Nicole Thoonen

Student number: s3162704

TCHE2435
Science Principles and Practices
Assessment Task 2: Science Teaching Reflection
The following is a series of reflections carried out over five days spent within a grade 1 classroom.
The model I have used for my reflections is the Gibb's Reflective Cycle (1988). The topics I will
reflect on are Learning the science content', Organising for learning', Assessment' and finally
Pedagogical strategies'. During my placement, I was unable to observe any science lessons so these
reflections will be based on the science lessons I taught with a fellow pre-service teacher.

Reflection 1: Learning Science content

Learning it to Stretch it!
Describe: For my lesson called Stretching Snakes, we looked at stretching objects. When planning
my lesson, I looked at the Primary Connections Booklet Bend It! Stretch It!' (Australian Academy
of Science, 2012), which covers the chemical sciences curriculum for grade 1. To prepare for the
lesson, I thought about what I already knew about stretching objects and then read over the teacher
background information to fill in any gaps in my knowledge. There were words and concepts in the
booklet that I had not come across before, so I continued my research online. Before the lesson, I
printed off separate notes to ensure I covered everything I needed to. I also included possible
questions students might ask and answers in case I needed to refer to them, however during the
lessons I did not look at them once.
Feelings: Before planning the lesson, I felt nervous that I would not know enough about science
however I was excited to extend my content knowledge. After preparing the lesson, I felt more
prepared but was still nervous that a student might ask me a question that I would not be able to
answer. I had never team-taught before so I also felt apprehensive that my teaching style would not
match the other pre-service teacher or that my content knowledge was not on par. I was also excited
to be able to use such a fun activity to engage students in the science topic. Afterwards, I felt proud
of what I had achieved during the lessons.
Evaluation: My preparation before the lesson to extend my content knowledge worked in my
favour, as I felt confident in my lesson delivery. I was able to link the topic with previous science
lessons the students had, that I had not observed and prior outside of the classroom' experiences
they might have had spontaneously. I was also able to alter my questioning and discussion
techniques to suit the different abilities of each other the three classes. In the beginning, I was too
ambitious with the amount of knowledge I wanted students to walk away with and I needed to pick
out the key points rather than cover everything I had researched. By the end of my three lessons on
stretching, I felt extremely confident in my knowledge on the topic. By going through the lesson
three times and altering it where needed to suit that group of students I was able to ensure I covered
the key points.

Nicole Thoonen
Student number: s3162704
Analysis: During this process I felt that I had successfully used metacognition to assist in learning
the science content (Skamp & Preston, 2015). I consciously thought about my learning and the steps
I would need to take to extend my knowledge. By thinking about what I already knew before
researching for the lesson and then afterwards, I was able to compare the gaps that I had in my
knowledge and take the necessary action to ensure I was able to plan a successful lesson. When I
was writing my extra notes for the lesson, I could see how my research had filled these gaps and
how previous facts I thought to be true, were changed. I was also able to think about the
misconceptions I had about the content and use this to ask students about their misconceptions they
might have. By thinking about my learning in this way, I was able to ensure the learning itself was
the intention behind the lesson, rather than completing all steps in the activity.
Although writing the extra notes was an excellent way to see my learning physically, it also made
me second guess my ability to recall this information during my lessons. When I taught grade 6
science on my previous placement, I needed to ensure that I have the correct terminology to ensure
students could use these in their assessment so I relied on notes. However, during the grade 1
lessons, I did not need them but felt reliant on them and ultimately this may have proven
detrimentally as I ultimately undermined my learning by believing I needed them.
Conclusion: During this experience, I learnt that I can trust my knowledge. I learnt that although I
am by no means an expert on anything science related, I do have prior knowledge. I also learnt that
I can recognise when my current knowledge is not sufficient, and I need to research to ensure that I
can help successfully guide student learning.
Action plan: To be better prepared for my next science lesson, writing notes about what I know and
then adding what my research has added to my current knowledge will help me to see, more clearly,
the gaps I had. The change in technique might ensure that I feel more confident in my science
knowledge and my ability to learn and that I don't hold as much weight in my notes.

