As part of the current UK GCSE science curriculum, pupils need to use their understanding of science to answer questions about a series of core experiments. Problem-solving and applying knowledge to new situations is fundamental in enabling students to progress in science; however, many learners struggle to develop these skills. This can lead to…

This paper examines the pedagogical integration of Virtual Microscopes (VMs) in Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), to identify best practice and improve online pedagogy. It has captured the perspectives of 12 Health and Earth Science university teachers, through in-depth interviews, about the current integration of the VM in online teaching,…

The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges for practical teaching within the sciences. While many instructors adopted innovative alternatives to conventional practicals, many relied on digital approaches that did not give students hands-on experience. In this study we evaluate the use of 'at home' practical kits used in first year physics…

Disagreement exists about how to best spark young children's motivation to learn natural science. Both curiosity and wonder are considered important motivational factors for learning during early childhood (0-8 years). This systematic literature review explores research about scientific curiosity and wonder in early childhood education and care…

Society and education are inherently ableist. Disabled people are routinely excluded from education, or have poorer outcomes within educational systems. Improving educational experiences and outcomes for people of color has required educators to design antiracist curricula that explicitly address racial inequality. Here, we explore parallel…

Development of key practical skills is fundamental to bioscience courses in higher education. With limitations on access to laboratory time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a "Bioskills at home" kit was developed to create opportunities for first year undergraduate students to develop these skills using online support resources to guide…

National governments are concerned about the disconnection of young people from science, which hampers the development of a scientifically literate society promoting sustainable development, wellbeing, equity, and a green economy. Introduced in 2015 alongside Agenda 2030, the "open schooling" approach aims at enhancing students' science…

This paper draws on a multi-phase project that sought to understand and increase young children's engagement with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) objects. The paper presents findings from one aspect of this project that involved using storytelling to support young children's agency with STEM objects in a UK science museum.…

This study provides a "narrative synthesis" of the findings published in journal articles from a broad range of scientific fields about the impact of extracurricular activities (ECAs) on the academic success and employability of university students. The analysis included 39 articles from the Scopus and Web of Science databases, published…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused severe disruption to education in the UK in 2020, with most of the school teaching moving online and national school examinations being cancelled. This was particularly disruptive for those taking end of school examinations in preparation for higher education. Biological science courses require students to absorb a lot…

Previous articles in "Primary Science" have presented a range of ways to teach electricity in engaging and informative ways (e.g. Buckley and Harvey, 2014; Chapman, 2014; Norman, 2014; CLEAPSS, 2016) and Frank Harris provides an interesting historical account of the development and use of batteries in "School Science Review"…

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of missing data imputation methods, namely regression imputation (RI), multiple imputation (MI) and k-nearest neighbor (kNN) on differential item functioning (DIF). In this regard, the datasets used in the research were created by deleting some of the data via the missing completely at random…

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly reduced students' capacities to engage in hands-on 'enquiry' science. But even before the pandemic, teachers and researchers were questioning the value and purpose of practical science. This article describes a project that imagined and then tested two answers. It imagined that the answer is to give every child their…

Nature Friendly Schools (NFS) is a groundbreaking project funded by the UK Department for Education and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs with support from Natural England. It works in partnership with many organisations including the Wildlife Trusts, Young Minds and the Field Studies Council. By developing teachers'…

Topics associated with the biological sciences form a significant fraction of the curriculum in science at primary school level in the U.K. In this methodology paper we demonstrate how a wide range of research articles associated with the biological sciences can be disseminated to a primary school audience and how children can carry out…