The aim of the Children’s Learning in Science Project (CLIS) was to discover how to use a constructivist approach to teach selected topics, and translate this into materials which could be used by teachers.

These are...

Published in January 1980, this report sets out preliminary views on the form that a framework for the proposed National Curriculum should take and the ground it should cover. The ideas were presented to start a consultation process, leading to a curriculum that would apply to schools nationally and promote...

In this case study, from the Centre for Science Education and the AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust, Sarah Williams and Matthew Bailey, from King Ecgbert School in Sheffield, share their experience of creating an interactive activity to help students with special educational needs to understand food webs and the...

This publication is a report from the Leading Space Education Programme (LSEP). This is a Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) funded project that has worked with 30 schools in England with the aim of enhancing science, technology, engineering and mathematics education in secondary schools and using...

This APU report for teachers presents a summary of the main findings likely to be of most interest to teachers from the first two surveys of students at age 11, conducted in 1980 and 1981. It also offers some conclusions about what students at this age were generally...

This APU report for teachers gives information about what was assessed in the APU monitoring of students’ performance aged 11 (a short-hand for children between the ages of 10 years 9 months and 11 years 8 months). After a brief summary of the background to the APU...

This APU report for teachers describes the aspect of the science surveys where the science project broke new ground. The reason for including practical tasks was the emphasis placed on practical work in science, requiring a range of skills.

It was considered that science performance could not be adequately...

This APU report for teachers focuses on students’ planning of investigations. Although considered important in several respects, Rep...

Students often find it difficult to understand the related concepts of acceleration and speed. Making use of the BBC micro:bit on-board accelerometer, this playful activity allows students to get an intuitive understanding through hands-on activity.

The simple game requires that students maintain...

Active Teaching and Learning Approaches in Science (ATLAS) was a curriculum development project organised by the Centre for Science Education in the Higher Education Institution that is now called Sheffield Hallam University.

Activities and Experiences was the central publication of the Science Teacher Education Project, provided by the Nuffield Foundation. It was compiled to provide a bank of ideas to use in courses of professional development. This publication consisted of a loose-leaf pack with pages featuring:

* Introductory...

This activity, from the Centre for Science Education and the Comino Foundation, is set in the context of choosing a birthday gift. It encourages students to think about carbon footprints. Which goods and services cause the biggest carbon dioxide emissions? What choices can we make to minimise emissions? 



The project involved members of staff from the STEM subjects at the Kingswinford School working collaboratively to plan and deliver sessions to a group of Year Nine students. These sessions were held after school for an hour each week during the summer and autumn terms...

Area Builder gives students the opportunity to build any shape and explore the relationship between the area of a shape and the length of its perimeter. The “Game Screen” contains two kinds of challenges: Build a shape and Find the area. There are different levels of increasing difficulty. The teacher notes give...