We have argued that science in general, and scientific inquiry in particular, is a human activity and that current models to describe science (either as Scientific Method or as a Body of Knowledge) tend to underestimate the significance of human beings in the phenomenon. Our earlier paper (Bevins & Price, 2016) suggests a model to correct this imbalance which we call 3-Dimensional science. The current paper used the Storyline Method to look at the lived experiences of nine science researchers and educators for evidence of our third dimension (Psychological Energy). Results suggest that the key features of our third dimension are present, namely: a degree of autonomy, a sense of competence, and a relatedness to significant others. We suggest this further strengthens the argument for a more holistic approach to science education which celebrates these issues rather than simply a technical analysis of isolated teaching techniques.

This article offers an outline of 3D science that conceptualises science around three dimensions: domain knowledge, evidence-management procedures and psychological energy. We propose that this model could underpin a rigorous, effective and motivating approach to science education in schools. We show how self-determination theory offers useful insights into motivation in 3D science and discuss the benefits of this for teachers and students. As proof of concept we sketch out clear assessment objectives for a 3D-compliant science course and develop outline assessment criteria to show the possibility for progression.

This chapter provides concluding comments and reflections on the Chain Reaction project as well as inquiry approaches in general. The authors also include three reflective stories based on their involvement in the program. These stories attempt to bring differing roles and aspects of the project to life while identifying successes and barriers within the project. They also discuss implications for the future of science education across Europe and summarize their outcomes from the Chain Reaction project.

This chapter describes aspects of the successes and obstacles in the delivery of chain reaction in school science classrooms in England. It offers an overview of recent education reform in England and moves on to discuss the implementation of the program and provides anecdotal evidence from teachers to support emerging themes from the delivery experience. Issues of “time” restraints and over-burdened “curricular” as barriers to the deployment of inquiry approaches are highlighted by identifying positive outcomes and offering implications for science education across Europe.

This article is concerned with the personal constructs of science teachers about inquiry in selected schools in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. While there is a large volume of existing literature which advocates the use of inquiry in the science classroom to enhance students' engagement with, and learning of science, relatively few of these studies represent teachers' voice. Therefore, we believe that it is important and distinctive to report teachers' constructs of inquiry and related concerns regarding its use in the science classroom. We identify the key constructs from 10 participating teachers and discuss these amongst a backdrop of policy implications for inquiry approaches in English secondary school science classrooms. Personal Construct Theory was used to underpin the study and frame data collection and analysis. Key findings show that the teachers identify an inquiry approach as being effective in stimulating students' independent learning and interest in science but issues such as time and confidence inhibit their deployment of inquiry approaches.

In low- and middle-income countries, cascade models of teacher professional development are often used as routes to educational reform. In these models, external agents deliver professional development, which is then disseminated by in-country facilitators. However, little is known about how to support facilitators of professional development, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In this study, we report on a model of capacity building for professional development in Ghana. In the context of a large-scale programme of science teacher professional development, a group of Ghanaian teachers gradually assumed responsibility for professional development facilitation, working alongside experienced facilitators from the UK. Using interviews focussed on a storyline technique, we explore the experiences of the Ghanaian teachers as they reflected on their roles. We found the teachers' epistemological beliefs about teaching were coherent with those of the programme and suggest that this may be an important factor in the success of cascade models of professional development. The teachers gained self-confidence and improved their knowledge and skills of teaching and of professional development facilitation. We propose that this is useful learning for all facilitators and that the model described here is one which is potentially useful for capacity building in other contexts.

Chain Reaction was a three-year project funded by the European Commission. Its key aim was to develop Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE) across twelve partner countries—United Kingdom, Italy, Slovakia, Turkey, Bulgaria, France, Slovenia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Jordan, Georgia. The key underpinning element of the project was the development and deployment of interactive and engaging professional development for science teacher educators from each participating country. The science teacher educators involved were introduced to ‘tried and tested’ inquiry-themed science resources and worked collaboratively with project members to gain a clear understanding of the philosophy and mechanisms involved in designing and facilitating inquiry in the science classroom. Once fully cognisant in the use of the resources the science teacher educators, from each partner, designed and delivered a dedicated professional development course for participating science teachers. The specific nature of each professional development event varied from partner to partner but was consistent in its aim to develop participating teachers’ confidence and skills in using the resources with their science students. Following the professional development sessions in each country, science teachers were able to deliver a series of inquiry-based sessions.

The Centre for Science Education (CSE), a part of the Sheffield Institute of Education at Sheffield Hallam University was invited by the Ministry of Education (OBEC) in Thailand to review the STEM provision in Thailand with particular reference to the performance of gifted and talented students and to create an Engineering Curriculum and a set of STEM modules which would integrate with existing subjects. This project is part-funded by the Newton Fund in Thailand. The key outputs of the project are a review of the existing STEM curriculum, the creation of a compatible Engineering subject and the formulation of supplementary courses for 195 Gifted schools which have a focus on STEM. The report would also identify barriers to successful implementation and suggest a monitoring and evaluation approach that would match the initiative’s aims. In August 2016 a team from CSE delivered a three day workshop in Bangkok. The workshop introduced the new Engineering Curriculum and the STEM modules to 50 teachers drawn from the 195 STEM specialist schools. The workshop also provided some professional development input for the teachers about how to create modules in the new Engineering Curriculum and techniques for working with gifted and talented students.

