It is virtually axiomatic that a more extended learning experience will have more impact than a one-off experience. But how much difference does it make and is the extended time commitment justified by the results? The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) conducted some research to explore this question with regard to…

Many teachers seem to have followed the "dunking theory." That is, they dunk their children in a variety of investigations and hope that through their practical work they will absorb a thorough understanding of enquiry skills. Children seem to have quite a good natural waterproof coating when it comes to absorbing scientific skills through…

Increased energy efficiency and reduced reliance on fossil fuels are both essential if people are to have any chance of avoiding escalating energy prices and the grim reality of catastrophic climate change. By increasing the diversity of energy sources people can also achieve increased security, reducing their dependence on imports. As…

Teaching children about circuits and the way electricity works is a "tricky business" because it is invisible. Just imagine all eyes are on the teacher as he or she produces for the class what looks like a ping-pong ball and then, with a wave of their hand, the incredible happens! This wonderful white sphere begins to glow red and a…

The author explains how the children at his primary school in New Zealand are inspired by their involvement in environmental monitoring. Shellfish surveys are conducted annually in New Zealand in order to establish the health of their estuaries. By involving the children in this national monitoring programme, prepared by the Hauraki Gulf Forum (an…

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…

During a final seminar with BA year 4 science specialist trainee teachers, the authors posed a question about the difficulties associated with understanding magnetism. The ensuing discussion focused on a number of concerns commonly identified by students, which may also be of interest to classroom teachers teaching magnetism. Issues raised…

Introducing concepts through an integrated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) approach can promote interest and motivation (Bennett, Lubben and Hogarth, 2007; Bybee, 2010). However, implementing such an approach effectively in a classroom setting, with relevant links, is a challenging task. Some concepts lend themselves more…

Nowadays, in the United Kingdom, citizens take for granted clean water pumped directly into their homes, but it was not always the case, and is still not so in many countries. Could people clean water themselves if they had to and what could they then use it for? Would it actually be "clean enough" to drink? The author presents children…

In this article, Peter Sainsbury advocates the use of microscopes in the primary classroom to transform the familiar into something quite amazing. After Sainsbury's school borrowed a Royal Microscopical Society (RMS) Microscope Activity Kit, both Sainsbury and the school changed their attitude and approach to using microscopes in the primary…

It started with a letter home. Over one week, each class in turn would have a morning devoted to science, and children were invited to bring one adult to share practical activities with them. The author, a granddad, got the job. In this article, granddad reflects on that morning's primary school science activity topic--camping. Granddad shares…

Leonardo Pisano, the son of Guilielmo Bonacci, was born in Pisa, Italy, around 1175. He is better known as Fibonacci, a shortened version of "filius Bonacci" ("son of Bonacci"). He travelled with his father and during these travels, he learned about the enormous advantages of the mathematical systems used in the countries they visited. These…

Children enjoy making movies but can it help them to understand science? In this article, the authors discuss how creating stop-frame animations of salt dissolving can deepen children's understanding of this process. (Contains 1 figure.)

For some time the Association for Science Education (ASE) has been aware that it would be useful to have some resources available to get children talking and thinking about issues related to health, sport and fitness. Some of the questions about pulse, breathing rate and so on are pretty obvious to everyone, and there is a risk of these being…

In practice, in the classroom, teachers are still faced with the issue of what to say to children if they believe that evolution conflicts with their own or other people's religious faith. When asked how they plan to respond, most teacher trainees and teachers respond that they will be a neutral chair and try to give children a balanced view.…