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…

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 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…

In 2018-19, Dr. Guirong Wang, from Beijing University of Chemical Technology, spent a year with the Centre for Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC). CIEC has been involved in world-class outreach work for thirty years. They have combined the design of effective practical programmes with research and evaluation of impact. This article explores…

Primary school science emphasises hands-on interactions, but little is known about how the sensorimotor experiences these interactions provide shape children's science ideas. Early interactions with science need to be engaging as these shape children's developing attitudes towards science and themselves as science learners; however, these…

Anatomical sciences curricula have been under constant reform over the years, with many countries having to reduce course hours while trying to preserve laboratory time. In Mexico, schools have historically been autonomous and unregulated, and data regarding structure and methods are still lacking. A national survey was sent by the Mexican Society…

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.

Science Hunters is a UK outreach project that uses "Minecraft" (a computer game that allows children to build with a wide range of blocks) to engage children with science. Sessions are based on a range of science topics and include practical activities. A new topic, on bioluminescence, was designed in collaboration with staff and…

During the COVID-19 'lockdown', members of the Association for Science Education (ASE) primary science community worked together to develop a series of remote learning resources for the 2020 summer term. This article describes how the aim of making science, with embedded science enquiry activities, accessible to parents and children in their home…

Learning outdoors can be a powerful pedagogical tool in a teachers science arsenal and one that can be exploited throughout the year to teach a variety of science topics. In his first article on outdoor learning in science, the author considered which areas of science could be taught outdoors and the resources that can be used; in this follow-up…

Following a learning experience with one of her Year 2 students, whose extreme and challenging behavior required extra support from a teaching assistant (TA) but who loved practical hands-on science days and investigations, it occurred to the author that there must be hundreds of children and TAs all over the UK facing challenging dilemmas every…

Research has shown that spending time in nature is beneficial for children's mental wellbeing, but how long must they spend to gain some benefit? Here we present the results from two studies: the Schools' Biodiversity Project, which took place over a year, with children spending an hour a week exploring biodiversity in their school grounds; and a…

Sarah Bearchell is a science presenter and writer working with children and families. She aims to engage her audiences through careful tailoring of activities. She works in mainstream primaries and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) schools, with visits to science festivals becoming more frequent. Many of the schools she visits and…

In this article, Jane Winter describes a pilot project that uses a simple and engaging science activity to raise children's science capital, as well as increasing understanding of the potential of science to combat world problems. "Potatoes to plastics" is a Centre for Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC) project, aimed at key stage 2…

Women are underrepresented in science careers. To overcome this, it is important to explore how to encourage girls to continue to study science. This intervention involved girls aged 12-14 attending interactive science sessions at a university. Girls completed questionnaires before and after the session. Through the intervention, girls became more…