Introduction
Welcome to the Science section of the START Competition resource hub. This section explores how participation in the START Competition enables students to achieve essential science curriculum goals through engaging and hands-on learning experiences.
The Importance of Science in the Primary Curriculum
Science education enhances children’s knowledge and understanding of themselves and the world around them. The curriculum emphasises making science meaningful and relevant to students’ lives by providing playful and challenging experiences.
How START Competition Activities Support Science Curriculum Goals
Working Scientifically
The curriculum encourages students to engage in observation, questioning, discussion, prediction, analysis, exploration, investigation, and experimentation. The START Competition involves students in designing and conducting randomised trials, which mirror real scientific investigations. For example, in the 2024 winning trial, students investigated whether 10 minutes of ambulatory activity affects the speed and mood in 10-year-olds. They collected data, made observations, and analysed results, developing key scientific skills in the process.
Developing Scientific Skills
The curriculum fosters the ability to develop and apply scientific concepts through practical investigations. The START Competition allows students to explore scientific questions through hands-on activities, developing skills such as hypothesizing, observing, measuring, and evaluating. In the 2023 second-place trial, students compared educational outcomes from videos versus books, practicing data collection, analysis, and scientific reasoning. Science Hub 2023 project.
Promoting Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
The curriculum aims to enhance reasoning skills and problem-solving using a scientific approach. Through the START Competition, students tackle real-world problems by designing and conducting their randomised trials, making decisions based on data and scientific reasoning. For instance, in the 2022 winning trial, students investigated whether children learn better from a teacher or from each other, applying critical thinking to design fair tests and analyse the results.
Encouraging Responsible Attitudes
The curriculum seeks to develop informed and responsible attitudes towards science and its impact on society. By involving students in health-related trials, the START Competition promotes a responsible attitude towards personal health and well-being. In the 2019 first-place trial, students examined the effects of positive encouragement on running speed, fostering an understanding of the psychological aspects of physical health.
Pedagogical Practices in the START Competition
Fostering a Scientific Disposition
The goal is to encourage students to view science as practical and worthwhile. Through the START Competition, students witness the real-world application of science in health and well-being, increasing their engagement and appreciation for the subject.
Encouraging Exploration
The curriculum uses exploration to enhance scientific thinking and language development. The START Competition’s interactive and exploratory nature supports playful learning, making science fun and engaging.
Emphasising Scientific Modelling
Students are encouraged to use models to represent and understand scientific problems. In the START Competition, students create models to represent their data and findings, utilising diagrams, charts, and other visual tools to make sense of their experiments.
Using Cognitively Challenging Tasks
In the START Competition, children are challenged with running their own randomised trial. Given that many people may not be familiar with what this entails, children will be encouraged to explain their project to their friends and family. Our website provides accessible resources to make this scientific experiment feel like child’s play, with plenty of engaging videos (coming up soon!) explaining each step involved.
Children will be conducting a scientific experiment, involving “randomisation,” “blinding,” analysing results, drawing charts, and they will feel incredibly proud of their accomplishment.
Promoting Scientific Discussion
The curriculum emphasises fostering discussion and reflection on scientific ideas. Collaborative projects in the START Competition encourage students to discuss their methods and findings, promoting deeper understanding through communication.
Conclusion
Participating in the START Competition allows students to engage in meaningful and relevant scientific inquiry while achieving key goals of the science curriculum. The competition fosters a love for science, encourages critical thinking, and helps students see the practical applications of their scientific learning. Through this experience, students learn the importance of accurate data collection and ethical considerations in scientific research.
