Canovan Cherry, Fallon Naomi
University of Central Lancashire, CB106 Chandler Building, Preston, PR1 2HE UK.
SN Soc Sci. 2021;1(5):117. doi: 10.1007/s43545-021-00122-9. Epub 2021 May 6.
Prolonged Covid-19-related school closures in the UK raised concerns that science teaching and learning at primary level would be negatively impacted. This paper reports the findings of phase 1 of a study that the authors are conducting with teachers and parents to explore this issue. We found that a significant proportion of teachers were providing less science during lockdown than in the normal school week. Teachers, particularly those working in more deprived areas, reported that translating the science curriculum for home learning had been difficult, with concerns around resources, internet access and parental ability to help. Some areas of the curriculum posed particular difficulties, leading to a narrowing of topics being taught. Both teachers and parents felt that schools prioritised English and maths above science. Meanwhile some parents reported that their children had engaged in sophisticated extracurricular activities, bolstered by resources available at home and knowledgeable adult help, but others said that their children had done no science at all. Parents who had studied science at post-compulsory level were much more comfortable in helping their children with science home learning. These factors combine to create conditions which may exacerbate existing inequalities as to who can access science education and careers.
英国因新冠疫情长期关闭学校引发了人们对小学科学教学会受到负面影响的担忧。本文报告了作者与教师和家长共同开展的一项研究第一阶段的结果，以探讨这一问题。我们发现，很大一部分教师在封锁期间提供的科学教学内容比正常教学周要少。教师们，尤其是那些在贫困地区工作的教师报告称，将科学课程转化为家庭学习内容很困难，存在资源、网络接入以及家长辅导能力等方面的问题。课程的某些领域存在特别的困难，导致所教授的主题范围变窄。教师和家长都认为学校将英语和数学置于科学之上。与此同时，一些家长报告说，他们的孩子在家庭现有资源和知识渊博的成年人帮助下，参与了复杂的课外活动，但也有家长表示他们的孩子根本没有进行科学学习。接受过义务教育后科学学习的家长在帮助孩子进行科学家庭学习时更加得心应手。这些因素共同造成了一种可能加剧在获得科学教育和职业机会方面现有不平等的状况。
