Throughout the implementation of the E2K programme in your school, you may be in doubt from time to time. We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions below for your reference. They are based on 7 broad themes: Administration, Curriculum, Resources, Role of Gifted Education Branch, Teacher-related matters, Pupil-related matter and Finance. If this does not help you to solve your problem/issue, please feel free to contact us.
Section 1: Administration
1) What is the purpose of the pre-test and the post-test held before the pupils start their E2K lessons officially?
The test is mainly evaluative, for research purposes to assess the effectiveness of the E2K programme at the national level. The pre-test and post-test can also illuminate differences in the teaching of science in the school, and can benefit the HALs beyond the E2K Science Programme.
2) Can the E2K programme be run over 3 years instead of 2 years?
Yes, it can. However, the challenge of having a 3-year programme, instead of a 2-year one, is to engage the Primary 6 pupils, who are usually more involved in preparing for their Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) and hence, may not be able to spare much time for the programme.
Section 2: Curriculum
1) Is it compulsory to complete all the units within the span of 2 years?
No, you do not have to. In order to sustain a meaningful inquiry learning process, there should be a minimum number of four units a year. This would apply to the schools implementing the programme via a dedicated pull-out enrichment programme.
2) Do schools have to follow the sequence of units by the Gifted Education Branch (GEB) strictly?
No, you do not have to. However, the sequence of units proposed will allow you to build up your pupils' inquiry and experimental skills in a progressive manner. Therefore, it is highly recommended. For new schools, do work with your officer-in-charge during the planning session (held sometime in August each year) to think about how best to use the units to scaffold your pupils' learning.
3) Is it compulsory to complete all the worksheets in a unit?
No, the teachers should plan the activities based on the pupils’ progress and interest. They may raise additional related angles of inquiry which should be pursued if time permits. However, the main experiments in the unit should still be conducted. For new schools, do work with your officer-in-charge during the first year to think about how best to use the units.
4) Do schools need to align the E2K curriculum with the MOE Science curriculum, so that students would have prior knowledge to answer the questions in the E2K lesson?
No, it is not needed. Rather than having prior knowledge, it will be better for your pupils to distil the learning points from the different activities planned. The E2K lessons are designed for your pupils to explore and acquire different scientific concepts through inquiry, and not for pupils to affirm the knowledge they have acquired through performing of experiments.
5) How do existing schools run their E2K programme? Do they do it within or outside curriculum time?
For most schools, the lessons are run outside curriculum time. Some schools adopt it as a CCA. There are also schools that conduct lessons during curriculum time once every fortnight. It is important that the lessons are conducted on a regular basis and not like a summer school programme.
Section 3: Resources
1) A lot of materials are needed to run the E2K programme. Where can I get these materials?
Many of the materials can be bought from local suppliers or supermarkets. Please contact GEB if you are unable to source for any of the materials.
2) Are we allowed to modify the lesson resources found on the E2K Resource Site?
Yes, you can. The resources only act as a guide to help you prepare for your lessons. You should modify and adapt accordingly to suit the needs and abilities of your pupils as a class.
3) How much modification to the Student Worksheet is allowed?
You can modify the Student Worksheet to suit the needs and abilities of your pupils. However, you should not stray from the key activities and learning points of the worksheet.
4) Are schools allowed to adapt some of the resources found on the E2K Resource Site as enrichment materials for pupils not selected for the programme?
Yes, we encourage schools to adapt the resources and modify the Student Worksheet to suit the needs and abilities of your pupils outside of the E2K Science Programme.
Section 4: Role of Gifted Education Branch
1) How would GEB officers support the implementation of the E2K programme in my school?
To ensure that the successful implementation of the E2K programme in your schools, GEB will provide support in the following areas:
· Teacher training - Workshops will be conducted in April – June every year to train at least 3 teachers from your school. Newly trained teachers will then be mentored by GEB officers for a year to help teachers develop their pedagogical content knowledge and skill.
· School Mentoring – you will have either an officer from GEB or an experienced E2K teacher as a mentor for your new school in the first year of implementation.
· Planning session - A half-day planning session will be conducted in August for new E2K schools to guide teachers in crafting a manageable scheme of work to suit the needs and abilities of the pupils.
· Lesson resources - To ensure that teachers do not become overwhelmed with the E2K lesson preparation, lesson resources will be made available on this Google Site to help teachers in their lesson preparation. However, please do not take the materials wholesale. They should be modified to suit the needs and abilities of your pupils in your class.
2) How does GEB support teachers identified for the E2K programme in the developing of their pedagogical content knowledge and skill?
The first step in preparing teachers for the E2K programme is the provision of a teacher workshop typically held in June each year. The workshop will give teachers a good overview of the programme, as well as expose teachers to the different pedagogies used to carry out the lessons. During the workshop, the teachers will also get to participate in the lesson as a pupil, so as to experience the pupils' learning process.
Subsequently, the GEB officer-in-charge of your school, or an experienced E2K Mentor, will conduct two lesson observations for newly trained E2K teachers in the following year. The observations are meant to provide you with feedback on your lesson structure, questioning techniques, strategies use to engage students etc., so as to help you develop and improve along the way.
Finally, your school will also be able to attend and/or share at the E2K Science Symposiums which will provide your teachers with the opportunity to learn from peers who are running the programmes in the other primary schools.
Section 5: Teacher-related matters
1) Do teachers have to be specially trained in order to teach the E2K programme?
As the E2K lessons are conducted differently from the mainstream Science lessons, we require all teachers deployed to teach the E2K lessons to attend the workshop held in June every year.
2) Are teachers expected to teach experimental skills such as drawing tables, plotting graphs etc. that are not covered in the E2K curriculum?
Although there should be some explicit teaching of skills where appropriate and needed by the pupils, teachers can also leave the pupils to learn some of the skills through the mainstream Mathematics or Science lessons. In essence, explicit teaching of the skills should not overshadow the element of creative exploration. For example, it is possible to allow pupils decide how they want to display their data, if they can defend their choice as this is a valuable learning experience.
3) Should teachers team-teach E2K lessons or conduct them individually?
There are merits to team-teaching E2K lessons, such as allowing greater supervision of the different groups of pupils. There is richer facilitation that can be afforded by the presence of additional teachers in the classroom. However, this is up to the deployment and availability of teachers.
Section 6: Pupil-related matters
1) How are pupils identified for the E2K programme?
Please refer to information found under "Identification of Students".
2) What is the recommended teacher-to-pupils ratio in a typical E2K class?
Schools have autonomy to decide on manpower deployment. We recommend that E2K-trained teachers work and support each other in the lesson delivery. In a typical E2K class, there could be a main teacher to provide instructions and facilitate the closure while another teacher helps to manage the pupils during group activities. In many schools, the teacher-to-pupils ratio is 1:20.
3) Are pupils allowed to drop out from the E2K programme? If yes, what are the procedures involved?
Yes, they are allowed to. Please get the pupils' parents to write in to the Principal and keep the teacher-in-charge informed. For schools which are in their first year of implementation, please inform the GEB officer-in-charge of your school.
Section 7: Finance & Others
1) Are schools funded by MOE to run the E2K programme?
No, school funds should be used to purchase all materials and equipment required to conduct the E2K lessons.
2) Can the E2K programme be run for the middle- and lower-ability pupils to develop their logical reasoning and scientific inquiry skills?
The E2K lesson materials and advanced concepts covered are more suitable for high-ability pupils. However, schools can modify the materials and pedagogical approach to cater to the different learning needs of the middle- and lower-ability pupils as they deem fit.