Questions about doing investigations and practical work in science

Return Rate

Total number completed 591 (284 boys, 307 girls)

Year GroupBoysGirls

6*8277

78786

9115144

* More yr 6 questionnaires were submitted after this analysis was done.Questions about doing investigations and practical work in science

Significant differences are highlighted in yellowQuestions

Do you like ResponsesYear group differencesGender differences

Learning science by doing investigations?YesY9 most positiveBoys most positive

Finding out what happens when you do an investigation?YesY9 most positiveBoys most positive

Planning an investigation and then carrying it out?NeutralY9 most positiveNo

Working with other pupils when you do investigations?YesY9 most positiveBoys most positive

Talking about science questions about who you talk to and what you talk about to help you learn scienceMost frequent responses indicated by X, significant differences are highlighted in yellowQuestions

During science lessons do you Very oftenOftenSometimesAlmost neverNeverYear group differencesGender differences

Get the chance to talk to other pupils?X

Do other pupils explain their ideas to you?X

Question your teacher if an activity confuses you?XMore Y9 column 1

Help your teacher to plan what you are going to learn?XMore boys column 1

Help your teacher to decide which activities are best for you?XXXMore boys column 1

Explain your ideas to other pupils?XXMore boys column 1

Help your teacher to plan which activities you do?XXXMore boys column 1

Ask other pupils to explain their ideas to you?X

Ask your teacher why do I have to learn this?XXXMore Y9 column 1

Tell your teacher your opinions about activities?XMore Y9 column 1More boys column 1

other pupils ask you to explain your ideas?X

help your teacher to assess your learning?XMore boys column 1

question the way you are being taught?XMore Y9 column 1More boys column 1

Talk with other pupils about how to solve problems?X

What I think about science

Most frequent responses indicated by X, significant differences are highlighted in yellowQuestions

Strongly

agreeAgreeNot sureDisagreeStrongly

disagreeYear group differencesGender differences

I would like to be a scientistX

I think science and technology do more good than harm in the worldXMore boys column 1Most girls in column 3

I like to watch science programmes on TVMore y6 column 1More boys column 1

I usually understand the science we do in schoolXMore boys column 1Most girls in columns 2 and 3

Science is one of my favourite subjects in schoolMore boys column 1

I enjoy reading books and stories about science and scientistsX

I think science is a difficult subjectXXMore y6 column 1More y7 and y9 column 5

I think school science clubs are a good ideaX

I am looking forward to doing science next year XXXMore y6 column 1

I think we learn interesting things in science lessonsXMore boys column 1

I think science lessons are boringXXMore y6 column 1

I would like to do more science at schoolXMore boys column 1

I think I am good at scienceXXMore boys column 1

I think science and technology make our lives betterXXXMore boys column 1Mostly girls in column 3

I think we have to do too much writing in science lessonsXXXMore y6 column 1More boys column 1

Responses to open ended question The main things that I like about science lessons are ...

The most common response was practical work or reference to doing experiments.Other common categories were working with others, particular topics, bangs and nothing!

Preliminary analysis indicates that many more girls than boys put working with others as a reason for liking science lessons.

Percentages of pupils in each year group writing working with others as a reason for liking science lessons

Year GroupGirls (%)Boys (%)

6110

7265

9156