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Mark Langley, Matt Cornock, Jessie Mytum-Smithson, and Tim Bradbury

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 The course has been designed as CPD for teachers of science subjects for 14-16 year olds. Teachers of chemistry, early career teachers, returning teachers, non-specialist teachers, technicians and teaching assistants will gain from the peer learning and resources available on this course. Learn from national CPD subject leaders, the experience of other teachers and access high quality supporting resources throughout this course. You can use the hashtag #FLSTEMPractical to talk about this course on social media.

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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 The course has been designed as CPD for teachers of science subjects for 14-16 year olds. Teachers of chemistry, early career teachers, returning teachers, non-specialist teachers, technicians and teaching assistants will gain from the peer learning and resources available on this course. Learn from national CPD subject leaders, the experience of other teachers and access high quality supporting resources throughout this course. You can use the hashtag #FLSTEMPractical to talk about this course on social media.

Topics Covered

  • Practical work for 14-16 year olds for the key topics of: electrolysis, rates of reaction and salt preparation.
  • Contextualising practical work in chemistry to the everyday environment.
  • How progression in practical work impacts on students’ learning.
  • Assessment of learning through practical work in chemistry.
  • Approaches to teaching practical science that can be applied to other topic areas.

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Reviews summary

Practical chemistry pedagogy for educators

According to learners, this course is a largely positive resource, particularly beneficial for science educators and teaching support staff. Many highlight its direct applicability to classroom settings, providing concrete strategies and ideas for teaching practical chemistry to 14-16 year olds. Students frequently praise the high-quality resources and the practical, hands-on focus of the course content, noting it helps them structure and assess lab work effectively. While widely appreciated, some seasoned chemistry teachers found parts to be a refresher rather than new material.
Discussions with other educators enhance the learning experience.
"The peer learning aspect was invaluable; discussing ideas with other teachers provided great insight and new approaches."
"I really appreciated the opportunity to share experiences and learn from other educators facing similar classroom challenges."
"Using the hashtag #FLSTEMPractical was a great way to connect and extend the learning beyond the course materials."
Guidance on assessing practical work enhances understanding of student learning.
"The section on assessment of learning through practical work was particularly insightful and helped me refine my evaluation methods."
"I now have a much clearer idea of how to effectively assess student progression in practical chemistry, thanks to this course."
"The approaches to teaching practical science, especially related to assessment, are very clear and applicable to other topics."
Provides valuable, well-explained demonstrations and supporting materials.
"The resources provided are top-notch and directly relevant to the curriculum. I especially appreciated the demonstration videos."
"I enjoyed the high-quality supporting resources throughout this course; they are perfectly aligned with teaching practical chemistry."
"The course content includes excellent examples of how to contextualize practical work, making it more engaging for students."
Supports early career, non-specialist, and returning science teachers effectively.
"As a non-specialist teaching chemistry, this course filled significant gaps in my pedagogical content knowledge for practical work."
"Excellent for early career teachers looking to build confidence in delivering key practicals for 14-16 year olds."
"Even returning to teaching after a break, I found this course incredibly helpful in refreshing my approach to practical science."
Offers actionable strategies and examples for teaching practical chemistry.
"This course is extremely useful for classroom application. It provided concrete examples for practicals that I can use immediately."
"I found the focus on electrolysis, rates, and salt preparation incredibly practical. It really helped me improve my lab lesson plans."
"The course offered practical tools and strategies I could immediately apply to my teaching. A truly hands-on approach to pedagogy."
Some experienced teachers found parts to be a review, but helpful for others.
"As an experienced chemistry teacher, some modules felt like a refresher of concepts I already knew, but still useful for new perspectives."
"While thorough, I felt certain sections moved a bit slowly for someone with prior pedagogical training in science."
"The course provides a good foundation, but I was hoping for a bit more advanced discussions on troubleshooting complex practicals."

Activities

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