Reflection 2: Organising for learning:

Organising snakes
Describe: All of the lessons ran in a similar way. The main lesson plans for the two lessons
followed the design from Primary Connections (Australian Academy of Science, 2012). This design
activated students' prior knowledge by asking them to recall what happened in previous lessons
through discussion. Followed by linking the previous activity to the activity they were about to
undertake. The investigation was then demonstrated to the students. Students then conducted their
investigations which were then followed by a discussion on their findings and then ring back to the
overall learning intention. Changes were made to the length of time spent on each task depending
on the needs of the group of students.
Feelings: Having the lessons set up in such a logical way, made me feel at ease and ensured the
lesson ran smoothly. The lesson design had a similar set up to lessons I had previously taught on

Nicole Thoonen
Student number: s3162704
teaching placement so I felt comfortable having it follow this order. It had a great emphasises on
discussion with students both before and after the investigation which I enjoyed.
Evaluation: The discussion at the beginning of the lesson worked well and I was able to engage the
students through the use of voice and a sense of wonderment (Australian Academy of Science,
2016). The introductory discussion section was different for the three grades depending on what
they remembered from the previous science lesson and each group had different answers to
questions and asked different questions. As the lessons were 40-minute rotations and I did not know
the students particularly well as I had to teach two grades I did not know, I was unsure how much
time students would need for each section of the lesson. As a result, during the first lesson Scrunch
It!' one of the grades ran out of time to have a proper discussion at the end due to needing to spend
more time on the introductory discussion. We instead had to have a brief impromptu discussion on
the way to their next rotation.
Students also felt comfortable enough during the lessons to ask questions and share their thoughts
and opinions during the discussion and seek help during the investigation if needed (Victorian State
Government, 2014). I was consistent with what behaviour was acceptable and the level of
contribution I expected from each student (VSG, 2014).
Analysis: Although I taught both of my planned lessons three times, each lesson was delivered
differently as determined by the needs of the students in that grade. The second grade had particular
trouble recalling their previous lesson and determining the learning intention for it. This required
me to alter my discussion and spend more time going over the misconceptions they still had. I felt
this was important as the students would not have been able to proceed logically with the lesson I
had planned if they had not understood the concepts of the previous lesson. To help students with
their learning, I incorporated a social constructivist point of view and allowed students to navigate
their way through this discussion together (Driver, Asoko, Leach, Mortimer & Scott, 2014).
However, it was this discussion that led to students not being able to have a discussion at the end of
the session which would summarise the day's learning. Instead, the following week when I taught
science again I had to ensure that this particular grade discussed their findings from this lesson in
the introductory discussion to ensure that students were ready to proceed with the next task. In
consultation with my mentor after this session, she commended me on recognising the needs of this
grade to go over the previous learning before moving forward. For their next session, I ensured that
time allowed for deeper discussion and altered how the investigation would run.
Conclusion: During the experience I learnt that although not every class will run the same, I am
capable of altering my lesson plans on the spot to suit the emerging needs of my students. I learnt
the importance of planning in case students had to step back before moving forward with the
designated lesson for the lesson to run smoothly and successfully.
Action plan: To be better prepared for next time I will ensure that I have steps in place if students
are not ready to progress to the next activity. By having a back-up' plan, I will ensure that I am no
caught off guard and therefore can ensure that vital steps of the lesson such as the discussion are not
skipped due to lack of time.

