The very first edition of "Primary Science Review" included an article entitled "Teaching primary science--how research can help" (Harlen, 1986), which announced that a section of the journal would be for reports of research and particularly for teachers reporting their classroom research. The intervening 24 years have seen momentous change in primary science in all respects. Research continues to be conducted and reported by teachers and many of the references in this article are to research by teachers that has been published in "PSR/PS" or other ASE publications. In this article, the author looks back at how research has helped shape teaching today. (Contains 1 figure.)