National curriculum limits practical science lessons - report

Titled ‘School report: Barriers to practical science’, the study found that the demands of the curriculum are the biggest barrier to delivering a practical science lesson (44 per cent) followed by time constraints (37 per cent) and student behaviour (33 per cent). In total, 27 per cent said their school did not have enough money to purchase the equipment needed for practical lessons, or they did not have enough equipment (26 per cent).  

A total of 800 STEM UK teachers were surveyed for the EngineeringUK School report series. This third EngineeringUK briefing questioned 398 UK science teachers on the difficulties they faced in delivering hands-on practical science lessons. 

Becca Gooch, head of research, EngineeringUK, said, “We know the frequency of hands-on practical science has dropped. Our Science Education Tracker research in partnership with the Royal Society highlighted this, as well as how critically vital practical science is as a motivating factor for learning science for years seven to nine.

“Hands-on practicals help bring science to life for young people and boost interest in science as well as developing important skills. We need more young people, especially girls, choosing to continue with science and progress into engineering and technology careers. So, we need school students to have many more opportunities to get hands-on in their science lessons.” 

EngineeringUK said that in 2016, 44 per cent of GCSE students were doing hands-on practical work at least once a fortnight. This declined to 37 per cent in 2019 and again to 26 per cent in 2023.

Restrictions during the Covid pandemic meant it wasn’t possible for students to do hands-on practical work. However, prior to the pandemic there was a shift away from hands-on practicals and watching teacher demonstrations and towards video-based learning.

School Report: Barriers to practical science recommendations: 

• The government uses the opportunity of the current curriculum and assessment review to address the volume of content in the curriculum. We are concerned that this content overload in the curriculum in England has led to the reduction in practical work in science lessons. 

• Ensure that practical science is an essential part of the curriculum, and students experience a practical activity in at least half of their lessons 

• Ensure that schools have the resources needed to provide students with the opportunity to participate regularly in hands-on practical lessons. This should include the equipment to carry out practicals and the technician staffing levels to support their delivery. 

Professor Ulrike Tillmann FRS, chair of the Royal Society’s Education Committee, said, “It is concerning that hands-on science activities are becoming increasingly marginalised, impacting student engagement and understanding of the relevance of science to their lives.  Experimentation and practical work have always been at the heart of scientific inquiry. Not only do they provide a tangible way to connect what we learn in the classroom to the real world, but they also help with problem solving, teamwork and many other invaluable skills needed for pupils to thrive as future citizens.”