This discussion paper focuses on the purpose of, and vision for, Irish primary science education prior to the redevelopment and publication of the primary science curriculum in 2024. Scientific literacy is broadly accepted as the goal of science education. Despite this, curricular analysis focusing on scientific literacy in Europe is scarce. There…

The aim of this research was to explore the use of children's stories as a methodology in the primary science curriculum. This paper reports on a pilot project involving the design and development of science lessons integrating the book, 'We're All Going on a Bear Hunt', with children ranging in age from 6-8 years old in two different primary…

In Ireland, new science curricula were introduced at primary and early post-primary levels in 2003, in an effort to reverse declining interest and enrolment in science. This paper reports on a national study that explored first year post-primary students' experiences of and attitudes towards school science under these new curricula. Data were…

This paper describes a novel science education initiative developed for 8-to 12-year-old children by the Biomedical Diagnostics Institute at Dublin City University, Ireland. "Me and My Body" (MAMBO) is an interactive, multi-faceted programme that enables children to explore and understand the dynamic physiological parameters of the human…