Nicole Thoonen
Student number: s3162704

Reflection 3 (Assessment):
Scrunch it! Stretch It! Assess it?
Describe: During all 6 of the lessons I taught, I used a range of formative assessment strategies
throughout the lessons to gauge where students were at with the learning of physical changes. I used
class discussions at the beginning and end of every lesson which included questions and statements
from myself and the students. I also used these techniques during the investigation with small
groups of students to help guide their learning and keep them on task. Due placement limitations, I
was unable to perform any diagnostic or summative assessments.
Feelings: I felt confident going into my lessons using my assessment strategies as they were ones
that I had used before. I was nervous however about how well they would go with grade 1's as I had
only ever had upper-grade levels.
Evaluation: The range of questions I used for formative assessment worked well. Students were
engaged and were able to think about the scientific concepts and their learning. During the lessons, I
felt that I used my questioning strategy well. However, the wording I used for some of my questions
may have been too advanced and I found myself having to rephrase the questions for the students to
understand and answer them.
I also felt that during my time roaming the classroom I was able to assess the learning needs of the
groups of students. In the class discussions, I was able to gauge where the class was at and with
their learning and where they needed to go (Skamp & Preston, 2015). However, it was during this
one on one time with teams that I was able to assess how each team was going to be able to achieve
their learning goals (Skamp & Preston, 2015).
Analysis: I believe my discussion worked well as a formative strategy because I was able to
determine students' initial understanding and concepts on the topic (Skamp & Preston, 2015). I was
then also able to see their ideas developing through the discussion mainly student student
discussion using the teacher feedback strategy called re-directs to allow students emerging
knowledge to help one another (Skamp & Preston, 2015). The redirect strategy also allowed for
students to share their ideas particularly in the final discussions where students had a range of
theories regarding their investigations (Skamp & Preston, 2015). I also used formative feedback to
ensure students remained on task and progressed through the activity successfully (Brookhart,
2008). This ensured students maintained their motivation and prevented any students from
misunderstanding the task.
I believe I was too ambitious with my initial questioning of the grade 1 class. Having Bloom's
Revised Taxonomy in mind, I tried to ensure I asked higher order thinking questions to promote
student learning (Churches, 2008). I did begin low on the sale, asking students to remember but my
questioning became too complicated for them too soon and therefore I had to step back into lower
order questioning so students could catch up (Churches, 2008).
Conclusion: During the experience I learnt that formative assessment is a vital part of the teaching
and learning process (Skamp & Preston, 2015). I learnt that I need to be more conscious of this

Nicole Thoonen
Student number: s3162704
strategy when planning my lessons to try and incorporate other formative strategies rather than just
using the ones I had become comfortable with.
Action plan:
To continue my learning and grow as a teacher I will research other strategies and other forms of
student questioning to ensure that I am not confusing the students with questions that are too
complex for them to answer.

Reflection 4 (Pedagogical Strategies)

Scrunching constructivist snakes
Describe: During the first group of lessons, students were required to work in groups of 3 and the
second group of lessons, students were required to work in groups of 2. Before students chose their
team, they were asked to choose someone who helped them learn or someone they helped learn.
The activities planned also required students to perform each of the investigations themselves by
scrunching household materials or stretching jelly snakes.
Feelings: In the beginning I felt apprehensive about having the students pick their team members. I
chose my words carefully and stated that I did not want them to choose their best friend. I stated
that we are all here to help each other learn. Once I saw the students working successfully in the
groups that they had chosen themselves I was able to relax and enjoy the lesson.
Evaluation: During the lessons I felt that students chose their partners well. They were able to
recognise who they learn well with and even if some of them did pick their friends, they knew that
the expectation was for them to work and not socialise. As I roamed the room, I heard fantastic
discussions about the task and I prompted student thinking with questions that engaged them. When
groups had finished, I also encouraged them to share their findings with other teams which helped
provide richer discussion when the whole class came back together.
The hands-on aspect of the activities also proved successful with students being able to see the feel
the physical change we had been discussing rather than myself conducting the investigation and
having the students write or talk about it.
I would have liked to include a multi-modal aspect to the lesson via ICT or incorporating a literacy
component into it, however due to placement restrictions and mentor preferences, I was unable to
do so.
Analysis: Having students work with someone who helps them learn was vital to my lesson success
as it incorporated Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (1978). The Zone of Proximal
Development was used as it promotes student learning through working with an advanced peer and
this ensured that students were able to advance further in their learning than if they worked by
themselves (Vygotsky, 1978).
Piaget's theory of hands-on learning worked well during these lessons as the students were able to
take ownership of their investigation which promoted student learning (Blake & Pope, 2008).

