Author: Tony Sherborne
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Carrotgate Revealed the Fragile Knowledge Crisis in Science Teaching
Back in 2018, many students complained about a question on carrots that, they said, had nothing to do with what they’d learned. Although exam boards certainly make mistakes, this osmosis question was perfectly justified. Simply swapping potatoes for carrots threw students into a pickle. Fragile Knowledge ‘Carrotgate’ is not a one-off. GCSEs now require 40…
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Cognitive Science Myths: Lab Research vs Classroom Reality
Evidence-based teaching lists promise gourmet results, yet serve up freeze-dried strategies stripped of flavour and context. Before you dish out another helping of the ‘EEF toolkit’, taste what real, research-rich science lessons look like—and how to avoid astronaut-food pedagogy
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Stop ‘Freeze-Dried’ Teaching: Bring Evidence to Life
Evidence-based teaching lists promise gourmet results, yet serve up freeze-dried strategies stripped of flavour and context. Before you dish out another helping of the ‘EEF toolkit’, taste what real, research-rich science lessons look like—and how to avoid astronaut-food pedagogy
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When Governments Grade their own Curriculum: Flaws in the UK Science Review
Why in England we’re unlikely to get the curriculum change we need.
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Decluttering Science: A Curriculum for Every Student
England’s science curriculum was built for the STEM-bound elite, not the 90 % who’ll never study science again. Before you cram more trivia, discover the ‘life-worthy test’ that declutters content and restores science’s relevance to every student.
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PISA and the failure of England’s national curriculum
In the famous Sherlock Holmes story, it’s the absence of a barking dog which makes the detective curious. The curious thing about yesterday’s PISA international test results is the absence of any improvement in England’s science results in the last 10 years. Why? Because over this decade, the government has been carrying out a major…
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Ignite Curiosity: 3 Science Hooks That Pull Learners In
Students won’t burn mental energy on ‘relatable’ frying-pan anecdotes. Real learning ignites when a discrepant event, gripping narrative or thorny dilemma opens a curiosity gap they must close—exactly the scientist-grade hooks your next lesson needs.
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Curriculum overload
The Cinderella problem In Cinderella, the wicked stepmother tells her she can only go to the party once she’s done her chores. And of course the list is way too long complete. It’s much the same with the science curriculum. You never get to have a ball and teach the way you want to, because…
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Carrotgate: students’ fragile knowledge
Thousands of students got into a pickle last week when the GCSE osmosis question was set in an unfamiliar context – carrots. This is no small potatoes.It’s a wake-up call that many schemes are not well aligned with the new exams, which test less of what’s in the book and more what students can do…
