Ideas, Evidence and Argument in Science (IDEAS Pack)

The IDEAS pack consists of a set of training materials for use on continuous professional development courses together with a resources file to support the teaching of ideas and evidence in school science. The material draws on the work undertaken with teachers involved in the ESRC-funded project on Enhancing the Quality of Argument in School Science. The production of these materials was funded by the Nuffield Foundation.

The authors based their work on the belief that in presenting scientific ideas and their supporting evidence to school students, the opportunity to consider the arguments for the scientific idea and other competing theories is essential for two reasons:

* First, research evidence suggests that the opportunity to consider why the wrong idea is wrong is as important as understanding the justification for the scientific idea. That is – knowing why the wrong idea is wrong matters as much as knowing why the right idea is right.

* Second, engaging in argument provides school students with a better insight into the nature of scientific enquiry and the ways in which scientists work.

The original pack included a series of video clips showing teachers trying out the lessons. This part of the pack is not included here because the videos are not available. However the In-service materials have been adapted by a member of the project team so that they can be used effectively without the videos.