Tagged With: education
Interning with the education policy team at the RSB
The recent wave of Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) schemes have paved new ground for the enrichment of doctoral learning through extended transferable skills programmes. Through this scheme, I was introduced to the Royal Society of Biology, to work alongside their education policy team. As a BBSRC-funded PhD candidate, I am part of the Midlands Integrative … Continue reading
Engaging the Silent Majority
How can you ensure all students in a teaching session have the opportunity to engage, be involved and interact? This is the question that I wanted to address when I set out to understand why students choose to sit in a given location within the lecture theatre.
‘To believe is to be able’
A study of developing self-efficacy in undergraduate biologists at the University of Hull by the HE Bioscience Teacher of the Year, Dominic Henri. I strongly believe that the process of Higher Education should provide the opportunity for students to overcome a wide range of barriers, which can then be drawn upon to bolster self-belief in … Continue reading
School biology – a future biology curriculum
At the last Policy Lunchbox we welcomed Michael Reiss, professor of science education at the UCL Institute of Education, to discuss the future of the school science curriculum. Professor Michael Reiss’ talk looked at the key components of a science curriculum and learning about biology, as well as the aspects we might consider for future … Continue reading
Engaging young people with science: a science capital approach
For our last Policy Lunchbox, we were joined by Professor Louise Archer, the Karl Mannheim Professor of Sociology of Education at the UCL Institute of Education. Louise’s talk focused on the Aspires2 longitudinal study and the Enterprising Science research and development project. Both projects seek to understand what shapes aspirations, engagement and participation in young … Continue reading
The IBO live blog Day 1: microscopes and egg and spoon races
Peter Morrison, a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick, is one of the 100+ volunteers helping run the 28th International Biology Olympiad, taking place at the University of Warwick this week. With the Opening Ceremony over, students settled in, and a good night’s sleep, the competition started in earnest on Monday.
TEF vs. REF: are teaching and research now adversaries?
By Henry Lovett, policy & public affairs officer, The Physiological Society At the recent Labour, Conservative and SNP party conferences, The Physiological Society asked policy makers to consider an important question: ‘TEF vs. REF: Are Teaching and Research Now Adversaries?’ The successful fringe events discussed how the Government’s development of a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) … Continue reading
Biology Week in Schools: The Eggs-cellent Victorian Eggs-periment
By Dr Diane Lees-Murdock CBiol MRSB, course director BSc (Hons) Biology, Ulster University and Mr Chris Murdock, DH Christie Memorial Primary School, Coleraine, N. Ireland. Year seven pupils at DH Christie Memorial Primary School have been learning about the Victorian diet and how nutrition varied between the rich and the poor. To celebrate Biology Week, … Continue reading
Pollination and education in the Peaks
By Ida Griffiths – education officer for Pollinating the Peak at the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Bumblebees are awesome! But perhaps, being the education officer for Pollinating the Peak – a new Heritage Lottery funded project from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust – I have to say that… However, it’s not just me, my colleagues and keen … Continue reading
Teaching: first resort or last resort?
By Ben Connor, Policy Officer, British Ecological Society Does the UK Government have a joined up strategy for teacher recruitment and training? According to Chris Waterman, speaking at the recent Education Policy Lunchbox, the simple answer is ‘no’. Waterman, the former Executive Director of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS), whose educational experience … Continue reading