Central Queensland University’s collaboration with Caboolture State School for an in-class mentoring project has won the school an Education Queensland award.

This is the second year the school has been awarded with an Education Queensland Doherty Award. The awards promote excellence in science education.

CQU’s Associate Professor Ken Appleton, based in Caloundra, and John Hunt, based in Bundaberg, mentored staff in science curriculum and pedagogy.

“Our role in the project was to act as mentors to the participating teachers in their science program,” Dr Appleton explained.

Towards the end of last year, a group of six teachers participated with the lecturers in some workshops that focused on ‘working with outcomes’ from the science syllabus. In the final few workshops, the teachers from each grade level jointly planned the next unit of work to be taught early this year.

After school commenced in 2005, the teachers implemented the planned units.

Dr Appleton and a visiting academic from Canada's Queens University, Kingston (Ontario), visited four of the teachers each week over two months, helping in the classroom as critical friends and mentors. This sometimes involved co-teaching, jointly reviewing the children’s learning program and modifying the program as appropriate.

Evaluations done by the lecturers and school have shown that the majority of participating teachers made considerable changes in their science teaching and since have noticed significant learning gains by the children.

“This project was another exciting opportunity to work with teachers for the enhancement of science teaching in Queensland," Dr Appleton said.

--ENDS--.

For further details contact Assoc. Prof. Ken Appleton on 07 5438 1378 or k.appleton@cqu.edu.au or John Hunt j.hunt@cqu.edu.au on 07 4150 7111.