Recovering teacher practices and student experiences of practical work in school science, 1944-1988

Despite a resurgence in scholarly interest, the impact of school education in science remains under-researched. Histories of British school science have considered developments to policies and curricula but have excluded in-school events, inadvertently implying that large-scale changes were implemented smoothly.
This thesis prioritises two bodies of evidence to scrutinise in-school events in English secondary school laboratories: a collection of school apparatus from the Science Museum, and 30 oral histories from teachers and former students. Where previous accounts have failed to surface evidence of in-school activity, these sources offer insight into the distinct perspectives of teachers and former students. I present a dual narrative of both stakeholder groups’ experiences, using case studies of teachers’ handmade school equipment and former students’ frequently recalled practical work.
I examine the period between 1944 and 1988 in which secondary schooling expanded significantly, offering opportunities for creative teaching and a broad range of student experience. Throughout this period, state intervention increased as teachers’ input into curriculum and policy change reduced. This thesis will consider how large-scale changes impacted experiences within schools, and vice versa.
In this dual narrative I illustrate how teachers creatively made and adapted apparatus to gain agency, have fun, and to connect with their professional community. Never previously explored, I highlight how these practices may have influenced the demands for and approach to Nuffield Physics, as well as the consistency of this practice regardless of large-scale externally imposed changes.
Former students’ oral histories reveal the long-lasting sensory and sentimental impact of doing practical science. Impactful practical work surpassed expectations, whether routine experiments that offered responsibility and agency, or infrequent and shocking experiences. Surfacing teachers’ and students’ in-school experiences demonstrates what remains of value throughout lifetimes and thus has implications for the Science Museum as it employs its collection in the future.