Decades of discussion and debate about how science is most effectively taught and learned have resulted in a number of similar but competing inquiry models. These aim to develop students learning of science through approaches which reflect the authenticity of science as practiced by professional scientists while being practical and manageable within the school context. This paper offers a collection of our current reflections and suggestions concerning inquiry and its place in science education. We suggest that many of the current models of inquiry are too limited in their vision concerning themselves, almost exclusively, with producing a scaffold which reduces the complex process of inquiry into an algorithmic approach based around a sequence of relatively simple steps. We argue that this restricts students' experience of authentic inquiry to make classroom management and assessment procedures easier. We then speculate that a more integrated approach is required through an alternative inquiry model that depends on three dimensions (conceptual, procedural and personal) and we propose that it will be more likely to promote effective learning and a willingness to engage in inquiry across all facets of a students' school career and beyond.

The Centre for Science Education (CSE), a part of the Sheffield Institute of Education at Sheffield Hallam University was invited by the Ministry of Education (OBEC) in Thailand to review the STEM provision in Thailand with particular reference to the performance of gifted and talented students and to create an Engineering Curriculum and a set of STEM modules which would integrate with existing subjects. This project is part-funded by the Newton Fund in Thailand. The key outputs of the project are a review of the existing STEM curriculum, the creation of a compatible Engineering subject and the formulation of supplementary courses for 195 Gifted schools which have a focus on STEM. The report would also identify barriers to successful implementation and suggest a monitoring and evaluation approach that would match the initiative’s aims. In August 2016 a team from CSE delivered a three day workshop in Bangkok. The workshop introduced the new Engineering Curriculum and the STEM modules to 50 teachers drawn from the 195 STEM specialist schools. The workshop also provided some professional development input for the teachers about how to create modules in the new Engineering Curriculum and techniques for working with gifted and talented students.

Collaboration between academics and teachers has become increasingly prevalent over recent years. Whether its aim is joint research or continuing professional development for teachers, collaboration seems to offer a realistic opportunity for reducing the perceived gap between theory and practice. However, collaboration is not merely academics and teachers working together on a common project. It is complex in nature and involves a range of requirements that must be satisfied in order to maximise the potential of the relationship. In this paper we will theorise on the nature of academics and teachers working together and suggest that a working relationship between academic researchers and teachers can be one of three models: client–supplier, a coercive relationship or a collaborative relationship. We identify and unpack specific factors that underpin collaboration and suggest a number of concrete actions to establish collaboration between academics and teachers. We draw heavily from existing literature and our own reflections on two collaborative projects with which we have recently been involved. We use data from these projects to provide a number of anecdotes from the teachers who participated to support our own reflections. Finally, we suggest that further research should investigate the different ways attempts to collaborate fail, to build a more complete sense of the problems and potential of this special relationship.

This paper describes how a cluster of nine secondary science teachers and lecturers from five schools and colleges in the United Kingdom designed and undertook small-scale action research projects as an approach to their own continuing professional development. The participating teachers identified a range of topics for investigation such as: student voice to inform curriculum planning; the use of STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) to raise student engagement and motivation in mathematics and literacy; and assessment and learning in practical work. The participants brought their research into practice either as individuals, pairs or within a team. Central to each project was the use of reflection as a primary approach to enable the teachers to self-evaluate their professional practice and gain a greater understanding of the wider contexts of teaching and learning. The key aim of establishing a cluster was to foster collaborative reflective practice and encourage a teacher-led process. Reflective practice was developed through the use of several approaches including: reflective discussions, audio reflections, a paper-based learning and evaluation tool, and an online hub. Teachers were particularly encouraged to use the latter three tools in an attempt to stimulate and structure their reflections critically about what was taking place in a given situation during their designed interventions, to identify suitable options, and to make tacit the knowledge gained about their approaches to classroom-based research.

Debates about school science, students' engagement with, and participation in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and the supply of suitably qualified people for STEM related fields have been ongoing in England since the early 20th Century. Recent key policy documents and STEM related organisations have highlighted a skills gap in these fields that, if not addressed, could have significant implications towards the country's economic development and prosperity. A large body of literature exists which contributes to the understanding of why it is that young people opt out of post-compulsory STEM education and STEM related careers. However, even with a large knowledge base and a wide range of initiatives and projects that have been carefully designed with the underpinning aim of attracting more young people to STEM related careers (10 year Science and Innovation Framework-HMT, 2004) there still appears to be a problem. This paper presents data gathered from two studies undertaken by the authors in 2004 and 2010. Key findings from two surveys of school students' perceptions of school science and science and engineering in general, and from follow-up focus group interviews are reported. Data sets from both 2004 and 2010 reveal a large amount of congruence in the students' perceptions. While the majority of participating students state that they enjoy school science they also state that they would not consider study of STEM related subjects beyond compulsory education or a STEM related career. The paper situates key findings within existing literature and argues that there is some way to go before we can begin to piece together the large range of factors which influence student's decisions to opt out of STEM study and careers and to develop a clear and effective strategy for tackling the problem.

This paper reports findings from a study which explored undergraduate perceptions of the Student Associates Scheme in England (SAS). The scheme was established by the Training and Development Agency for Schools in an attempt to increase the number of graduates entering the teaching profession, particularly in shortage subjects such as the physical sciences and mathematics. The scheme places undergraduate students on short‐term placements in secondary schools throughout England to provide them with experiences that may encourage them to consider teaching as a career option. Findings show that the SAS school placements were a positive experience for the students participating in this study. However, a question emerged as to whether or not the scheme is targeting students who have yet to decide upon teaching as a career or just reinforcing the existing aspirations of students who have already decided to teach. As the scheme is attempting to increase the number of teachers entering the profession this question has important implications for this study and further work which will focus on undergraduates who think that their career ambitions would not be fulfilled by teaching.