Informal opportunities for young people to engage with science have increased in response to declining uptake in science and a shortage of science graduates. This paper is set in the context of the recent introduction of science at primary level in Ireland and the existence of a great number of science outreach programmes, in particular from…

This mixed-methods cross-national study investigated the effectiveness of reality pedagogy (an approach in which teachers become part of students' activities, practices and rituals) in terms of changes in student perceptions of their learning environment and attitudes towards science. A questionnaire was administered to 142 students in grades 8-10…

This article is based on questionnaire data collected in November and December 2001 as part of the first year of fieldwork for the Economic and Social Research Council funded research project "Transforming Learning Cultures in FE" (TLCFE). In this initial survey, 229 questionnaires were returned from 15 learning sites in four further…