5 Summary

If you are working with large classes and limited equipment and resources, it is important to use strategies that involve students in science lessons more. Pair work can do this easily. Allowing talking in the science classroom will:

  • stimulate student thinking
  • develop their ability to use scientific terms correctly
  • encourage creativity through sharing ideas.

Providing the opportunity for pairs to talk is an easy step to try in your classroom (especially if you have a large class) and raises student interest and motivation. It could also be the first step towards moving on to group work, where more voices and ideas are shared to reach understanding.

4 Using peer assessment