GALLUS

By mid/late May of 2005, GALLUS - the Glasgow and Lanarkshire Learning for Understanding in Science consortium had finished the development phase and trained its core group of national trainers (Category A Trainers or CATS in GALLUSspeak) - personnel. This training of the GALLUS first-line trainers was partly done in partnership with the University of Glasgow and with the Glasgow Science Centre. Working with a number of recognised leaders in their particular fields of science education, the national trainers also developed a high quality local trainers’ package.

By the third term of the 2004-05 school session the consortium had initiated the local training phase. Local authority trainers have been recruited from each of the partner authorities (Glasgow, North and South Lanarkshire). An intensive 5 day course was provided by the core group to 45 local trainers.

The GALLUS programme aims to provide teachers with a range of strategies which they can use to :

• Engender a greater enthusiasm for science in pupils;
• Deliver science lessons in a manner consistent with current thinking on good practice in science teaching;
• Improve achievement in science;
• Develop skills, attitudes and knowledge which will equip young people to participate in scientific debate at an appropriate level in the future. See the Issues in Science Education page which has links to short summaries of topics tackled by the CATS at Glasgow University.

Intensive 5-day course - training materials - Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3, Days 4 & 5 (Local Authority Training Days)