Background: The paper discusses how the design of summative assessments of practical science can be enhanced through the use of robust theoretical models that capture the diversity of scientific methods. The developments in assessment policy in England and the role of practical science in teaching and learning of science are reviewed. Purpose: The…

This article discusses teachers' experiences of making simple changes to lessons with the aim of enhancing students' ability to make connections between their everyday knowledge and science and enrich their perception of what counts as science, increasing their science capital. The classroom work followed findings by the ASPIRES team at King's…

Building on a project that began in 2016, Leeds Beckett University students have continued to work with a local Community Investment Company (CIC) that uses surplus food to facilitate learning around wellbeing and sustainable development. This year students focused on designing a science education pack that would enhance learning and facilitate…

The present paper reports upon the design and implementation of a novel practical work pedagogy that is shown to increase students' retention of practical procedures. The chemistry exams, for 15 to 16-year olds in England, will be assessed entirely through terminal examination questions from 2018. Longer term retention of learning is critical if…

In response to a concern about the persistent underachievement in exams of Chemistry students in one school, a pilot study was carried out to see if mentoring-style intervention could improve exam performance. Individual personalised interviews were offered to a class, during which support for the development of the skills and subject knowledge…

Cries for increased accountability through additional assessment are heard throughout the educational arena. However, as demonstrated in this study, to make a valid assessment of teaching and learning effectiveness, educators must determine not only what students do, but also why they do it, as the latter significantly affects the former. This…

The IADIS CELDA 2012 Conference intention was to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There had been advances in both cognitive psychology and computing that have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a…