Teaching Astronomy in UK Schools

This School Science Review article attempts to summarise the good, bad and (occasionally) ugly aspects of teaching astronomy in UK schools. It covers the most common problems reported by teachers when asked about covering the astronomy/space topics in school. Particular focus is given to the GCSE Astronomy qualification offered by Edexcel (which is currently the fastest growing science GCSE in the UK) but anyone teaching any aspect of space or astronomy should find it useful. The authors of the article are: *Paul Roche is the Director of the Faulkes Telescope Project and has been the UK National Schools’ Astronomer (funded by the STFC) since 2000. He is the head of astronomy at the University of Glamorgan and the ESERO-UK Space Ambassador for Wales (based at Cardiff University). *Sarah Roberts is the Director of Education for the Faulkes Telescope Project and a Lecturer in Astronomy at the University of Glamorgan. *Andy Newsam is the Director of the National Schools’ Observatory, a Reader in Astronomy Education at Liverpool John Moores University and an STFC Science in Society Fellow. He is the ESERO-UK Space Ambassador for the North-West of England and Shropshire. *Charles Barclay is the Director of the Blackett Observatory at Marlborough College and an academic visitor in the Astrophysics sub-Department at Oxford University. He is the Chair of Examiners for the Edexcel GCSE Astronomy qualification and he chairs the Royal Astronomical Society Education Committee. This article is from School Science Review, March 2012, 93 (344).