As in a number of European countries (Pepper, 2008), Scottish education is moving forward with curricular change. Curriculum for Excellence, launched in 2005 for implementation by 2010, suggests a constructivist approach to learning, giving teachers minimal guidance leading to a high level of control over content and pedagogy. This is in sharp contrast to the highly structured approach of the previous ‘5-14 curriculum’ which clearly laid out content and suggested pedagogy. Against this background, it has long been recognised that science education in particular, in both the primary and secondary sectors, is failing to produce desired results. A recent TIMMS survey (Scottish Government ;2008) reinforced this view as Scottish children performed poorly in science in comparison with children from other countries and showed, perhaps more importantly, a decline in our results over the last 12 years. A number of factors have been identified as contributing to these difficulties. One of these is the level and nature of teacher confidence, skills and understanding. Recent unpublished research (Burr and Simpson 2006) looked at ways of facilitating transition in science for pupils between primary and secondary school but interviews with teachers also revealed a number of issues about science teaching, mostly concerned with the different views, confidence and attitudes of primary and secondary teachers. Although generally acknowledged, there has been little or no research to examine the nature and effects of this discontinuity between the two sectors. It would seem prudent at this time of concern and change to look closely at this fundamental issue as suggested by Gray (2004) and ‘investigate teachers’ beliefs and perceptions about the nature and characteristics of science and the purposes of science education’. The teaching of science in the primary sector in particular has been called into question as the TIMMS report showed only 51% of primary 5 teachers in the survey felt well prepared to teach science at P5 level. This paper considers the current status of primary science education in Scotland with reference to past and current practice in schools, teachers attitudes and experience, Initial Teacher Education, current and past literature. It attempts to answer the question – ‘Before we move into a new curricular era, what is the current capital of science in Scottish primary schools?’ It will provide the basis for a study to explore the differences in perceptions of science and science education between the primary and secondary sectors.

The paper will be based on the results of structured interviews with a small number of practising teachers both in group and individual meetings. A short questionnaire will be sent to a number of Universities in Scotland to gain information of the teaching of science on teacher education courses. Electronic surveys of students from both the degree course and postgraduate course in teaching will be carried out just before they graduate. A review of past and current literature including the recent TIMMS report will be included.

Preliminary findings will be presented at ECER 2009