There is general agreement that the current science curriculum is not meeting the needs of a technologically advanced nation. Students are not getting a science education appropriate to their needs as future citizens. Developments such as the 21st-century Science GCSE (see Science for Life) are a step towards remedying that situation, but no amount of curriculum reform will be successful if we neglect the most important component of the education process: the teaching profession. New initiatives will have little impact unless teachers have the skills, resources and confidence to deliver them.

Yet the challenges are great. If we want to have a greater emphasis on the social aspects of science, for example, we have to ensure science teachers feel comfortable teaching values instead of facts, discussing issues with no 'right' answer, and relating science to topics in the media. If we want to use new media and ICT (information and communications technology) to excite and inspire children, teachers have to be able to use the technology confidently. And if students are to appreciate the latest developments in science, we have to make sure that teachers are familiar with recent findings.

Curricular innovations therefore need to be underpinned by substantial professional development for teachers. To this end, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Wellcome Trust joined forces - committing £26 million and £25 million respectively to develop a network of Science Learning Centres.

On 16 October 2003, the DfES and the Wellcome Trust announced that the National Centre will be based at the University of York and run by the White Rose Consortium, comprising the universities of Leeds, Sheffield, York and Sheffield Hallam. "The learning centres will all pull together and do things in an integrated way," says Professor John Holman, a science education specialist at the University of York, and Acting Director of the National Centre. "The National Centre will be the focal point, and take the lead on issues like marketing and the web, and ICT infrastructure."

Staying ahead

Existing high-quality courses will be run at the centres, and others will be developed through programmes such as Creative Science (see Teacher teacher). As well as suggesting innovative strategies to help teachers deliver a modern and relevant science education, courses will refresh, expand and update teachers' subject knowledge by exposing them to current research.

This will be achieved through partnerships with leading scientific organizations and industry leaders - including, to date, the Science Museum, Bio-Rad Laboratories, National Space Centre, AstraZeneca Teaching Trust, ECSITE UK, BNFL, BAe Systems and Pfizer Ltd - which will offer teachers access to the latest scientific thinking in academia and industry.

"This aspect of the network - reconnecting science teachers with their subject - is an exceptional part of this opportunity," says Professor Holman. Although part of Key Stage 3 strategy, there is still much to do. "There is very little subject-specific professional development at present: many existing courses tend to address general issues, such as how to improve boys' achievement or how to be a good form tutor.

Yet updating teachers' subject knowledge is vitally important for science because it changes so fast." A key aim of the national network is to upgrade the quality of teachers' professional development. "Continuing professional development for teachers often means a day at a local teachers' centre, in a poorly maintained building with coffee or sandwiches, or in a school," points out Professor Holman. "Contrast this with professional development courses for people in industry, which are usually held in hotels with great food and facilities. Teachers deserve that same level of quality. They need to be nurtured and treated like professionals."

Professor Holman feels a step-change in continuing professional development for science teachers will deliver two important benefits. "Firstly, courses will be more effective. Quite simply, more gets through in a quality course, both in terms of upgrading science knowledge and learning new teaching skills. Second, status and morale are problems in teaching. Although things are improving in that direction, there's still a long way to go. Having this network will make teachers feel that their educational skills and subject knowledge are valued, and increase their sense of self-worth."

Well-equipped

All the centres will have excellent facilities, including newly equipped laboratories and cutting-edge ICT equipment. The Regional Centres will concentrate on running high-quality day-long courses, while the National Centre will have purpose-built accommodation for residential courses. "We want teachers to walk into the National Centre and think, 'Wow, our job is so important that we have this great building'. We want them to feel proud of the centre, and see it as tangible proof that the nation is committed to the importance of their jobs," says Professor Holman.

Just as residential courses for people in industry give them time away from normal pressures, the courses at the National Centre will give teachers a break from the demands of their schools, and enable them to immerse themselves in the learning environment. As well as the formal learning opportunities afforded by the courses themselves, residential programmes also offer colleagues the chance to learn informally from practitioners at dinner, in the bar at the end of the day, or over breakfast.

One of the challenges for all professional development programmes is finding ways to ensure that learning from courses actually has an impact in the work environment.

To address this issue, the National Centre aims to set up a mentoring system. "Teachers coming into the National Centre will experience a hive of activity and oasis of calm," says Professor Holman. "But when they return to school they get sucked into a maelstrom of kids, parents, school bells, things to do. So it's hard to follow up on things they learnt while they were on the course. A mentor cajoles and encourages them to progress back in school. We have been experimenting with a mentoring system at York and find it very effective."

Ultimately, of course, making a difference back at school is the measure of the success of any teacher training programme. "Whenever they do a course, all teachers ask themselves, 'would this work in a school or class like mine?' - that's what matters to them. It's essential that the courses we deliver at the centres are rooted in the needs of the teachers and their schools, so we will look for courses that give teachers enough time and flexibility to tailor them to their own classes and needs. For example, teachers coming to a Science Learning Centre might be able to update their knowledge in genetics in the morning, then use the afternoon to develop a module to convey this knowledge in an interesting, engaging way to their students, using the resources and experts at the Centre."

If science in the classroom can be brought to life by motivated, valued and well-equipped teachers, this is likely to "increase the number of young people studying science post-16 - and promote scientific literacy among the entire population. "The network of Science Learning Centres will be the cradle in which new teaching ideas and approaches can be tried out, nurtured and piloted," says Professor Holman. "The scale of the investment and the emphasis on quality represents a tremendous long-term commitment on behalf of the Wellcome Trust and the DfES to good science education and to the next generation of scientists and citizens."

The first Science Learning Centres/courses will open in October 2004. Details and booking for the initial courses are available in spring 2004 (see www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk" target="_blank">www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk). The National Centre is due to open in autumn 2005.

See also

• Feature: Teacher teacher
• Feature: Science for Life

External links

• Science Learning Centres
• Department for Education and Skills
• White Rose Consortium
• The Science Museum
• Bio-rad Laboratories
• National Space Centre
• AstraZeneca Teaching Trust
• ECSITE UK
• BNFL
• BAE Systems
• Pfizer LTD