An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta
Department of Education and Science
Subject Inspection of Geography
REPORT
Saint Mary’s Holy Faith Secondary School
Saint Brigid’s Road, Killester, Dublin 5
Roll number: 60791A
Date of inspection: 8 March 2006
Date of issue of report: 29 June 2006
Report on the Quality of Learning and Teaching in Geography
Subject Provision and Whole School Support
Summary of Main Findings and Recommendations
This Subject Inspection report
This report has been written following a subject inspection in Saint Mary’s Holy Faith Secondary School, Killester. It presents the findings of an evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning in Geography and makes recommendations for the further development of the teaching of these subjects in the school. The evaluation was conducted over one day during which the inspector visited classrooms and observed teaching and learning. The inspector interacted with students and teachers in classrooms, examined students’ work, and had discussions with the teachers. The inspector reviewed school planning documentation and teachers’ written preparation. Following the evaluation visit, the inspector provided oral feedback on the outcomes of the evaluation to the principal and subject teachers. The board of management of the school was given an opportunity to comment on the findings and recommendations of the report; the board chose to accept the report without response.
There is very good whole school support for teaching and learning in Geography at St Mary’s Holy Faith Secondary School Killester, with the provision of a dedicated Geography Room and a very wide range of teaching resources and learning materials.
The uptake of Geography across the school is quite healthy. All Geography classes at both junior and senior cycle level are of mixed ability. The subject is allocated three class periods per week in each of the junior cycle years. Five teaching periods consisting of one double and three single class periods are allocated in each of the Leaving Certificate years and this is in line with syllabus requirements.
At junior cycle Geography is a compulsory subject. At senior cycle, the Transition Year Programme (TYP) contains a module in Geography that is delivered to students over half of the school year and is allocated one double class period per week. For the Established Leaving Certificate (ELC) Geography is an optional subject. Students receive appropriate support prior to making subject choices from the Career Guidance Counsellor (GC) and from class teachers, while an information evening is held for parents. Students are presented with an open choice of subject and it was reported that most student requests are catered for. The school is commended for providing this level of support for students and parents as it encourages students to make informed choices and facilitates more effective career planning.
There are currently five geography teachers in the school and they form a very clearly identifiable subject department. The role of subject co-ordinator is rotated amongst the members of the department and this good practice is commended. The members of the department have developed the dedicated Geography Room provided by school management into a rich learning resource centre. A very wide range of resources is available, many of which were displayed, including Ordnance Survey (OS) maps of a variety of scales, aerial photographs, weather instruments, rock samples, fieldwork instruments and a variety of visual aids. Part of the school library has also been developed to include a section devoted to books and magazines relevant to the subject. Teachers are commended for making personal contributions to the library. School management is commended for this very high level of resource provision and it reflects a commitment to providing rich learning experiences for students. Members of the geography teaching team are encouraged to identify future resource needs, particularly in the area of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and, with school management, to plan for the future development of resources that will further enhance teaching and learning. The resource needs identified could form part of the annual budget submitted by subject departments for consideration by the school’s Board of Management. Members of staff and students share a concern for environmental issues and it was reported that the school, in the near future, hopes to re-engage with the Green-Schools movement. This is commended, as it will give a practical expression to the some of the aims of the Geography syllabuses.
School management facilitates subject department planning by providing time for subject departments to meet at the start of the school year, on staff planning day and at staff meetings. Subject department planning is at an advanced stage in St Mary’s and a very comprehensive plan for the organisation, teaching and learning of Geography was provided. The members of the Geography teaching team working collaboratively have produced this plan and teachers are highly commended for this level of department planning. Particularly noteworthy were references to a mission statement, curriculum plans for each year group, planning for students with special needs, reference to teaching strategies, the role of the subject in a culturally diverse society and details on fieldwork organisation, homework, assessment and record keeping procedures. It is recommended that the Geography teaching team actively develop policy and practice for the fuller integration of ICT into teaching and learning and encourage students to use ICT to develop their research and presentation skills. It was noted in the planning documentation that there is a particular focus on the teaching of Physical Geography in first year; this places challenging demands on students in terms of the extensive range of terminology, understanding geomorphic processes and landform development. It is recommended that the Geography team review this focus on Physical Geography in first year and that greater emphasis be placed on the development of key geographic skills.
