Primary discoveries

By and 2015-11-06T00:00:00

outreach teaching

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David Overton and Tina Overton investigate a collaboration between chemistry students and teaching students to deliver lessons in primary schools

Higher education institutions (HEIs) place increasing value on outreach activity related to the sciences and they are being encouraged to develop this area by UK government policy. HEIs invest staff time and resources in outreach largely to inspire the next generation of scientists while raising the profile of their institution. Outreach is usually carried out by enthusiastic and committed individuals who aim to promote their subject and inspire the recipients. 

There are some studies that document outreach work and attempt to evaluate its impact but such research is not widespread. 

This study focuses on our implementation of an outreach project that delivered inspirational and engaging chemistry activities to 80 primary school students over four afternoons. The project involved collaboration between third year chemistry undergraduates and teacher education undergraduates (teaching students) at various stages of their degree. The two groups of students pursued their courses on different campuses, some fifty miles apart, of the same university.

David Overton and Tina Overton assess this collaboration, reporting the findings, data and conclusions they have drawn.

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