Abstract
In England, the GCSE science curriculum has been undergoing major changes, and the new school curriculum was implemented in September 2016. One of the big changes is that the internal assessment of practical work no longer counts towards the final GCSE science grade. It has been established that assessment influences teaching, so non-contribution of practical work to the final grade may dilute the funding for practical work conducted in schools, especially in GCSE lessons. However, the GCSE science exam paper will now include questions on practical work which may allow more lesson time to be devoted to discussion of results and observations of practical work, an area of development identified in previous studies. Discussions provide opportunities for learners to make links between the practical task and the underlying conceptual knowledge, thereby increasing the effectiveness of practical work. This article aims to explore the range of literature available on the effectiveness of science practical work in English secondary schools and consider the possible effects of the removal of internal assessment of practical work from the GCSE curriculum.
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