Junior Cycle science: Some students struggle with new common level exam, say teachers

Parts of the new common level science paper will have been challenging for some students, particularly given the lack of choice on the paper, teachers have said.

Michael McGrath, ASTI subject representative and a teacher at St Augustine’s College in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, said that the paper was “decent” but “too wordy”. By not allowing any choice between questions, it may have disadvantaged many students.

“The Leaving Cert was adapted to give students increased choice, particularly in light of school closures over the past few years and the fact that many students — particularly in more rural parts of Ireland, like Ireland — have little or no access to broadband,” Mr McGrath said.

As was the case when the new science was first examined before Covid-19, there was no choice on the paper, although students had one less classroom-based assessment to complete.

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“The breadth of the course is large, and it has a lot of learning outcomes,” said Mairéad Glynn, TUI subject representative and a teacher at Scoil Mhuire in Strokestown, Co Roscommon.

“Traditional ordinary level students may struggle with parts, as some of the questions were lengthy. The information needed to be read carefully by all students.

“Because of school closures during the pandemic, it may have been a challenge to students who did not have the same amount of [learning] time in school.”

Mr McGrath said that the paper was very text-heavy, with students required to read long paragraphs before they got to a question.

“This poses a difficulty for students with lower literacy levels,” he said. “The new syllabus is dumbed down and there is a huge disjoint between what students learn in junior cycle and what they will learn in the senior cycle — which is leaving some students floundering.”

In spite of some criticism, Ms Glynn said that the paper had something for everyone.

“I particularly like question six, on phases of the moon, while question 12 on genetics was very nice,” Ms Glynn said. “But question 3d, on a hydrogen compound, was difficult, particularly where it asked students to justify their answer. Question 11(h), on the length of a shadow cast by the pole changed during a sunny day in June, will separate out the very good students. But, overall, students who made an effort and revised should have been fine.”

Try this one at home:

Junior Cert science, common level.

Organisms can evolve and adapt, making them better suited to their environment.

The organisms pictured below (fox and rose bush) have adaptations that help them survive in their habitats. A fox is an omnivore (an animal that eats plant and animal matter). A rose bush is an autotroph (an organism that makes its own food.

-Describe one way a fox is adapted to help it survive in its habitat.

-Describe one way a rose bush is adapted to help it survive in its habitat.