Bachelor of Education, Primary Education (EPR) EPC3903
Table 4: An interview with a Primary School science coordinator
Sample interview questions for the Principal and/or
science coordinator/teacher re: science provision in
the setting.
Is there a science coordinator and/or how many
1 specified science teachers are there in the school?
 What are the duties/responsibilities of the science
teacher/coordinator?
 Does she teach any, all students or just specific
year groups?
 Obtain a teaching schedule and any schemes of
work, lesson plans, software used etc. from the
science coordinator/teacher.
2 Who is responsible for science policy and provision
within the setting?
(Can we obtain a copy of the policy?)
3 Online/Blended Learning:
 Does the setting have its own website? If so, what
is the URL, who created it and who is responsible
for managing and updating it?
 Is there any online/blended learning taking place
related to science? If so, how is this delivered?
TP Guide for EPC3903 (EPR) Practicum 3b
Year Three, Semester Two / 2017-18 /
Responses from the Principal and/or science
coordinator/teacher re: science provision in
the setting.
1- Yes there is science HOD, moreover
there is team leader for grade 1 and 2
and they are handling 3 subjects
which they are science and Math,
English. In the school we have 10
science teacher and 1 lab technician.
- job description
- As she is Science HOD , she is also a
teacher for grade 11 and teaching
them biology, according to her she
prefer to teach high grades , however
she do have experience of teaching
from grade 3 students and above.
-
2- According to HOD school they do
have mention and provision, but also
she creates for the science department
one, and she with science teachers are
working on it , where the one she
creates is limed with the schools one ,
because each act that they will be
doing for the department or for the
students , it must be connected with
schools mention and vision, where its
similar to it , which is teacher have
create a positive and active
atmosphere in the class, in the end of
each semester student have to move
from level to upper level.
- According to her, they don’t have a website
for the science department, however the
school do have
http://firstacademy.org/index.php/ar/, and in
the web we can find unlike pages which as
media page, to be connected with students
and their parents , so they can what is there
and what is coming up.
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 Bachelor of Education, Primary Education (EPR) EPC3903

 What ICT resources are used specifically for

teaching science? - yes there Is online resource, from grade 1 to
8, where they have think central , also from 9
to 11 there is HOW. Top on that we are
consuming in our leaning, Flaker, Kahood
and other games that where it will help the
student to develop in the learning , and also to
make the leaning fun and to have enjoying
atmosphere in the class, that suites student.

- In our department we also are using ICT

resources and involving it in teaching as in
learning, for example the laptops, projectors
also the smart boards. And these rescores are
in used from all departments.
4 What science equipment/manipulatives/resources
can be found the setting? (Is there a list? 3- Referring to HOD she side that there
Differentiate between the classroom; the science lab is vide different between classroom
and other areas in the setting e.g. library) resources and lab where in the
classroom teacher can found the
 Is there a budget for materials? simple materials for example the
markers and papers amity bottles or
 Who trains teachers and staff in the use the boxes for students simple handmade
equipment? projects, but in the lab there is hard
materials and sharp “ harmful “ and
 Who manages the equipment and materials? these only teacher is allowed to
accessed them , where there is
measuring glass , chemical materials
which student are prevent from them .

- According to her, that yes there is

budget for materials, where in the starting
of the year they have meeting for looking
over what materials they will need for
their year, and have a list of them.

- Training teacher is very important about

how they will use the equipment’s, and as
she is HOD she is responsible of training
them, and lab technician also she is
helping teachers while they are using any
material. Top on that If the material is
new update , and this tricky to use it, the
company that will provide the equipment ,
also will establish a meeting from
illustrating and coaching how it will work

