The challenges of practical work post-16

Students choosing to study chemistry post-16 face challenges in developing their practical skills. Meeting those challenges can depend as much on whether teachers have the time and resources to carry out experiments as on students grasping more complex concepts.

Practical skills are assessed differently across the UK and Ireland, but the opportunity to practise some basic skills prior to senior study seems to be a common issue. This article looks at those issues for chemistry learning and teaching.