Raising attainment in GCSE science by motivating and engaging students

14 October 2010

The Triple Science Support Programme (TSSP) helps schools in England to implement and deliver all three science GCSEs – biology, chemistry and physics – known as Triple Science GCSEs. The Programme is also aimed at helping providers to raise student attainment, which for some meant a fresh emphasis on motivating and engaging students.

The Learning and Skills Network (LSN) runs the TSSP on behalf of the Department for Education. LSN asked ORC International to conduct ten case studies; each was based on evidence gathered during a half-day visit to carefully selected schools and colleges offering Triple Science GCSEs. Semi-structured interviews and informal discussions were held with heads of science, science teachers and students.

Case study

Waldegrave School in South London introduced Triple Science three years ago. The school faced some challenges when Triple Science was first introduced, including timetabling, maximising learner motivation, and ensuring sufficient support to meet the varying capabilities and learning needs of students.

Motivation to attain comes from both teachers and pupils

Emily McGovern, head of science, says a key part of her role is to encourage take-up of Triple Science, although high attainment also depends on pupils being highly motivated and having a keen interest in science.

Getting high quality teachers to work with pupils over sustained periods of time contributes to learner motivation. The school employs and develops "engaging, high energy teachers who are genuinely interested in their subject(s)". She continued, "If the girls are interested and the teachers are interested, then that makes a difference to learning".

In 2008, all high achieving and highly motivated students were given the option to be taught Triple Science in six 65-minute lessons per week as opposed to four 65-minute lessons per week. Here, smaller groups allow more personalised support, making Triple Science "more accessible to more students", and this has successfully raised attainment.

What else underpinned the girls' motivation to learn and their high attainment?

For the group of girls we interviewed, they saw science as a tool to help understand the wider world. "You learn so much about the world. It's really, really amazing", said one, before another replied "You become more savvy. For example, when you see something advertised such as ‘it's sugar free’ you know if it is a scam or not."

Another girl whose aspiration was to become a lawyer thought that "science will probably help me understand things and give me a basic knowledge about how the world works". These girls wanted to encourage teachers everywhere to "promote how beneficial and fun science is" to years 7, 8 and 9 to increase motivation and engagement.

To share the good practice we observed, and to help inspire innovation in delivery methods, the written-up case studies were published on the TSSP website and in Triple Science News, which is distributed to all secondary schools in England.