TP Guide for EPC3903 (EPR) Practicum 3b 2

Year Three, Semester Two / 2017-18 /
 Bachelor of Education, Primary Education (EPR) EPC3903
5 Is/Are there dedicated science labs in this setting?
 If yes, how is it used and by whom? How is it
organised? What equipment can be found here?
 If no, why not? e.g. lack of funds? No need?
Enough science equipment and expertise in each
classroom?
 Does the setting feel it has enough specialist
science teachers, technicians and dedicated
science rooms?
6 Which science resources does the setting feel it
needs or would like to have to achieve its vision or
better science teaching and learning?
 e.g. Science Kits, books, wifi,
manipulatives/models, digital
cameras/camcorders, lab equipment OR soft
materials (consumables- colored paper, glue,
popsicle sticks etc.).
7 What are the safety rules?
 Are the safety rules posted in the science setting?
 Who developed these and are they
mandatory/enforced?
TP Guide for EPC3903 (EPR) Practicum 3b
Year Three, Semester Two / 2017-18 /
- HOD and lab technician they are
managing the equipment’s, where they
have the list of the materials that are in the
lab, with the deception of them.
5 – According to HOD, yes we do have 3
labs, and all of them are provided with
equipment’s, furthermore they are organized
by HOD and lab technician, where you can
find labels on each cabinet where the labels
declare what are the things are in it ,so the
teacher or student can found the things which
they need easily, and each cabinet represent
kind of materials , where one cabinet is for
measuring materials where other is for
powders etc.
- Referring to her , she feels that her
department is fully ready from different area ,
for example the labs, and teachers and
technicians as well as the , materials.
6- In her department , she do have shortage of
having project kits, for example ETAM ,
where some companies do have them , for
students, where in the kit student can find
many types of resources that can help her /
him to do the project. Where in this moment
some teachers are asking from the students to
bring with them some materials, so if I will to
ask for new resources, I will like to pleas for
the kit, because this will like the teacher too
to complete the project with the students
easily and quick since all needs will be
available.
7- According to HOD she side that , she they
do have the safety rules, and there are books
that talked about the safety, moreover they is
policy and forms .
- There are many posters in the wall that takes
you to the labs also inside the lab , where they
are in picture forms and written also. The
posters are about how to behave in the lab ,
and with the materials that are in the labs, for
the teacher and students too.
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 Bachelor of Education, Primary Education (EPR) EPC3903
8 What safety equipment is available and when is it
used commonly?
 Is safety equipment available for all students in the students material are safe material, for
classrooms?
 Is equipment cleaned, if so by whom? Who
manages this duty?
9 Planning for learning- how are the science lessons
planned for in the setting?
 Does the MOE/Zone/KHDA provide unit
plans/lesson plans? (can we obtain a copy of
this?)
 Are there weekly planning meetings? What is
usually done in the planning meetings?
 Who attends the planning meetings?
 Does the school have specific goals related to
science (TIMMS scores etc.)?
10 How is learning assessed in the science classroom?
 Is there an assessment plan for the semester?
What does it include?
TP Guide for EPC3903 (EPR) Practicum 3b
Year Three, Semester Two / 2017-18 /
- As side that she is the HOD , so she and lab
technician they together establish the rules.
In each classroom there is safety equipment
such as the emergency box and teacher is
using it when there is injury. Also the
example the scissors are the plastic type, how
every the panicles are not sharp sopped, etc.
In each primary classroom it has teacher
assessment and she the one how is
responsible of taking care of the class for A-
Z, and every day she is making sure that the
class materials are clean and safe.
9- According to her, they are required to
follow the sciences standard form which is
provided from the school.
- Non- answer
- Science department they do have every
Thursday a meeting , where they discuss
about 3 things which they are delivering all
the important massage to the teachers that
comes from the administration, Top on that
she is providing them the instructions about
what they have to , and how in many unlike
areas , for example in planning for the lesson,
or in dealing with the behaviors. Also they are
shearing the ideas if they have in certain thing
, for example in deadlines.
- The meeting is important so, all the sciences
teachers are required to attend, unless if she
or he have a solid reason to not attend.
- Referring to her, yes school does have
specific goals that are match with the science
subject, and they have the action plan for the
TIMMS scores also.
10 – This is many ways that teacher is
consuming for assessing students, but there is
a way that all teachers are working with ,
which is after each unit or 3 lessons , they are
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 Bachelor of Education, Primary Education (EPR) EPC3903
 Do teachers collect student data? What data,
when, and what is it used for?
 How do students get feedback so that they can
make improvements?
TP Guide for EPC3903 (EPR) Practicum 3b
Year Three, Semester Two / 2017-18 /
give students a test, where from it they many
know if student well understand the lesson or
not. Where some teachers they have a mark
Colum which called in the end of the lesson,
in the end of the lesson teacher is giving the
questions, and they have to answer it , and
this is folk way that most of the teachers are
doing it .
- yes there is assessment plan for each class ,
where teacher creating it , and checked by
HOD which is …. Where their will be 3
levels questions which they are high and
average and low , and the questions starts
from the low level and average and then the
high, in this way students will try to solve,
and think and see the questions essay
especially for low level students , and also the
questions are mixed of multiple choses , and
fill in the gapes , and sort answers were each
type of question have written instructions .
- collecting data is important for the teacher ,
and for collecting the right date teacher must
have students previews yeas date, and date
helps on , when the student enter the school
we did for them an assessment which is called
diagnoses test, where this test shows the level
of the student and the level of each student in
starting of the year, and then during the
semester students are taking quizzes and
classwork , homework where in the middle of
the semester teacher is collecting the score of
each student, and compering with the first
year test, where if there is dropping in the
standard of student leaning , this mean that
teacher have to take action , and if the level of
student is rising, teacher have to challenge
students learning, where teacher is doing the
same action in 3 semesters , where the end
teacher is evaluating the students’ progress
with the same year and the year before , as
she is evaluating herself too.
- Giving students feedback is important,
because it’s a one we that will lead the
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 Bachelor of Education, Primary Education (EPR) EPC3903
11 What science professional development / training do
teachers currently receive or have recently had?
 How frequently and from whom did they /are they
receiving this?
 Do they have a document that outlines this PD?
 What PD do they think teachers in the setting still
need?
TP Guide for EPC3903 (EPR) Practicum 3b
Year Three, Semester Two / 2017-18 /
students to the progress and this what we
need. Feedback must be in the correct time ,
and effective , were teacher must have
purpose of providing feedback for students.
According to her , our students are getting
feedback orally and written, where in the
class teacher is giving feedback for the
student according to his or her work , and on
the actions that comes from the students , on
other hand teacher is writing feedback on
their books also, and this shows that teacher is
following the student and this show the
professionalize. However students are getting
reports of midterm’s that are comes from the
school, and parents and students they will be
aware of the academic level, so they and their
parents can take action for progress for the
upcoming semester, where from grade 1-8
their grades are letters written , and from 9-11
numbers .
11- According to HOD she side that, they do
have PDP , where in the starting of each year
they are giving to the teachers PDP sheet
where they have to look to them self’s and
write in which area they want to be
developed, or this year what is their goal ,
what they want to achieve, with the steps that
will aid them to achieve it .
- Doing PDP plan is required form each
teacher in the school as well as HOD , and
new teachers also . school is saving the
Documents of PD and also teacher its self-do
have on copy of it , so she or he will see much
progress she or he did ?.
- Refereeing to her thinking about the PD that
teachers still need , is consuming Technology
for leaning , as student too , and this will
make the learning more fun, and more
interesting, also this is a way that help student
to get the information in faster way , because
as there is unlike learners , teacher have to
look over to their leaning way needs also .
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