Nicole Thoonen
Student number: s3162704
Students were engaged and because they were able to work with their hands rather than simply
hearing about how objects can change. Piaget's theory of new knowledge replacing old knowledge
was also used during these lessons by having the students make predictions (Driver, Asoko, Leach,
Mortimer and Scott, 1994). The students made predictions before their investigations and
afterwards we discussed these predictions as a class. Students were able to see how their new found
knowledge would change the prediction they would make in the future.
I believe the inclusion of a literacy component or ICT into these lessons would have been beneficial
as I would have been able to cater better for different learning styles (Gee, 2003). Although I was
able to ensure my lessons incorporated some aspect of different text modes with the use of the
whiteboard, hands-on activities, and discussion if given the opportunity I would have liked to
incorporate more (Gee, 2003).
Conclusion: During the experience I learn that students learn best when they can discuss their ideas
and think together. If I were to do these lessons in my classroom, I would ensure that students were
able to present their ideas in a format that works best for them, be it written, discussion drawing,
etc. I was unable to do this during these lessons due to my mentor's preferences and time constraints
on the lessons
Action plan: To ensure all learning styles and preferences are encouraged, next time I would allow
students to brainstorm ways they can present their investigation to the class. A way to include
literacy component would be to have students write a procedural text about the investigation or if
they wanted to be more creative they could write a narrative that included the scientific content I
would encourage that.
In conclusion, the Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1998) was an excellent way to reflective on my five-day
teaching placement. It allowed me to delve deeply into a different aspect of my experience and
recognise how I felt during the experience. Although I found the tool difficult to use at times, as I
felt that I was not giving enough information in some sections, as a whole it has proven to be
extremely useful.

Nicole Thoonen
Student number: s3162704
References:
Australian Academy of Science (2016) 5Es Teaching And Learning Model - Primaryconnections:
Linking Science With Literacy. [Accessed 18 May 16]
https://primaryconnections.org.au/about/teaching
Australian Academy of Science (2012), Bend It! Stretch It!: Year 1 Chemical Sciences, in Primary
Connections
Blake, B., & Pope, T. (2008). Developmental Psychology: Incorporating Piagets and Vygotskys
Theories in Classrooms. Journal Of Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives In Education, 1(1), 5967.
Brookhart, S, M. (2008) How to give effective feedback to your students, Alexandria,
Virginia:ASCD, pp 2-9.
Churches, A. (2008). Bloom's taxonomy blooms digitally. Tech & Learning, 1. Bloom's taxonomy
Driver, R., Asoko, H., Leach, J., Mortimer, E., & Scott, P.. (1994). Constructing Scientific
Knowledge in the Classroom. Educational Researcher, 23(7), 512. [Accessed 18 May 2016]
http://www.jstor.org/stable/1176933
Gee, J. P. (2003), What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy, Palgrave,
New York.
Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford: Oxford
Polytechnic Further Education Unit.
Skamp, K., & Preston, C. (2015). Teaching primary science constructively (5th ed.). South
Melbourne, Vic.: Thomson Learning Australia.
Victorian State Government (2014) Stimulating and Secure Learning Environment. [Accessed 17
May 16] from
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline/english/Pages/st
imulatelearn.aspx
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978), Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes,
Harvard University Press, 1978, Cambridge, Massachusetts, London, England

Nicole Thoonen
Student number: s3162704
Self-assessment of Assignment 2
Self-Assessment: Capacity to self-assess strengths, weaknesses and strategies to improve as a
teacher of Science
In this assignment I feel I did the following things well:
I felt I was able to assess my strengths and weaknesses during my placement honestly and was able
to devise a plan to ensure that I grow as a pre-service teacher. I felt I was able to link theory well
with my reflections on my lessons

From completing this assignment I think I need to work on:

Being more aware of my feelings during my lessons and use this as a way to find out why I felt the
way that I did.

Overall, I would award myself the following mark for the individual component (please circle):
NN, PP, CR, DN, HD
Why?
I would give myself a distinction because although my mentor said I did
extremely well during my teaching placement, I feel that we should always
strive to imporove our own learning and teaching strategies.