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Abstract
This article presents and discusses outcomes arising from a recently completed National Primary Science Survey (England) intended, in part, to elicit how teachers and others perceive the effectiveness of colleagues and the schools in which they work to implement and deliver primary science within the National Curriculum. While the majority view among respondents was found to be generally positive and encouraging, particularly so in terms of school ethos and regard for science as a curriculum area, certain personal or ‘intrinsic’ and environmental or ‘extrinsic’ elements were nevertheless identified as more inhibiting than others and for certain subgroups within the sample of participants itself. The majority of findings reported here were obtained using a seven-scale, 49-item diagnostic research instrument originally developed for use in New Zealand and subsequently transported to other locations around the world. In its first fully documented use within the UK, the validity, reliability and potential of this instrument to provide teachers and others with a means of evaluating science education provision together with providing an evidence-base for professional dialogue, strategic planning and decision-making for overall school improvement are considered.
Acknowledgements
This work would not have been possible without the assistance of Lois Kelly (Liverpool Hope University), Graham Peacock (Sheffield Hallam University), Dan Davies (Bath Spa University), Rob Bowker (University of Exeter) and Sarah James (University of Hull) who gave up their time freely to help with data collection. The authors also acknowledge the financial assistance of the School Of Culture, Education and Innovation, Bishop Grosseteste University College, Lincoln.