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Teaching Primary Science

Getting Started

Karen Brunyee, Sarah Dagnell, Matt Cornock, and Tanya Shields

Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more This course is for primary school teachers who are new to teaching or would like to develop their skills in science teaching. There will be references to the English National Curriculum but learners will be encouraged to review their local curricula to contextualise the course content. This course adopts a reflective practice approach that will also support the development of teaching skills for non-UK teachers. You can use the hashtag #FLSTEMPrimaryScience to talk about this course on social media.

Read more

Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more This course is for primary school teachers who are new to teaching or would like to develop their skills in science teaching. There will be references to the English National Curriculum but learners will be encouraged to review their local curricula to contextualise the course content. This course adopts a reflective practice approach that will also support the development of teaching skills for non-UK teachers. You can use the hashtag #FLSTEMPrimaryScience to talk about this course on social media.

Topics Covered

  • Resourcing practical science easily
  • Managing practical science in the primary classroom
  • Identifying types of enquiry
  • Embedding practical science in planning
  • Exploring activities which spark curiosity
  • Developing thinking and reasoning skills
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Reviews summary

Practical guide for primary science teachers

According to learners, this course offers a highly practical and accessible starting point for primary teachers aiming to enhance their science teaching. Students find the content provides clear strategies for managing practical science in the classroom and effective methods for sparking curiosity in young learners. It's particularly lauded for its beginner-friendly approach, though more experienced educators might find some topics foundational. The course helps teachers integrate science enquiry effectively into planning, making it a valuable resource for professional development. While referencing the English curriculum, it successfully encourages local contextualization, broadening its appeal.
Helps teachers align with local curricula, even with UK focus.
"Despite the UK curriculum references, I could easily contextualize the content for my own country's curriculum."
"It encouraged me to reflect on how principles apply to my local teaching standards."
"I found the guidance on identifying enquiry types universally applicable, regardless of specific curriculum."
Serves as a strong foundational course for new teachers.
"As a new teacher, this course provided the perfect 'getting started' guide for primary science."
"It covers the basics thoroughly, which was exactly what I needed to build my confidence."
"I appreciate how clearly the fundamental concepts of science teaching were explained."
Offers activities and methods to spark student interest in science.
"I found excellent ideas for activities that truly spark curiosity in my students."
"This course helped me develop thinking skills in my students through engaging enquiries."
"I can now design lessons that make science exciting and accessible for my primary class."
Provides immediately applicable strategies for managing science.
"I now feel much more confident in resourcing and managing practical science activities."
"The course gave me practical tips that I could implement in my classroom straight away."
"I learned how to manage my primary science lessons more effectively and safely."
May be too basic for very experienced science educators.
"While excellent for beginners, I found some topics a bit basic given my years of experience."
"I was hoping for more advanced pedagogical strategies, but it's a 'getting started' course after all."
"For teachers already confident in science, this might serve more as a refresher than new learning."

Activities

Coming soon We're preparing activities for Teaching Primary Science: Getting Started. These are activities you can do either before, during, or after a course.

Career center

Learners who complete Teaching Primary Science: Getting Started will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

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Time
9 hours
Via
FutureLearn
Institution
National STEM Learning Centre
Instructors
Karen Brunyee
Sarah Dagnell
Matt Cornock
Tanya Shields
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