The science curriculum to age 16 should be judged on how well it meets the needs of students who progress to A-level science courses and those (a larger number) who do not. To address the diversity of students' interests and aspirations, we need a clear view of the purposes of science education rooted in a view of the purposes of education…

This article describes a pilot study following on from a curriculum development activity with teachers and children in primary school classrooms, using a framework for group discussion developed by Huthwaite International. The Centre for Science Education at Sheffield Hallam University and Huthwaite International worked with teachers from three…

The National Curriculum for England has been revised and the statements on energy have some new phrasing and some new ideas. In this article, I will reflect on how these changes might be beneficial, relieving some of the strictures of previous drafts and providing opportunities to talk about energy in new, more constructive ways. I will discuss…

Electricity from osmotic pressure might seem a far-fetched idea but this article describes a prototype in Norway where the osmotic pressure generated between salt and fresh water drives a turbine. This idea was applied in a student investigation, where they were tasked with researching which alternative materials could be used for the…

Science is at heart a practical subject, but the perception of what makes good teaching and learning through practical science is often misunderstood. Through working with teachers on professional development courses at the UK's National Science Learning Centre, and drawing on work carried out by other organisations, we present some thoughts…

Field trips and the outdoor classroom are a vital part of many areas of education. Ideally, the content should be taught within a realistic environment rather than just by providing a single field trip at the end of a course. The archaeo-astronomy project located at Nottingham Trent University envisages the development of a virtual environment…

This study investigated the level of understanding among student teachers in differentiating lepidopterans. It adopted a constructive approach to promoting conceptual change in students on the issue of animal classification by generating cognitive conflict. Most of the students used inaccurate morphological traits for identification, such as wing…

This article focuses on the role of the Association for Science Education (ASE) in supporting and developing policy and practice in primary school science. It first sets the events after the formation of ASE in 1963 in the context of what went before. It then takes a mainly chronological view of some, but by no means all, of ASE's activities…

Over the past 50 years, the Association for Science Education (ASE) has published a wide range of journals as a principal benefit of membership of the Association, with some reaching beyond the membership. This article explores the history behind each of the four current ASE journals, as well as touching on two titles that "served their…

Microscopes are especially useful for observing fine detail in biological specimens. However, there are many other small items that may be examined with microscopes, and it is important to introduce children to low-magnification images of items they can recognise before moving on to such large magnification that what they observe has no obvious…

This research is a high-resolution analysis of grade 6 (ages 11-12) children's interview transcripts about the operation of power stations, before and after teaching. The focus of the study was on how children's conceptual development is built at a discursive level, namely how language is used to express changes in their thoughts. The theoretical…

Students living in cities seldom experience the rural outdoors when learning science. This lack of first-hand experience with nature is of concern, especially when they are learning about animals, plants and ecosystems. This study investigated how a teacher in Singapore organised a field trip to the rainforest to help his students bridge the gap…

Charts some of the landmarks in the tortuous path towards science becoming an established part of primary education over the last 100 years. While ideas and practices have come and gone, overall there has been real change in the status and quality of teaching and learning in science. (Contains 32 references.) (Author/ASK)

Discusses the need to adapt science education objectives to the objectives and expectations of students. Proposes a framework for the study of science which has a firm knowledge basis and gives a valid description of science in our contemporary society. (MLH)

Discusses the results of a survey of primary school teachers in south-west England that investigated the amount and nature of science taught; the teachers' awareness of modern curriculum developments in primary school science; the effect of sex differences; and the effect of science training on attitudes. (MLH)