Case study: St Luke’s Grammar School, Dee Why

To explore the real-world impact of hands-on learning, the We Support Hands-On Learning initiative partnered with St Luke’s Grammar School, Dee Why, to undertake a focused term-long classroom case study across Year 3 Science and Year 6 Mathematics.

Background

Hands-on learning has long been part of the school’s culture. This case study provided an opportunity to be even more intentional – embedding tactile resources and explicit, hands-on lesson design across selected units and tracking the shift in student and teacher experience.

The challenge

Teachers observed that, like many schools, student engagement was becoming harder to sustain. Attention spans were shorter, confidence varied widely and some students struggled to connect abstract concepts to real-world meaning. Student sentiment surveys conducted before the project reflected these challenges, with mixed responses around enjoyment, understanding and confidence in science and maths lessons

The approach

Across Term 3, teachers were supported with curriculum-aligned, hands-on resources, including LEGO® Education Science kits and maths manipulatives. Professional learning and in-class support helped teachers design lessons where students could explore concepts physically – building models, testing ideas and working collaboratively. The focus was not on “doing more”, but on doing things differently – shifting lessons from passive consumption to active participation.

What changed

Teachers reported noticeable shifts in classroom dynamics. Students who were typically quiet became more involved. Collaboration increased. Lessons flowed with less behaviour management and more purposeful discussion.

Students described learning as more enjoyable, more understandable and more relevant to real life:

Teachers also reflected on renewed professional energy:

A shared outcome

Post-project sentiment surveys showed stronger levels of enjoyment, confidence and engagement across both year levels, reinforcing what teachers observed daily in the classroom. For St Luke’s, the project validated the value of intentional, well-supported hands-on learning – not as an add-on, but as a foundation for meaningful classroom experiences.