Nuffield Secondary Science Teachers’ Guide

The Nuffield Secondary Science project devised, and trialled, material that was flexible and capable of adaptation so that teachers could draw on the ideas to devise courses suitable for their own students. The material was organised into eight themes. The rationale for these themes and their content is outlined in the teachers’ guide.

Integrated and interdisciplinary
A study of the themes shows that they ignore the traditional boundaries between science ‘subjects’ and include areas at the interfaces between the separate sciences as well as other areas that cross boundaries with other disciplines.

Flexible resources
The teachers’ guide shows how a large variety of courses could be devised with the help of the Nuffield Secondary Science resources. At the time the resources were developed this was appropriate because teachers had the freedom to vary the emphasis given to each theme as well as the order in which the themes were covered.

Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: An outline of Secondary Science
Chapter 2: The aims of science teaching
Chapter 3: How to use the books and materials
Chapter 4: The teaching situation
Chapter 5: Safety
Chapter 6: A brief history of the project
Reprint of part of Schools Council Working Paper No. 1