Instruction for Mathematics and Science in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades
Grade at Which Specialist Teachers for Mathematics and Science are Introduced
In Grades 1 to 3, students do not have specialist teachers for mathematics or science. Specialist teachers are introduced in Grade 4, and they teach throughout Grades 4 to 6 of primary school. In the lower secondary grades, mathematics, geography, biology, chemistry, and physics are taught by specialist teachers.
In Grades 1 to 3 of primary school, no specific amount of time is prescribed for mathematics or science instruction because teaching in these grades is integrated (i.e., not divided into separate subjects).
In Grades 4 to 6, the total instructional time allocated for mathematics is 385 contact hours, and the instructional time allocated for science is 290 contact hours. These are the minimum numbers prescribed by the Ministry of Education. School principals may add hours, but this is rare. Typically, students receive 128 hours of mathematics instruction and 96 hours of science instruction in Grade 4.
In the lower secondary grades, the total mathematics instructional time is 385 contact hours, and the total science instructional time is 130 contact hours for each of the four subjects taught—geography, biology, chemistry, and physics (520 hours altogether).
In all grades, teachers determine the methods of instruction. Subject manuals, which often are part of commercial sets of educational materials, describe instructional strategies for mathematics and science. The main variation among instructional strategies is in the way teachers use textbooks in class. In mathematic classes, some teachers routinely ask students to complete textbook exercises, individually or in small groups, while other teachers engage students in educational games, experiments, and problem solving activities, using textbooks only to reinforce the material.
Instruction in science classes at the primary level is similarly dichotomous. For example, students may examine pictures of wildlife in textbooks and passively listen to teachers in the classroom, or they may go to a park, meadow, or the woods to observe plant and animal life.
At the lower secondary level (Grades 7 to 9), mathematics typically is taught using watch-and-repeat methods. After briefly introducing a new concept or algorithm, teachers will solve a typical problem on the blackboard. Students are expected to copy the solution and then do many similar exercises, individually or in small groups. More exercises are assigned for homework. At least twice a month students take a short quiz covering recent material.
Science instruction in the lower secondary grades is determined by geography, biology, chemistry, and physics textbooks. A typical biology textbook organizes and expands the learning content implemented in the National Curriculum in the following way:
- Grade 7 (Klasa 1)—Cell structure, taxonomy, functions of living organisms, bacteria and viruses, the world of plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates
- Grade 8 (Klasa 2)—Human body systems (i.e., the skin, musculoskeletal system, digestive system, circulatory system, respiratory system, excretory system, neurohormonal regulation, sensory organs, and reproduction and development) and health versus civilization
- Grade 9 (Klasa 3)—Genetics, ecology, environmental protection, and human impact on the environment
Textbooks are standard instructional materials in almost all schools and must conform to the National Curriculum. Several textbooks for each subject are available commercially and compete for teacher use. There also are free, nationally published e-books for all major subjects. The majority of textbooks emphasize terms, facts, and laws above practical problems, but there are textbooks that use problem solving to approach subject instruction.
Teacher lectures dominate science classes, usually supported by large-scale maps, tables, pictures, or short films, and students have little time to pose their own questions. Classroom demonstrations and field trips are rare, and scientific experimentation is rarer. It is estimated that in approximately half of the classrooms in Poland, scientific experiments are carried out once or twice a year at most. Moreover, most experiments are scripted inquiry exercises that involve following a ready-made scenario under teacher guidance. Teachers attribute the minimal use of experimentation to a lack of equipment and materials and to the rigid 45-minute class structure, which is too short a time for carrying out many types of experimentation.
Instructional Materials, Equipment, and Laboratories
Instructional resources vary widely among schools, depending on local government resources and school policy. Teachers employ manipulatives to teach mathematics in the primary grades, including colorful rods (Cuisenaire rods), Dienes blocks, Numicon kits, abacuses, dice, and sets of polygons. Monetary calculations are carried out with oversized models of coins and banknotes, and measurement lessons involve the use of scales, clocks, and measuring cups and tape.
The equipment used in science instruction largely depends on teacher ingenuity. In science classes, students may do the following: systematically observe and record weather conditions on the basis of thermometer and anemometer readings; learn about the points on the compass; play thematic board games; and study large-scale maps, drawings, and photographs. In addition, teachers typically follow core curriculum recommendations and conduct experiments with students using everyday substances (e.g., salt, flour, water, vinegar, etc.).
Most lower secondary schools have one or more separate science rooms. In Warsaw, 80 percent of schools have a physics laboratory with basic equipment for demonstrations and experiments, such as scales (67 percent), dynamometers (83 percent), and lenses and prisms (63 percent). Biology laboratories are equipped with microscopes, permanent microscopic sections, and specimens.4 In general, school laboratories are seldom true scientific laboratories in which students may conduct their own experiments. Especially during chemistry classes, experimentation is restricted to teacher demonstrations because of the high cost of laboratory glass and substances.
Use of Technology
Most classrooms in Polish primary schools have audiovisual equipment available. For example, many educational films and recordings with wildlife sounds are available for science instruction. In primary schools, there is one computer for every 10 students, on average.5 Computer rooms are used primarily by students during Information Technology (IT) classes. In lower secondary schools, there is one computer for every eight students, on average.6 While many computer programs are available for mathematics instruction, there are few programs for science instruction. Many schools have one or two interactive whiteboards that may be used for some classes, but schools with an interactive whiteboard in every classroom are rare. Most science laboratories are equipped with a computer and a multimedia projector for teacher use; some also have an interactive whiteboard.
Accommodation Policies for Instruction and Testing
The provision of education for students with special education needs is an integral part of the Polish education system. Support for children with special needs aims at stimulating their psychological and physical development and enhancing their learning effectiveness. It is intended to correct disorders, reduce gaps in the knowledge and skills acquired within curricular frameworks, and eliminate causes and symptoms of disorders, including behavioral disorders. All students who require assistance due to individually identified developmental and special education needs are eligible to receive support.
Special education may be provided in mainstream or special settings (e.g., mainstream schools, integration schools and classes, special schools, or residential special schools). It also may be provided in the form of individualized teaching for any student whose health prevents school attendance. Socially maladjusted young people may be directed on the basis of a court decision to a center of resocialization for young people. Young people at risk of social maladjustment may be directed to a center of sociotherapy for young people, provided their parents consent.
Special education applies the same teaching methods as mainstream education, although more emphasis is placed on individual work with each student. While teachers are free to choose specific methods and forms of work as well as teaching resources, they are required to apply certain crucial principles of special education (e.g., adapt teaching activities to individual student abilities and needs, increase the level of difficulty gradually, and use demonstration and examples in teaching).
The curricula followed within special education (except in schools for children with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities) are based on the National Curriculum for particular stages of education. The curriculum should be adapted to the needs and abilities of individual students and approved by the school head. Students with a statement of need for special education have educational and therapeutic programs developed according to their individual needs and psychological and physical abilities.
Students in special education are assessed throughout the school year according to the same rules that apply in mainstream schools. This includes both descriptive assessment and numeric grades. An exception is made for students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities, for whom descriptive assessment is used at all levels of education. Final external examinations are adapted in format for students with special education needs according to their speaking, writing, and physical abilities. If necessary, examinations may be administered in a separate classroom, at home, or in a hospital. Students with multiple disabilities may qualify for exemption from final examinations.
All special education leavers, except those with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities, receive the same school certificates as mainstream students. Certificates for students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities are issued on a special form and include descriptive assessments or grades. Special education graduates preparing for employment are awarded certificates confirming qualifications in a particular occupation.