Background: Over the past three decades, researchers have increasingly advocated for pedagogical practices that privilege exploration, collaboration, problem-solving, and hands-on projects in K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S.T.E.M.). Many researchers have studied the efficacy of these instructional practices, but there has…

This research aims to support the "teaching of concepts" in the 3rd grade Life Science Course with activities. A quasi-experimental design (selective) with a pre-test and post-test control group, one of the quantitative research designs, was used in the research. Using songs, poems, rhymes, acrostics, stories, fairy tales,…

As a hallmark of authentic science practices, students need to enact epistemic agency to shape/reshape the key aspects of their inquiry work as a collaborative community. This study elaborates an emergent temporal mechanism for engaging students' epistemic agency: "reflective structuration" by which members of a classroom community…

In this article, the author recounts how giving pupils access to diverse role models not only benefits those from underrepresented groups, but ensures all children see that science is a subject for everyone. Teachers need to be aware of the culture of their pupils and ask how that can be used to engage and extend scientific understanding.

What is the future for school science and in particular for practical work? This article explores the question from four perspectives and seeks solutions for different age groups in the UK and beyond.

Why is modern physics still today, more than 100 years after its birth, the privilege of an elite of scientists and unknown for the great majority of citizens? The answer is simple, since modern physics is in general not present in the standard physics curricula, except for some general outlines, in the final years of some secondary schools. But,…

As the conversation across the country progresses towards diversity and decolonisation of the curriculum, it is important to consider the many ways of demonstrating recognition of diversity. At Harris Garrard Academy in southeast London, educators have gone to great lengths to increase the visibility of race and ethnicity in the curriculum,…

There is a tradition in primary classes of using rich authentic activities to teach science. The idea of pupils learning science through experiment and discovery is appealing. But this is not how children are taught in other subjects. When children learn to read, there are tiny steps, mastering each one before moving onto more challenging books.…

The study aims to present the development of education in North Macedonia from the country's independence to the present day, as documented in several national reports and other official documents. The focus is on development and changes in chemistry education throughout the years of primary, secondary and higher education. Particular attention is…

Light is a topic that is often taught in year 3 (ages 7-8) in English schools, where children learn that light is needed for us to see, that it can be reflected from shiny surfaces and that shadows form when light is blocked by an object. They may also have some experience of how the size of shadows changes when the distance between a light source…

As content literacy intervention is expanded in schools, data-based decision-making practices need to also advance, especially in the areas of science. Vocabulary-matching curriculum-based measures (VM-CBM) may allow educators to identify students needing additional support in science vocabulary to assist with using and comprehending disciplinary…

Inquiry skills are universally recognised as being integral to a contemporary science education where students need to understand the nature of scientific practices as well as concepts. Although inquiry learning is a common practice among primary educators, the development and assessment of inquiry skills is far less practised. There is a need for…

This paper examines the pedagogical practices in three case studies of elementary science lessons that took place in classrooms or laboratories to make connections to the discourse about inclusivity in science teaching. Using the Singapore Teaching Practice as a reference, we analyzed the pedagogical practices enacted during three lessons where…

In inquiry-based science lessons teachers face the challenge of adhering to curricular goals while simultaneously following students' intuitive understandings. Improvisation (improv) provides a useful frame for understanding teaching in these inquiry-based contexts. This paper builds from prior work that uses improv as a metaphor for teaching to…

The intended curriculum is arguably one of the most important components within any national educational system although those in primary science have not been subject to extensive research scrutiny. Based on reformed primary science curricula from Hong Kong, mainland China, and Taiwan, we compared them on two key features: (1) levels of knowledge…