GCSE study in the sciences provides the foundation for understanding the material world. Scientific understanding is changing our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity. All students should learn essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. They should gain an appreciation of how the complex and diverse phenomena of the natural world can be described in terms of a small number of key ideas that relate to the sciences and that are both inter-linked and of universal application. These key ideas include:
● The use of conceptual models and theories to make sense of the observed diversity of natural phenomena
● The assumption that every effect has one or more cause
● That change is driven by differences between different objects and systems when they interact
● That many such interactions occur over a distance and over time without direct contact
● That science progresses through a cycle of hypothesis, practical experimentation, observation, theory development and review
● That quantitative analysis is a central element both of many theories and of scientific methods of inquiry. These key ideas are relevant in different ways and with different emphases in the three subjects as part of combined science.
The GCSE in Combined Science should enable students to:
● Develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics
● Develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science, through different types of scientific enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
● Develop and learn to apply observational, practical, modeling, enquiry and problem-solving skills in the laboratory, in the field and in other learning environments
● Develop their ability to evaluate claims based on science through critical analysis of the methodology, evidence and conclusions, both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Students should study the sciences in ways that help them to develop curiosity about the natural world, that give them an insight into how science works and that enable them to appreciate its relevance to their everyday lives. The scope and nature of the study should be broad, coherent, practical and satisfying. It should encourage students to be inspired, motivated and challenged by the subject and its achievements.(Taken from the Edexcel 2016 specification overview)
At UPwards Tuition, we use a variety of strategies to help ensure that students are able to access and master science content. These include hands-on activities. This is the best teaching method invented so far that involves the active participation of students to experience scientific concepts than to just have an audience view. Visual cues are also used when teaching students at UPwards Tuition. Using visual clues easily supplements auditory information and students can easily connect better with ideas. The multi-sensory experiences improve their understanding and memorization. This includes drawings, diagrams, and pictures to assist theory and setting up examples to show its application side. Instructional conversations are used during tutoring.
Students’ sessions are conducted based on what they are learning in their respective schools which makes their tutoring experience unique to them. Students get practise in exam language as exam papers are used widely in our science tuition at UPwards Tuition.
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