A comprehensive written plan was also provided for the TYP. This plan contained a list of topics for study, skills to be developed, teaching strategies as well as a number of novel features. These included a consideration of environmental problems and resulting from this study students were invited to sign a ‘Pledge on Waste’, thereby asking for a personal commitment from students to reduce and manage waste in an environmentally friendly way. Geographical Investigation also forms part of the TYP module and it was reported that students over the years had been involved in assessing the impact of European Union membership on the local area, had visited Dunmore Caves and had been involved in designing and planting a school garden.
There was clear evidence of very effective short term planning for all of the lessons observed. All lessons had clear aims and appropriate resources were used to support student learning. Individual lesson plans were provided and these had clearly stated learning outcomes, provided a context for the lesson by linking it to previous lessons, referred to resources to be used and indicated the homework to be set for the next lesson. This structured approach to lesson planning is very good practice as it provides for a systematic and logical approach to the delivery of the Geography syllabuses. Resource materials were provided and they were used effectively to motivate students and to support their learning. The resources used included wall maps, photographs, maps, a video, and worksheets. This level of resource provision reflects the commitment of teachers to providing rich learning experiences for their students and is commended. Teachers are encouraged to avail of the opportunities provided by the availability of broadband internet access to further provide appropriate resources to support teaching and learning. The provision of Geography resources specifically designed to support the learning of students with special education needs deserves to be acknowledged and the school is highly commended for its concern to cater for the needs of all its students.
In classes visited the topics being studied included: an irrigation scheme in the Central Valley of California, an introduction to the uses of water and the water cycle, functional zones in a city with particular reference to Dublin and the physical environment of the Mezzogiorno.
Very high quality teaching and learning was evident in all of the classrooms visited and teachers employed a variety of teaching methodologies which actively engaged students. Lessons had clear learning objectives and in all cases these were shared with students at the outset of the lesson. This good practice is commended as it provides a sense of purpose for students and when the lesson has been successfully concluded provides a sense of achievement. Lessons began either with the correction of homework or a recapitulation of knowledge gained in the previous class. Students willingly engaged in discussion, were provided with the opportunity to develop their oral skills during question and answer sessions and were knowledgeable about their courses. Questioning by teachers challenged students to suggest explanations for geographic phenomena and not simply provide descriptions. This good practice is commended as it encourages the development of higher-order thinking skills. Lessons concluded with homework being assigned and students were provided with an opportunity to record this in their diaries. Clearly established class routines were in evidence and made an important contribution to creating a sense of order and security for students.
An extensive plan for fieldwork, using the immediate and local environments as well as more distant locations, is in place. The department plan outlines procedures to be followed in relation to the organisation and execution of fieldwork exercises. Providing information to parents is included and this good practice is commended. The current Leaving Cert 1 and Leaving Cert 2 classes will undertake a study of coastal deposition and coastal erosion respectively. The provision of supplementary background material and a well-structured approach was evident from both documents provided and the display of photographs in the Geography Room. The opportunity to visit the outdoor pursuits centre in Delphi County Mayo is also used to clarify student’s understanding of the impact of glaciation in this dramatic landscape.
A dedicated Geography Room provides a map rich and print rich learning environment for students. The display of students’ work, photographs, satellite images, display cabinets for rock samples and a variety of maps and wall charts all helped to create a highly stimulating learning environment for students and teachers are commended for including some of this highly visual material into their lesson plans. As a means of providing further interest for students and as a way of linking the study of Geography to the world outside the classroom it is suggested that a notice board devoted to GeoNews be provided. Students could be encouraged to provide photographs, maps and articles from newspapers and magazines for display. The stimulating learning environment helped to create positive, supportive and mutually respectful relationships between teachers and students. While students were engaged in tasks teachers moved around the classroom offering guidance and affirmation.
