Learning First Science
Feedback from teachers
And supporting research
BENCHMARKED AGAINST THE BEST
Learning First Science is based on international benchmarking of the world’s top performing systems
Students learn the science content equivalent of the highest performing systems in the world.
Based on our benchmarking of science curriculum in the leading systems in the world, Learning First Science lifts the bar so that students learn the equivalent science content of these leading systems.
It has been fantastic to see students in our pilot schools - some of which are from disadvantaged communities - loving science lessons and learning science content equivalent to the leading countries in the world.
LISTENING FIRST
Built on the voice of teachers
Learning First has surveyed over 30,000 teachers and school leaders in recent years to understand what they want to support their work to improve teaching and learning at their school.
The voice of teachers has shaped all of our work. So many teachers have told us about the difficulty of teaching science in primary school, of the lack of quality resources, the lack of a comprehensive curriculum, and provided us with detail and feedback on the support we can provide.
Too many people talk about helping science teachers who don’t have enough training in each subject they teach. It is true that most primary school teachers are generalist teachers, but too often the complexity of primary school science teaching is underestimated; teaching primary school science is incredibly complex.
In developing these resources, we brought together experts in Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Earth and Space sciences. Such expertise is needed to teach primary school science well.
Learning First Science does not shy away from the complexity of teaching primary school science. We lean into it but support teachers in all aspects of the work.
EARLY RESULTS
Feedback from pilot schools
It has been fantastic to learn from our pilot schools and to see so many students learning science at a higher level. And also greatly enjoying learning Science.
Our pilot schools were not schools that included science specialist teachers. Overwhelmingly Learning First Science was piloted with teachers who reported that they never used to feel confident teaching science. It is wonderful that these teachers feel confident teaching Learning First Science and are getting such great results with their students.
A DECADE OF EVIDENCE
Drawing on our published research
Since Learning First was founded over a decade ago, we have worked directly with school systems, governments, and education leaders internationally.
Our reports - on curriculum reform, primary teacher quality, literacy and reading comprehension, and system reviews such as our recent report on Ireland's education system — all point to the same core finding: outcomes improve fastest when curriculum, instruction, and system settings pull in the same direction. This science curriculum was built with that principle front and centre.
Curriculum Reform: An Education Leader's Handbook
Practical guidance for systems attempting large-scale curriculum change, drawn from case studies across multiple countries.
Staying the Course on What Matters Most
Analysis of the foundations of success in high-performing systems.
Examining Ireland's education system, exploring the factors that have driven its consistently strong performance on international assessments over more than two decades.
Not so Elementary: Primary school teacher development in high-performing systems
This report is the Australian edition of the 2016 international study Not So Elementary, commissioned by the Center on International Education Benchmarking at the National Center on Education and the Economy.