Science education has changed radically in recent years, both as a result of debates within the subject and because of curriculum legislation.

Jerry Wellington discusses the major issues in science education today - such questions as the balance of content and process in the curriculum, the role of practical work and the nature of science as a subject - and uses this discussion to support a very practical resource for teachers in training and their mentors.

The book covers every aspect of science teaching, including:

• Planning
• Differentiation and special needs
• Assessment
• Practical work
• Problem solving and investigations
• IT in science
• Handling sensitive issues, e.g. sex education
• Building on children’s prior learning

Throughout, Wellington’s guidance is accompanied by suggestions for discussion, activities for individual and group use and annotated lists of further reading aimed at helping the reader to build up a personal approach to the teaching of the subject.

Students will also be helped by the glossaries of specialist terminology at the end of each chapter and by the references to National Curriculum attainment targets at every point in the book.