Imagine 98% of children in your country leaving primary school without ever having done a science investigation. This almost complete absence of primary science is the situation just over the North Sea from Britain--in the Netherlands. A recent survey showed that only about 120 primary schools in the Netherlands, out of a total of 6000, do some…

Not only is there a shortage of people pursuing STEM-related careers today, but few people are looking to acquire STEM jobs in the future. This places a huge responsibility on primary educators, not simply to foster a love of science from an early age, but also to encourage longer-term aspirations among children. Researchers have discovered that a…

The role of talk in developing understanding in science has been well documented and the recognition of this in the new National Curriculum for England is very positive. The curriculum outlines the need for quality and variety of language in order for children to develop their scientific vocabulary and to articulate scientific concepts clearly and…

Inspired by the inclusion of a British astronaut on the International Space Station, explanations and demonstrations that lead to an understanding of how satellites stay above the Earth are described. This is a mixture of separate ideas that have been demonstrated successfully at a public exhibition of science-based activities. Although some…

Lisa Newton, an Association for Science Education (ASE) Primary Science Committee member, reflects on the benefits gained from joining and taking an active part in the ASE. For a number of years Newton attended regional meetings, fed back information to the local section, and helped to organise a number of different local events. These were well…

Often when the term "transition" is heard, it is with reference to the move between key stages 2 and 3 (upper primary 11-year-olds moving to secondary school). Sometimes it refers to movement between other key stages and, less often, to movement within the classroom itself. Again, often, when the term is used it is in relation to…

"Evolution" is an area of the curriculum in which children show great interest and enthusiasm to learn more. They also bring considerable prior (though incomplete) knowledge from their informal "life worlds". Most children have encountered the term "evolution" from an early age and tend to define it in terms of…

When the author took on the role of primary science advisory teacher at Centre for Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC) she thought it would be a really interesting role that would give her room to develop her skills as a teacher, but she had not appreciated just how powerful the links to industry can be for children. One example of how such an…

Rocks and fossils appear in the National Curriculum of England science programmes of study for children in year 3 (ages 7-8). A frequently asked question is "How do you make the classification of rocks engaging?" In response to this request from a school, a set of interactive activities was designed and organised by tutors and students…

Children are naturally curious about the world around them and are often intrigued by everyday objects and experiences. Primary school teachers frequently make use of "WOW moments" to generate children's interest in science (Feasey, 2005). These moments capitalise on the children's fascination with objects and experiences in their…

Insects are easily the most abundant and diverse group of animals, with over 24,000 species in the UK alone. They can be found in almost every habitat on Earth and are fundamentally important to ecology, conservation, food production, animal and human health, and biodiversity. They are a prominent feature of almost every food web in the UK and…

Learning outside the classroom is an objective in primary education in the UK and an ideal way to introduce science. School grounds, allotments, community farms and sports areas, parks, nature reserves and community woodlands can be accessed in both urban and rural areas. These provide accessible spaces that can be used inexpensively throughout…

In 2011, OFSTED produced its triennial report, "Successful Science" (OFSTED, 2011), celebrating the successes of science in English schools over the previous three years and informing educators of what things still needed to be addressed. The Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM, www.psqm.org.uk) was highlighted as helping to address many…

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are increasingly used to evaluate educational interventions in the UK. However, RCTs remain controversial for some elements of the research community. This paper argues that the widespread use of the term "gold standard" to describe RCTs is problematic, as it implies that other research methods are…

Over a quarter of British households now own at least one tablet device, an increase of 63% in the 12 months from February 2013 (Internet Advertising Bureau UK, 2014). This trend has expanded into the classroom, with more schools either providing their pupils with an individual tablet device or encouraging parents to purchase them outright or via…