What successful science teachers do

What successful science teachers do - 75 research-based strategies

Neal Glasgow and Michele Cheyne

London, UK: Sage Publications 2010 | Pp272 | £22.99 (PB) | ISBN 978 141 297 234 5

Reviewed by Declan Fleming

As a science teacher I dislike prescriptive education fads, especially when they come propped up by research that doesn't hold up to a lot of scrutiny. So when Education in Chemistry approached me to do a book review and I heard the title of the book was What successful science teachers do: 75 research-based strategies, my gut reaction was that I wasn't going to like it. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.

From a teacher's perspective, the first good thing about this book when you pick it up is that it's accessible. The strategies are broken down into eight areas and each is only a few pages long, which means it's a book you can dip into when you have a moment to give you an idea you'd like to explore. You're given the strategy in a (often obtuse) sentence, followed by a summary of research in the area, classroom applications, pitfalls and selected references for further reading.