Science in Primary Schools: an investigation into differences in the attainment and attitudes of pupils across schools

Abstract

The Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (PIPS) project monitors the attainment and self‐concept of pupils from the age of 4 to 11. In 1995 there were just over 100 schools in the project. This article concentrates on one aspect of PIPS in that Year‐‐science in Year 6, the last year in primary. The measures used in the project are described together with an estimate of the differences between schools. The relationships between achievement and self‐concept in science and a series of other variables including home circumstances, homework, television viewing and teasing are considered. Very significant relationships were found but it is argued that it is not so much the significance of a relationship which matters but the size of the effect, which was often quite small. Consideration is also given to the inclusion of ‘process’ variables in a monitoring scheme, and the importance of feedback on outcomes rather than the measurement of processes is emphasised.