Primary teachers 'not confident' in science - report claims

Half of all primary school teachers do not have sufficient confidence in their understanding of science to teach the subject effectively, a new report has claimed.

According to the 'Primary Horizons' report, up to 60% of teachers over the age of 30 pointed towards the lack of career development and subject specific training as a major problem. One teacher admitted: "There are certain things [that we teach] that [teachers] might not have done since primary school or secondary school themselves."

Another, speaking about training courses, said: "There is still a vast majority of teachers who are not confident and it is never going to be addressed just through the odd in-service and the odd-session or hour talk."

The report highlights some regional differences across the UK. More teachers in Northern Ireland than in other regions, for example, felt that better use of ICT in primary science would help pupils to become more active and informed citizens. They were also more critical of their schools' resources for science than teachers in other regions.

Peter Finn, Acting Principal of St Mary's University College Belfast, said: "At a time of unprecedented change in school education, it is noteworthy that this report informs us of the attitudes and experiences of classroom teachers who deal with the realities of curriculum development on a daily basis. It is a voice that should be listened to more actively by education policy-makers."

The report also found that teachers felt under pressure from the breadth of the science curriculum against the time available to teach it. Some admitted that this can lead to them 'teaching to the test' rather than using creative approaches such as investigations and stories to relate science to pupils' lives, which can help to develop skills, understanding and enthusiasm for the subject.

The report was prompted by statistics that show pupils are losing interest in science – in 1995, 80% of 10 years olds said they enjoyed science lessons, that figured had dropped to 68% in 2003.

(MB/SP)