Cramman, Helen and Kind, Vanessa and Kind, Per and Lyth, Andrew and Gray, Helen and Younger, Kirsty and Eerola, Paivi and Coe, Robert
(2019).
Monitoring practical science in schools and colleges, higher education data 2016-2018.
[Data Collection]. Colchester, Essex:
UK Data Service.
10.5255/UKDA-SN-853459
This project collected data relating to practical work in science provision in schools, colleges and higher education collected in England and Scotland from 2015 - 2017. The project aimed to investigate the quantity and breadth of practical work undertaken and how this changed during the study. The project also sought to identify possible reasons for any observed outcomes. The project also examined how these data illustrate how school- and college-based practical work in science prepares students for laboratory based courses at university.
Data were collected in year 1 of the study in 2015, during reforms to the Scottish National 5 and Higher qualifications and prior to implementation of reformed GCSE and A level science specifications in England. Data collected in year 3 of the study (in 2017), was post implementation of reforms in Scotland and in England was at the point when A level students were completing the reformed qualifications for the first time and progressing to undergraduate study, and GCSE students had completed one year of their reformed programmes.
Data description (abstract)
The Monitoring Practical Science in Schools and Colleges study ran from 2015 to 2017. Data were collected in year 1 of the study in 2015, during reforms to the Scottish National 5 and Higher qualifications and prior to implementation of reformed GCSE and A level science specifications in England. Data collected in year 3 of the study (in 2017), was post implementation of reforms in Scotland and in England was at the point when A level students were completing the reformed qualifications for the first time and progressing to undergraduate study in higher education institutions, and GCSE students had completed one year of their reformed programmes. Data is in the form of survey responses and transcripts from telephone interviews with higher education staff involved in the teaching of undergraduate laboratories in biological sciences, chemistry and physics.
Data creators: |
Creator Name | Email | Affiliation | ORCID (as URL) |
---|
Cramman, Helen | helen.cramman@durham.ac.uk | Durham University | https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8684-4882 | Kind, Vanessa | vanessa.kind@durham.ac.uk | Durham University | https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3650-9859 | Kind, Per | Unspecified | Durham University | Unspecified | Lyth, Andrew | andrew.lyth@cem.dur.ac.uk | Durham University | Unspecified | Gray, Helen | h.f.gray@durham.ac.uk | Durham University | https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3509-3430 | Younger, Kirsty | kirsty.younger@durham.ac.uk | Durham University | Unspecified | Eerola, Paivi | p.s.eerola@durham.ac.uk | Durham University | Unspecified | Coe, Robert | r.j.coe@durham.ac.uk | Durham University | Unspecified |
|
Sponsors: |
Gatsby Charitable Foundation, Wellcome Trust |
Topic classification: |
Education |
Keywords: |
science education, practical studies, curriculum evaluation |
Project title: |
Monitoring Practical Science in Schools and Colleges |
Grant holders: |
Karen Jones, Vanessa Kind, Per Kind, Helen Cramman |
Project dates: |
From | To |
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1 December 2014 | 19 November 2018 |
|
Date published: |
13 May 2019 14:40 |
Last modified: |
19 Nov 2019 14:30 |
Collection period: |
Date from: | Date to: |
---|
26 October 2016 | 7 January 2018 |
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Country: |
England, Scotland, Wales |
Data collection method: |
The survey of Higher Education staff targeted a list of the top 28 universities identified using overall Times Good University Guide rankings in each of the three years and individual departmental rankings in biology, chemistry and physics. Telephone calls were made to each department in the listed universities to identify email addresses for first year laboratory coordinators and departmental administrators who were then asked to distribute the survey to anyone involved in the teaching of first year undergraduate laboratories. Higher Education student surveys were distributed by members of staff who had expressed an interest in distributing surveys to their students in a question at the end of the HE staff survey.
Further detail on the Research Methods is provided in the published report.
In years 1 and 2 the survey was delivered using online web survey software, “CVENT”. In year 3, the survey was moved to be delivered using Bristol Online Survey “BOS”. No respondents requested a paper copy of the survey. Data was transferred to SPSS and anonymised using coding schemes. As part of the anonymisation process, all survey responses from Scotland and Wales have been combined under the location "other parts of the UK" to preserve the anonymity of respondents.
Higher Education staff telephone interviews
HE staff who had expressed an interest via a question at the end of the HE staff survey were contacted to participate in telephone interviews. |
Observation unit: |
Individual, Organization, Group |
Kind of data: |
Numeric, Text |
Type of data: |
Other surveys, Qualitative and mixed methods data |
Resource language: |
English |
|
Data sourcing, processing and preparation: |
Telephone interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Anonymisation was carried out manually on the transcriptions.
Data is not available for year 1 of the study, due to the consent permissions used in year 1 of the study. Also due to the small number of institutions, survey data from Scotland and Wales are indicated as "other parts of the UK" to preserve the anonymity of respondents. |
Rights owners: |
Name | Email | Affiliation | ORCID (as URL) |
---|
Unspecified | Unspecified | Gatsby Charitable Foundation | Unspecified |
|
Contact: |
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Notes on access: |
The Data Collection is available to any user without the requirement for registration for download/access.
|
Publisher: |
UK Data Service |
Last modified: |
19 Nov 2019 14:30 |
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