This seven-part book provides the first detailed analysis and assessment of the development of primary science prior to and following a national survey of primary schools in 1978. Key issues central to contemporary policy and practice are identified, set in context, and interrelated for teachers, students, and policymakers. Part I examines several issues (range, structure, continuity, consistency, and evaluation) and relates them to the primary curriculum in general and to primary science in particular. Part II presents three overviews on "locating" primary science. Part III examines several key questions including the nature of science for primary children, whether science can be taught in primary schools, and how children's progress in science can be monitored, recorded, and evaluated. Part IV discusses theories of children's learning. Part V examines several approaches to curriculum development, including the Oxford Primary Science Project, Nuffield Junior Science, and Science 5-13. Part VI provides a general article on the practical issues involved in organizing resources to support practice in primary science and accounts by four practitioners on their experiences in teaching primary science. Part VII considers developments in primary science in England, Wales, and Scotland. Also considered are possible approaches to inservice teacher education. (JN)