RESEARCH AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE IN THE PRIMARY-SCHOOL

The areas of research discussed in this paper concern surveys of participation in primary science, national goals, pupils' achievement of goals and recent work on pupils' own ideas. Implications of recent changes in the view of learning and in the view of science point to areas where research is now needed. This paper does not set out to summarize findings comprehensively but rather to use them to indicate the role research can and should be taking in this rapidly changing and under-researched area of science education.