Science teaching in upper primary school through the eyes of the practitioners

Abstract

Teachers’ own voices have been partially missing in science education research on upper primary school (age 10-12). In order to examine views and experiences of teaching science, we interviewed 14 upper primary teachers. They described science teaching as fun, mainly due to the inherent practical work. The same practical work was also identified by the teachers as the main cause of stress and was therefore conducted less frequently than desired. The data enabled construction of seven teacher roles, closely connected to both their described teaching practices and views on science education. Teachers’ accounts of their science teaching speak of a varied practice with emphasis on practical work and facts, and less articulated descriptions of work to develop students’ abilities to examine and communicate science. The results provide insights into the interactions between teacher views and teaching practices which could prove valuable for improving upper primary science education.