Teaching secondary biology

[TabbyTurmoil]

If a person had suitable qualifications to train as a secondary school biology teacher - what would they be required to teach and what kind of gymnastics are required to teach the syllabus without doing a wrongspeak?

The biology gcse doesn't have any gender stuff in it, so that's a start.

The syllabus for biology KS3, GCSE and A level is not a problem. Yet.
Try to avoid PSHE.

However they would need to be able to teach chemistry and physics as well, and if unlucky maths.

I suggest looking at the exam specifications from the various boards

I'd be hugely surprised if there's anything other than science in them
A good opportunity to tell it like it is I would think

They could quite possibly be allocated a tutor group, which may come with pshe related responsibilities.

The GCSE and A Level spec teach a very basic view of sex inheritance, so there are no banana skins there

I'll be honest, in A Level Bio most specs teach about Hox genes as "master genes" and it would give people a better idea of the complexities of sex inheritance if they added SRY as another example of this, at least it would allow pupils to see how a binary can have some outliers and give some context to the current conversations

Thanks all, I remember being taught about sex / pregnancy / contraception by my science and biology teachers (rather a long time ago!), has that all been moved out to PSHE?

I believe I would qualify for a secondary biology PGCE but I certainly wouldn’t want or be qualified to teach maths or physics - I have A level chemistry so I suppose I could teach it at KS3 if I did some training. This doesn’t seem to be barrier to getting into a PGCE course but would it be an issue in getting a job?

I don't know about jobs. I just know many schools timetable 'science' and the allocated teacher has to teach whatever.
You'd have to ask in The Staffroom board whether it would be a blocker or not, (and I may be being unduly pessimistic, but a second subject surely would be helpful).

What subjects you teach as a secondary science teacher will depend on the school and the (un)availability of physics teachers in my experience! In my first 2 schools (no 6th form) I was required to teach all 3 sciences to GCSE and PSHE to my tutor group. Your PGCE will cover all 3 sciences up to KS4 most likely but specifically just your main subject for A Level although I have worked in a sixth form where I taught 2 subjects. I've not taught any gender related stuff (so far) but I now work in HE so it may be there. Have a look at the exam board specifications if you want to be sure though.

Gender related stuff isn’t science, so is not in the science curriculum.

you have just reminded me of the memorable A level biology classes on human reproduction
for some reason we didn't have our normal teacher
he dictated notes (this was in the olden days, children, when this passed for teaching)
he stared at the back wall of the lab
he spoke words to the effect of
'under the influence of physical stimulation the penis becomes engorged with blood and erect'
my friend whispered loudly 'what does that mean? physical stimulation?' but it was as if she had never spoken
at the end of the class he left without saying another word

Current Sci teacher here, been teaching for more than 15 years.

At GCSE, specifications will state XX/XY for biological sex, AQA also has a couple of examples of DSDs. You will not be pulled up for staying male/female XY/XX, as it is in the specification.

Almost all schools cover the science topic Reproduction, in year 7. This is the biology of male/female reproductive systems, menstruation, pregnancy. A brief mention of contraception.

Then, contraception, the hormonal controls of the menstrual cycle will be taught in about year 10, in a biology lesson.

Students will also have some sex ed (contraception, safe sex, relationships) in year 8 and 10, through their PSHE lessons.

As a science teacher, I am often called to take PSHE classes (I think theu trust us to be pretty straight talking). So far, I have not come across any truly hideous gender ideology, although I sometimes correct terminology, and I will always answer as a science teacher, and tell the students that.

However, this dramatically depends on your school.

Also, unless you are a physics teacher, you will most likely have to teach bio and chem to GCSE. I teach all 3, and then chem at A-level.

I do always get trans questions at year 7, often stating that you can have an op and you completely change sex, that someone born male can become pregnant and have a baby if they have this op, and conflating DSDs as truly intersex.

I always tell my classes what the long established scientific evidence shows - humans are sexually dimorphic, with bodies based around the production of large, mobile gametes and gestation, or around the formation of small, motile gametes (in child friendly language).

If asked about gender, I simply say that some people believe that have a gender and that it describes their character/likes/dislikes, but that there is little scientific evidence to prove that it exists, much like many religions.

Goodness that’s worrying if they think men can change to be women and get pregnant!

@fashionqueen0123

Yes, it really is concerning.

However, after several years of fighting against GI being taught as fact in my DDs primary school(several long running threads under a different username) and looking at the resources being used, it does not surprise me that they come up with understanding that as 'fact'.

A primary school may not have a single member of teaching staff with anything higher than GCSE science.

That’s really worrying isn’t it. No one should need higher than a gcse to not teach kids stuff that’s not even factual. No child should be leaving primary school thinking that! 😩