Science teachers say the current curriculum is “overloaded” and in need of urgent reform to better prepare young people for the workplace of tomorrow, according to a new survey.
Findings show that 72 per cent of 1,500 science teachers polled said the curriculum is “overloaded” and 29 per cent said it is “out of date or irrelevant”.
The annual Science Teaching Survey is led by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and supported by the Royal Society of Biology and the Institute of Physics.
Experts from the three organisations fear the UK could see its position as a world leader in science diminished if work is not done to overhaul the curriculum so that it better engages and enthuses students and shows how a future in the sciences is “for people like me”.
It has released its findings as the government’s curriculum and assessment review is set to close its call for evidence on Friday.
Previous research from the RSC revealed that 81 per cent of young people feel it is important to be taught about climate change and sustainability, and 66 per cent of young people are interested in future careers or studies related to sustainability.
Today’s findings show that 20 per cent of A-level, Highers and Advanced Highers chemistry teachers surveyed said they do not know what skills employers in the chemical sciences are looking for.
Follow-up focus groups from the RSC indicated that teachers had to rely on their personal experiences for this, and just 15 per cent reported being fully aware.
The survey shows that 44 per cent of teachers reported using artificial intelligence but it is having a limited impact on workload.
Of those using it, just 3 per cent said it had greatly reduced their workload while 39 per cent it had reduced it slightly and the same proportion said not at all. Another 18 per cent said it had reduced workload somewhat.
Curriculum ‘doesn’t reflect’ student interests
Laura Daly, education policy programme manager at the RSC, said: “Teachers and students have told us they feel the current curriculum doesn’t reflect student interests in topics such as sustainability and climate change, which ultimately means they’re disengaged and not encouraged to explore the subject or find their own ways into science.
“Curriculum reform must ensure it is fit for purpose, engaging and relevant, while avoiding content overload.”
She said there are nearly three million “science-using jobs” in the UK, and added: “If we are to continue to deliver a workforce fit for the future, we need to provide young people with skills and understanding that enable them to become scientifically literate citizens prepared for further study and careers in fields like the chemical sciences.”
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