• NATIONAL STEM LEARNING CENTRE

Teaching Practical Science: Biology

Develop practical lessons to help 14-16 year old students understand biology with this CPD for science teachers.

10,523 enrolled on this course

Teaching Practical Biology - enzymes, microscopy and microbiology
  • Duration

    3 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours
  • Accreditation

    AvailableMore info
The CPD Certification Service

This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. Find out more.

Improve student learning in biology practical lessons

There are only so many ways a student can look at an onion cell, so how do we engage students with biology practicals?

On this course you will discuss the relationship between theoretical concepts and practical work, and consider closely what is happening in your own classroom during biology practicals.

You will also develop and share creative ways of teaching practical biology with approaches that are applicable to a range of situations including GCSE required practicals.

Skip to 0 minutes and 8 seconds Biology investigates how plants and animals work and interact with the world around us. Biologists ask questions about what they see and carry out experiments to try to answer these questions. From Galen’s anatomical discoveries nearly two thousand years ago to William Harvey’s discovery of double circulation From Mendel’s investigations into the growth of peas and the inheritance of characteristics to the mapping and sequencing of the human genome. This experimentation has led to huge leaps forward in our knowledge and the impact that these developments can have on our everyday lives. Practical activities allow our students to ask their own questions and find out the answers for themselves.

Skip to 0 minutes and 59 seconds It allows them to support and consolidate scientific concepts, make sense of new information, and develop transferable investigative skills. Teaching Practical Biology is designed to support the 14-16 curriculum and will illustrate key pedagogical approaches for practical science. To start our journey in week one we will be looking at enzyme focussed practicals and pedagogical discussions on assessment and learning intentions. Week two will focus on the skills involved in using a microscope and the pedagogy behind the development of skill progression. And finally week three will look at how context can be used in microbiology. This course is one of three secondary practical science courses from STEM learning, designed for both new and experienced teachers to enhance student learning through practical work.

Skip to 2 minutes and 8 seconds As a participant on this course you

Skip to 2 minutes and 11 seconds will be able to: gain confidence in teaching and evaluating practical skills in biology, plan for progression and assessment linked to learning intentions in practical work, and collaborate with other teachers and educators to share ideas for teaching practical science. Join us online to develop the way that practical biology is delivered in your classroom to engage, enthuse and inspire your students.

What topics will you cover?

  • Practical work for 14-16 year olds for the key topics of: enzymes, microscopy and microbiology.
  • Contextualising practical work in biology to the everyday environment.
  • How progression in practical work impacts on students’ learning.
  • Assessment of learning through practical work in biology.
  • Approaches to teaching practical science that can be applied to other topic areas.

Who is this accredited by?

The CPD Certification Service
The CPD Certification Service:

The CPD Certification Service was established in 1996 and is the leading independent CPD accreditation institution operating across industry sectors to complement the CPD policies of professional and academic bodies.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Improve your confidence in delivering and evaluating teaching for practical skills in biology for 14-16 year olds.
  • Develop effective learning outcomes for practical work in biology.
  • Reflect on the effectiveness of practical activities on every students’ learning.
  • Design progression and assessment approaches within practical work in biology.
  • Discuss with colleagues, try out activities and share thinking, in order to develop your teaching practice.

Who is the course for?

The course has been designed as CPD for teachers of science subjects for 14-16 year olds. Teachers of biology, early career teachers, returning teachers, and non-specialist teachers will gain from the peer learning and resources available on this course.

Learn from national CPD subject leaders, the experience of other teachers and access high quality supporting resources throughout this course.

What software or tools do you need?

Access to a laboratory is recommended in order for you to evaluate approaches to practical work during this course.

Who will you learn with?

I taught science for ten years and was Head of Science for three years, before becoming a subject specialist at the National STEM Learning Centre.

I am a Professional Development Leader at the National STEM Learning Centre. I have been a biology teacher for 34 years with 10 years as Head of Science and 7 years as a senior leader.

Professional Development Leader at the National STEM Learning Centre. I taught for 25 years and have20 years experience as a science subject leader. One of my areas of interest assessment for learning

Who developed the course?

National STEM Learning Centre

The National STEM Learning Centre provides world-class professional development activities and resources to support the teaching of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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Join the conversation on social media

You can use the hashtag #FLSTEMPractical to talk about this course on social media.