Paper Title
E-Learning Modules Enhancing Primary Mathematics and Science Teaching
Abstract
In Australia there is a call for an increasing focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
education, yet a decreasing number of senior secondary school students are choosing science subjects. The flow-on effect is
that fewer students at tertiary level, per capita, are choosing to study the sciences or engineering. The project described in
this paper considered that it would be important to focus on primary (elementary) teachers’ scientific knowledge and
pedagogy as the development of foundational skills and positive attitudes to science can be strongly influenced in those first
years of schooling. Six universities took part in the Opening Real Science project, funded by the Office of Learning and
Teaching of Australia, which encompassed a partnership between leading teacher educators, scientists, mathematicians and
ICT experts to promote relevant, real science being taught in classrooms in Australia. Partnership members in the project
developed modules related to the Australian science and mathematics curricula that were completed by initial teacher
education (ITE) students, scaffolding their ability to develop an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning in science.
This paper reports, through a phenomenon graphic study, ITE student evaluation from one university of the modules they
completed and their impact on student efficacy in relation to teaching science and mathematics. Challenges encountered
were related to technology, time demand for no weighted grade, and student misunderstanding of the purpose of the
modules. Once these were addressed, however, students reported enhanced efficacy and confidence in science and
mathematics teaching. Important is follow-up data reporting graduates’ continued positive evaluation of the modules, now
with the wisdom of hindsight, as they have become fully-fledged teachers in the classroom.
Keywords - Initial Teacher Education, Mathematics Pedagogy, Opening Real Science, Primary Teaching, Science
Pedagogy.