Science is at heart a practical subject, but the perception of what makes good teaching and learning through practical science is often misunderstood. Through working with teachers on professional development courses at the UK's National Science Learning Centre, and drawing on work carried out by other organisations, we present some thoughts and…

This article focuses on the role of the Association for Science Education (ASE) in supporting and developing policy and practice in primary school science. It first sets the events after the formation of ASE in 1963 in the context of what went before. It then takes a mainly chronological view of some, but by no means all, of ASE's activities…

Summarizes the result of a subjective evaluation of the Nuffield Primary Science Project, including teacher reaction and the progress of the students in later years of schooling. (AL)

The first of two short articles describes the American Association for the Advancement of Science elementary school program; the other describes an experimental school-based testing program for the assessment of biology students in England for the award of certificate offered by an external examinations' board. (AL)

Describes how infants of six to seven years old can learn floating and sinking. The work described in this article was inspired by the Elementary Science Study (ESS). (HM)