Practical work in primary science education: using a scoping review and educator survey to create a new framework for prioritising purposeful use

Earle, S ORCID: 0000-0002-6155-1098, Read, S ORCID: 0000-0003-2380-4936, Bianchi, L and Jordan, J (2026) 'Practical work in primary science education: using a scoping review and educator survey to create a new framework for prioritising purposeful use.' Educational Studies. doi: 10.1080/03055698.2026.2698518

Preview

Text 17870.pdf - Published Version CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Download (2MB) | Preview

Abstract

Practical work is seen as a fundamental part of science education, but its purpose in primary (age 5–11 in the UK) is not always clear. A new definition for practical work raises the profile of multi-modal communication during “hands-on”, “minds-on” science learning experiences. This scoping review of academic and grey literature identified ten possible purposes for practical work within 54 included documents. These ten purposes were applied to the reality of educators’ experiences through a UK-wide survey (n = 231), with participants asked to describe what they saw the purpose of practical work to be, before being asked to rate the relative importance of the ten extracted from the literature. Participants identified all purposes as important, but some as less likely to be enacted in the classroom. A “Purposes of Practical Work in Primary Science Framework” is presented to support the prioritisation of objectives for the focus of individual practical work activities.

Item Type:	Article
UN SDGs:	Goal 4: Quality Education
Keywords:	primary science, practical work, purpose, science education
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1501 Primary Education
Divisions:	School of Education
Research Centres and Groups:	Centre for Research in Scientific and Technological Education
Date Deposited:	24 Aug 2026 17:54
Last Modified:	24 Aug 2026 17:54
ISSN:	0305-5698
URN:	https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/17870

	Request a change to this item or report an issue
	Update item (repository staff only)