-specialists.

Each event will focus on a different aspect of the syllabus (based on the AQA specification) and are being offered as review, revision and extension sessions. The subject matter should have been covered in class before the events. The material will be presented in a clear and exciting way to both enthuse the students and improve their understanding. The focus will be on correcting common misconceptions and promoting a strong basic understanding of the subject. There will be a feedback system to encourage students to participate and to measure understanding.

There will be a parallel set of continuing professional development sessions running alongside the students? programme and these will be designed for teachers who do not have a background in physics. The teachers will be shown experiments that they could use in lessons and will be given some resources to take away. The aim of CPD is to improve the quality of physics teaching at GCSE by making the teachers more familiar with the subject matter and by encouraging them to include more practical work.

Events will be supported with a range of teacher and student materials to be used at and subsequent to the events.
The first session is planned for 25th February 2009 at the University of Surrey with a primary theme of ?Energy?. This will then be repeated on 2nd March at University of Kent and 11th March at Queen Mary, University of London. The second event will have a theme ?Radiation? and ?Medical?; the third ?Electricity and Electromagnetism?. These will run later in the year with the whole cycle repeated annually at an increasing number of venues.

This project is seen as a major STEM initiative in the South East with support from many organisations and institutions: (SEEDA, Aim Higher; STEMNET, HEFCE, Universities, major regional employers; examination boards, etc). The pilot phase has pump priming funding for 5 years.

SEPNET GCSE project

Attachments

• Click here to download the GCSE energy event plan (pdf) (53971k File)

Links

• Click here for more information from the SEPnet website

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