Responses of teachers in Scotland to the reintroduction of the practical project in the advanced higher chemistry curriculum

Traynor, Erin and Scott, Fraser J. and Thomson, Patrick I. T. (2024) Responses of teachers in Scotland to the reintroduction of the practical project in the advanced higher chemistry curriculum. Chemistry Teacher International. ISSN 2569-3263 (https://doi.org/10.1515/cti-2024-0073)

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Abstract

Many pupils who study chemistry in Scotland and intend to progress to university undertake a final capstone practical research project as part of their Advanced Higher Chemistry qualification. This project work was suspended for several years due to COVID-19, then reintroduced in 2023/24. We surveyed 47 Scottish teachers during this first project year using a mixed-methods survey, and found that resource availability had the biggest impact on projects, with over half of respondents reporting that they asked pupils to buy materials and a third committing their own money. Technician support was seen as critical to success, but project selection was heavily curtailed by the availability of existing equipment or chemicals, even as teachers made good use of available professional development and other forms of support. We finally make recommendations around the resourcing of project work and teacher/technician CPD provision.

ORCID iDs

Traynor, Erin, Scott, Fraser J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0229-3698 and Thomson, Patrick I. T. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9831-9199;
  • Item type:Article
    ID code:90823
    Dates:
    Date
    Event
    31 October 2024
    Published
    31 October 2024
    Published Online
    10 October 2024
    Accepted
    2 August 2024
    Submitted
    Subjects:Education
    Department:Faculty of Science > Pure and Applied Chemistry
    Depositing user: Pure Administrator
    Date deposited:11 Oct 2024 10:46
    Last modified:15 Nov 2024 10:22
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/90823
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