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A Systematic Review of Approaches to Primary Science Teaching

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Title: A Systematic Review of Approaches to Primary Science Teaching
Language: English
Authors: Judith M. Bennett, Lynda Dunlop, Lucy Atkinson, Sarah Compton, Helen Glasspoole-Bird, Fred Lubben, Michael J. Reiss, Maria Turkenburg-van Diepen, Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) (United Kingdom)
Source: Education Endowment Foundation. 2023.
Availability: Education Endowment Foundation. 9th Floor Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP, UK. Tel: +44-207-802-1676; e-mail: info@eefoundation.org.uk; Web site: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 267
Publication Date: 2023
Sponsoring Agency: Wellcome Trust (United Kingdom)
Document Type: Information Analyses
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Elementary School Science, Science Instruction, Instructional Effectiveness, Educational Research, Educational Practices, Teaching Methods, Outcomes of Education, Science Achievement, Science Curriculum
Geographic Terms: United Kingdom (England), United States, Taiwan, Germany, Nigeria, Turkey, China, Netherlands, Singapore, Israel, Cyprus, Italy, Finland, Serbia, Switzerland, Argentina, Croatia
Abstract: Primary science is important for pupils as individuals and for society: amongst many other reasons, it can help children to understand and reason about themselves and the world, enable them to live healthy lives, and make informed choices. It is important to understand how to best organise, teach and assess primary science. Whilst several reviews have focused on identifying the effectiveness of specific approaches such as inquiry, the purpose of this study was to review the effectiveness of different approaches to primary science teaching on a range of pupil outcomes. Informed by a review of practice to identify outcomes important to teachers, the authors systematically searched electronic bibliographic databases and other educational sources for studies reporting on the effects of different approaches to primary science curriculum, teaching and assessment, published and including data collected between January 2007 and September 2021. Studies were included if they had a sample of children aged between 5 and 11 and reported a science-specific teaching approach or a general teaching approach used in a primary science context. Studies were included if they had a counterfactual and where they reported pupil-level outcomes. The final body of literature for review included 90 studies.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED677294
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
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  Data: A Systematic Review of Approaches to Primary Science Teaching
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Judith+M%2E+Bennett%22">Judith M. Bennett</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lynda+Dunlop%22">Lynda Dunlop</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lucy+Atkinson%22">Lucy Atkinson</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sarah+Compton%22">Sarah Compton</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Helen+Glasspoole-Bird%22">Helen Glasspoole-Bird</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fred+Lubben%22">Fred Lubben</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Michael+J%2E+Reiss%22">Michael J. Reiss</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Maria+Turkenburg-van+Diepen%22">Maria Turkenburg-van Diepen</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Education+Endowment+Foundation+%28EEF%29+%28United+Kingdom%29%22">Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) (United Kingdom)</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Education+Endowment+Foundation%22"><i>Education Endowment Foundation</i></searchLink>. 2023.
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  Data: Education Endowment Foundation. 9th Floor Millbank Tower, Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP, UK. Tel: +44-207-802-1676; e-mail: info@eefoundation.org.uk; Web site: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/
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  Data: 267
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  Data: 2023
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Science%22">Elementary School Science</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Science+Instruction%22">Science Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Instructional+Effectiveness%22">Instructional Effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Research%22">Educational Research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Practices%22">Educational Practices</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Methods%22">Teaching Methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Outcomes+of+Education%22">Outcomes of Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Science+Achievement%22">Science Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Science+Curriculum%22">Science Curriculum</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+Kingdom+%28England%29%22">United Kingdom (England)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+States%22">United States</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Taiwan%22">Taiwan</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Germany%22">Germany</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nigeria%22">Nigeria</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Turkey%22">Turkey</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22China%22">China</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Netherlands%22">Netherlands</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Singapore%22">Singapore</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Israel%22">Israel</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cyprus%22">Cyprus</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Italy%22">Italy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Finland%22">Finland</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Serbia%22">Serbia</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Switzerland%22">Switzerland</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Argentina%22">Argentina</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Croatia%22">Croatia</searchLink>
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Primary science is important for pupils as individuals and for society: amongst many other reasons, it can help children to understand and reason about themselves and the world, enable them to live healthy lives, and make informed choices. It is important to understand how to best organise, teach and assess primary science. Whilst several reviews have focused on identifying the effectiveness of specific approaches such as inquiry, the purpose of this study was to review the effectiveness of different approaches to primary science teaching on a range of pupil outcomes. Informed by a review of practice to identify outcomes important to teachers, the authors systematically searched electronic bibliographic databases and other educational sources for studies reporting on the effects of different approaches to primary science curriculum, teaching and assessment, published and including data collected between January 2007 and September 2021. Studies were included if they had a sample of children aged between 5 and 11 and reported a science-specific teaching approach or a general teaching approach used in a primary science context. Studies were included if they had a counterfactual and where they reported pupil-level outcomes. The final body of literature for review included 90 studies.
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 267
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Science
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Science Instruction
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      – SubjectFull: Instructional Effectiveness
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Research
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      – SubjectFull: Teaching Methods
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      – SubjectFull: Outcomes of Education
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      – SubjectFull: Science Achievement
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      – SubjectFull: Science Curriculum
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      – SubjectFull: United Kingdom (England)
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