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CPD taster - Maths in science and science in maths
This is a CPD taster created to give teachers a better understanding of what to expect when joining one of our secondary CPD courses. Below you will find a video and a task for you to do in your own time. Once you have done the activity, book on to Developing shared approaches to maths in science and science in maths (MY219).
There is significant overlap between science and mathematics curricula, but students’ experience of shared topics is often very different between the two subjects. How can we develop more collaborative teaching approaches across the science and mathematics departments?
Michael Anderson and Louise Herbert, professional development leads at STEM Learning, explore some of the common difficulties students experience when transferring skills and knowledge between the two subjects. They discuss how science teachers can adapt their approaches to meet the increased mathematical demand of the science curriculum, and how mathematics teachers can give students the opportunity to solve problems in familiar and unfamiliar contexts in their lessons.
Example: Rearranging equations
Think about your students and the difficulties they have when transferring skills and knowledge between the subjects. In this video Michael and Louise look at how a physics problem (the change in velocity of a particle) can be seen as an algebraic problem.
Other curriculum topics common between the subjects might include: significant figures, standard form, percentages, solving equations, rearranging equations, interpreting graphs, drawing graphs, and much more.
Next steps
Our Developing shared approaches to maths in science and science in maths course supports one teacher of science and one teacher of mathematics, from the same school or college, to come together and explore joint approaches to develop the skills shared by both subjects. In this video, Louise and Michael explain what else you can expect from attending the course.
Book your place on Developing shared approaches to maths in science and science in maths (MY219).
If you had dedicated time for one mathematics teacher and one science teacher, from the same school, to work together to address shared issues, what would you like to focus on?
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