Report from John F Kennedy School

John F Kennedy School have been doing SNAB since the start of the pilot course in 2003. Here is a report from Gianna Foster.

What students enjoy about SNAB ...

We knew the students and staff would enjoy the course when we first viewed the materials. We were not disappointed, and continue to enjoy SNAB. It is also good news that the 2008 syllabus is following more or less the same format.

Both staff and students really enjoy the contextual approach, and the real life scenarios at the start of each topic. They are interesting and relevant as most of the topics always seem to be in the news, and they succeed in engaging students of varying ability levels.

The content is introduced in a way that even surprises the students by how much knowledge they are absorbing and processing during the course. This is a bonus when teaching the more challenging aspects.

The online web-based activities are popular with all students to maintain interest and aid in organisation of learning in conjunction with their texts.

The GCSE review tests give students a starting point to check background knowledge and the end of topic tests are an indication of their progress.

The skills support is invaluable for students who may have gaps in their knowledge or need to revisit areas in which they are less confident. We have produced student booklets with the activities for the topics enabling the students to organise their work.

Students also enjoy the practical work, which continues to build on the practical skills developed in earlier years and provides the important foundation to be able to devise and carry out their A2 practical work and problem-solving in further education. The interactive activities, model-building and role plays were clearly enjoyed, allowing students different opportunities to learn and then demonstrate their knowledge.

By the end of the topics the students have a deeper understanding of many of the issues, aided by the up-to-date web links and news items on the snabonline website. This generally increases students' confidence and ability to understand the theoretical content, and to discuss and challenge the ethical issues posed by the subject matter. In later topics and in the A2 many concepts are revisited and explored further in order to help students develop the skills needed for the synoptic assessment and allow continuity, rather than studying topics as a separate entity. After all, in real life situations the initial problem is presented first, and to find a solution it is necessary to know how things related to it work.

What are the changes from what we were doing before (a while ago now in our case!)

The course we were doing before SNAB was content-based with little practical work, and therefore provided fewer opportunities to develop sound practical skills.

It was a joy to see a course that had been well thought out, and it was a privilege to have been part of the initial pilot and to provide feedback which helped in the production of a course which both staff and students found worthwhile and could discuss.

The online forum and networking of schools in regional areas is valuable support for teachers, and the SNAB team have been very approachable and helpful in aiding the delivery of the course.

Adjusting to teaching the context-based approach was a great learning experience, certainly taking me out of my comfort zone. However it's a skill I have had to try and master and surprisingly have enjoyed over the years, so much so that it would be difficult to go back and teach the content-led approach, despite its availability in the new Edexcel specification.

The web links and relevance to contemporary issues has increased our own knowledge and professional development, especially in the areas of stem cell research and the brain.

The AS visit/issue report and the A2 scientific articles brings science in the work place and scientific research to life, and provides the students with opportunities to see how scientists work and evaluate their findings.

What are the challenges?

When we first taught the course, students found writing up the core practicals and the core practical exam a challenge. However they appreciated the advantages of developing these skills. Completing the topics in the AS was challenging, especially in the first term where the students were introduced to quite difficult concepts very quickly. However this seems to have been addressed in the new specification starting September 2008.

Finally, developing the skills needed in the synoptic assessment is a challenge.

What students may go on to next ...

Many students have gone on to study biology-related subjects at university, including medicine, psychology, and physiotherapy. The feedback from many of them is that the SNAB course has provided a solid foundation for their chosen courses, and some have gone into postgraduate research in biology-related areas.

The contemporary topics studied in SNAB provide invaluable discussion points for interview. Many students have had the confidence to use skills developed during the course to express their points of view coherently.

And another thing ....

We are continuing to teach the SNAB style in the new 2008 syllabus and are pleased that the context-led approach still remains.

For those contemplating this approach it is well worth the perseverance, and satisfies the Ofsted criteria in the drive to promote more student-based independent learning. It is a very enjoyable course to teach, and a welcome change to the usual style of A-level Biology teaching. It has allowed opportunities for staff to visit and interact with scientists in their specialist fields, and has provided me personally with the inspiration to visit places like the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in Jersey that are referred to in the texts. This course is not just for the students!

It's a great opportunity to explore areas not encountered previously, and the introduction of similar skill areas in the new GCSE science courses will provide a good foundation to continue the development of the Biology Alevel knowledge and skills.

by Gianna Foster, John F Kennedy School, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire