Enthusiasm, relevance and creativity: could these teaching qualities stop us alienating pupils from science?

The poor attitude of pupils towards science continues to be a topic of concern within secondary schools. This article considers research and highlights what we can learn as teachers to persevere in tackling the problem. Alongside this review, a case study was undertaken with a sample of year 7 pupils (ages 11–12) in English schools who reported that they enjoy the practical element of science but can be distracted by the complicated facts and explanations. Pupils’ suggestions to improve their engagement in science lessons were to include more experiments as well as fun tasks and a variety of activities. We consider whether an approach including more of these factors in science delivery could reduce alienation of pupils from the science curriculum and hence attract more pupils to continue their education in science-related courses.