The focus on practical investigations in the National Curriculum is seen to be important if students are to attain a connoisseurship in science experimentation. The chain of processes involved in doing real science involves: non-linear thinking; creative flair; and critical evaluation within an authentic setting. The research presented in this paper focuses on authentic, open-ended practical project work and reports on the cognitive and affective growth produced through such student-centered contexts. It is argued that by allowing students, themselves, to choose a personally meaningful, real-world problem around which to structure the science investigation, total ownership can be induced with internal locus of control over the problem-solving and learning. It is concluded that project work can act as a remediation intervention for producing science task competency. Contains 38 references. (Author)