Teachers used a variety of effective teaching methods that helped to engage students. Brainstorming was frequently used to assess student’s knowledge of a topic prior to the introduction of new subject matter. This good practice is commended as it conforms to the principles of Teaching for Understanding. In one lesson observed, for some of the time students worked in pairs to complete a missing word exercise using a map. This is good practice as it provides students with an opportunity to learn from each other. During the same lesson time was also partly devoted to student or teacher reading from the textbook or students writing in their copybooks. This variety of activity helped to maintain student interest throughout the lesson. In another lesson observed, the use of a video made an important contribution to student understanding of the functional zones within a city. This visual approach to the teaching of Geography is very good practice and is highly commended. In a question and answer session between teacher and students a large-scale map of Dublin was effectively used to identify the functional zones of the city. This proved to be highly effective in engaging students. The lesson was then developed by asking the students to draw on their own knowledge to provide examples of these zones. This was effectively outlined with the use of the board. This visual approach to the teaching of Geography was in evidence in several other lessons observed. Students were provided with diagrams of the Water Cycle and photographs of the landscape of the Mezzogiorno and through a series of skilful questions were asked to describe and explain certain geographic features. The gradual development of diagrams on the blackboard using coloured chalk made a significant contribution to facilitating students’ understanding of geographic processes and to knowledge of Locational Geography. Teachers should consider the inclusion of some sample lessons as a means of further developing the section of the department plan dealing with teaching methodologies. In all of the lessons observed there was a clear focus on developing the students’ literacy skills by the introduction of key geographic terms, their careful explanation and repetition during the lessons.
A variety of forms of assessment is used in St Mary’s Secondary School. All students sit formal examinations at Christmas and summer. Students preparing to take Certificate Examinations in June sit pre-examinations in the second term and these were taking place at the time of the evaluation visit. Reports are issued to parents following each of these examinations. Student progress is also reported on at formal parent teacher meetings. It is noteworthy that assessment procedures are included in the subject department plan and where possible teachers set common tests for students in a particular year.
Student projects and fieldwork exercises are also used to assess student progress and to provide students with an opportunity to develop and practice their research and presentation skills. The display of some of these projects in the Geography Room was a way of celebrating and acknowledging student effort and achievement. This good practice is commended, as is the practice of students engaging in project work that contributes to their development as independent learners and also helps to develop their social skills when involved in group work.
Students’ learning is assessed on an ongoing basis within Geography lessons through teacher questioning and the correction of homework. Questions were directed to individual named students or were open to the entire class group. Students willingly engaged in class discussions, showed a good knowledge of their courses and when necessary sought clarification from their teachers. Teachers also assess student progress by holding class tests when sections of the syllabus have been completed. The results of tests are recorded in teachers’ diaries. Copies of tests completed by students were provided and these indicated that teachers had provided feedback to students on their progress. This feedback encourages and supports students in their learning and provides clear guidelines and direction on raising the standard of their work. It is recommended that teachers develop their methods of assessment particularly with reference to ‘Assessment for Learning’ principles. The documentation on this topic provided during the evaluation and accessing the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment at www.ncca.ie will assist teachers in developing assessment procedures.
The work observed in students’ copies, both written and diagrams were generally of a high standard and it was noted that students had separate copies for notes and for homework. This good practice is commended, as notes carefully developed over the year can be a valuable aid when it comes to revision for tests. Teachers had monitored student progress in copies and had written helpful and supporting comments.
The following are the main strengths and areas for development identified in the evaluation:
As a means of building on these strengths and to address areas for development, the following key recommendations are made:
A Post-evaluation meeting was held with the principal and with the teachers of Geography at the conclusion of the evaluation at which the draft findings and recommendations of the evaluation were presented and discussed.