School science practical work in a COVID-19 world: are demonstrations, videos and textbooks effective replacements for hands-on practical activities? Seminar

What is your talk about? Practical work is a required element of GCSE science courses in England, but in 2020 opportunities for students to undertake hands-on practical work have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers must make difficult decisions about how to develop students' understanding of practical work safely, and how to prioritise curriculum time after 5 months of school closures. The qualifications regulator (Ofqual) is permitting students to observe demonstrations or simulations instead of doing hands-on practical work.

What are the key messages of your talk? We have collected empirical evidence of the effectiveness of alternatives to hands-on practical work in preparing students (n=1252) to answer practical-themed GCSE examination questions.

What are the implications for practice or research from your talk? Findings suggest that if circumstances prevent hands-on practical work, schools should deliver student-engaged teacher demonstrations that include purposeful discussion and questioning. Reliance solely upon videos or textbooks is likely to disadvantage students in examinations.

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