Child-led enquiry in primary science

Area of Science:

• Science education research
• Pedagogical approaches in primary schools

Background:

• Investigating child-led learning in primary science.
• Evaluating the Community of Scientific Enquiry (CoSE) model.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and evaluate the CoSE approach for 8-11 year olds.
• To assess CoSE's impact on engagement, confidence, and oracy.

Main Methods:

• Workshop-based introduction of CoSE to primary teachers.
• Implementation and evaluation of CoSE in classrooms.
• Data collection from 364 children and 19 teachers.

Main Results:

• CoSE successfully engaged children in science learning.
• The approach fostered increased confidence and oracy skills in pupils.
• Teachers identified a need for enhanced facilitation and thematic integration skills.

Conclusions:

• The Community of Scientific Enquiry is an effective pedagogical tool for primary science.
• Professional development should focus on teacher facilitation and cross-curricular links.
• Further research could explore long-term impacts and broader implementation strategies.