Who teaches our children chemistry?

The RSC has been concerned about this issue for some time. Of particular concern is that some schools lack even one appropriately qualified chemistry teacher and that the majority of Key Stage 3 (11 – 14 year olds) school science lessons in England are taught by those without a chemistry specialism.

RSC report spurs DfES action

The RSC commissioned the Centre for Education and Research at the University of Liverpool to investigate the matter. 

Published in March 2004 their report highlighted that there was inadequate official data available on the issue. It recommended that better data collection was needed on the qualifications and deployment of teachers. 

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) responded to the RSC report by commissioning the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to carry out their own study to examine the deployment of staff in school science and mathematics departments. Colin Osborne, RSC Education Manager, represented the Society on the DfES steering group. 

The final report, Mathematics and science in secondary schools: the deployment of teachers and support staff to deliver the curriculum, was published by the DfES in January 2006. It has confirmed the RSC’s suspicions and provided data to indicate the extent of the problem. 

The DfES report

During the academic year 2004–05, NFER investigated the qualifications of teachers in mathematics and science departments in one in four state secondary schools in England. The evidence was collected from departmental heads, relevant teachers and support staff via a postal questionnaire and telephone survey. Case-study visits were made to 12 schools deemed by their local authorities to exemplify good deployment practices in mathematics and science. 

The report indicates that only a quarter of UK secondary school science teachers have a chemistry specialism and less than a fifth have a specialism in physics. This is in contrast to 44 percent of science teachers with a specialism in biology. A specialism was defined as ‘holding a degree in the subject or specialising in the subject in initial teacher training’. 

In addition, the survey found that 8 percent of those teaching science do not have a science specialism at all or are not principally science teachers.

Table 1: Specialisms of all teachers teaching science (from DfES report)

The data also shows that the imbalance in the representation of science specialists is unevenly spread across schools. More teachers with a degree in chemistry or physics are found in schools with sixth forms, that teach pupils from 11–18, compared to schools teaching only 11-16 year olds. 

Schools with higher than average GCSE results and lower than average numbers of pupils receiving free school meals also tended to have a higher proportion of teachers with a science degree.

Table 2: Proportion of departments without any science specialists

There are some schools without a single appropriately qualified chemistry or physics teacher and a substantial number in which the majority of science lessons for 11 – 16 year olds are taught by biologists or those without a mainstream science qualification. 

Implications

The 2000-01 Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools stated that when a subject is taught by teachers with limited qualifications in that field, the lack of specific knowledge manifests itself in lower expectations, weaker teaching and less effective learning. 

This view has been reiterated in the subject specialism consultation document produced by the DfES in 2003. This found that a combination of a teachers deep subject knowledge and a range of suitable teaching and learning techniques develops the most effective interactions between teachers and students. The report also found that teachers with a passion for their subject are more likely to ?re the interest and enthusiasm of learners and provide work that can challenge and stretch their abilities. 

In short, the fear is that a lack of exposure to specialists in chemistry and physics will affect pupils’ perceptions of the subjects and possibly discourage them from further study in these areas. 

The right to subject specialists

The RSC believes that young people deserve to be taught the sciences by subject specialists. This means that A-level 7 RSC Policy Bulletin chemistry must be taught by a teacher who has a degree in the chemical sciences. 

At GCSE, students should be taught the three sciences by teachers with a degree in the appropriate science or by those who have undertaken suitable continuing professional development. At 11-14 (Key stage 3), students should be taught by a teaching force that represents a balance of science subject specialisms. 

The RSC is calling for more specialists to teach chemistry and physics in schools. We are pressing for a demand-led rather than supply-driven approach to target setting for teacher-training recruitment. 

Chemistry for the non-specialist

In the meantime the RSC, along with GlaxoSmithKline, has applied for funding through the government’s Gateways to the Professions initiative to develop a substantial programme of in-service training (INSET) to help non-specialists teach chemistry. The project is entitled Support for Science Teachers, Chemistry: confidence for non-specialists (it’s not as hard as you think) and will be aimed at Key Stage 3 (11-14 year olds) and Key Stage 4 (14-16 year olds) science teachers. 

To assist in the development of the INSET programme, the RSC is running a pilot course for Key Stage 3 teachers entitled Chemistry for the non-specialist. It aims to improve confidence and better equip non-specialist teachers to teach chemistry effectively. Run in collaboration with the Science Learning Centre South West, the course will cover common misconceptions in chemistry and provide hands-on experience of practical work. A wealth of RSC teaching resources such as animations and videos will be available to all participants to aid the development of their chemistry teaching skills. 

Extra funding in Budget

The message that more science specialists are required in schools is making an impact. In the Chancellor’s March Budget speech, it was announced that extra money would be made available to fund a comprehensive programme for the recruitment, retraining and retention of science teaching staff in schools. 

The government has set an ambitious target that by 2014, 31 percent of science teachers should have a chemistry specialism. The RSC will be working hard to keep the Government to this target.