Research School Network: New EEF Guidance Report on Improving Primary Science Teaching Science

High-quality primary science teaching builds pupils’ curiosity and critical thinking, helping them to build a coherent understanding of the world around them. It’s also crucial from a social mobility point of view, opening children’s minds to the opportunities they could pursue in later life.

The Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF) new guidance report — Improving Primary Science— is underpinned by a systematic review of the best available international evidence around effective primary science teaching practice.

It outlines six actionable recommendations to support teachers and school leaders to make improvements to their existing science provision, including how to develop pupils’ scientific vocabulary, and relate new learning to relevant, real-world contexts.

Each recommendation includes models, worked examples and suggested strategies to illustrate what the evidence could look like practice in your primary school classroom.

The report – which is free to download from the EEF’s website – is accompanied by additional resources designed to support pupils’ independence when working scientifically and prompt meaningful discussions around science professional development for staff.