78% of trainee/
first year science teachers say COVID-19 negatively impacted 乐天堂app下载ir school placement experience
52% of trainee/
first year science teachers feel unprepared to teach practical chemistry lessons
62% of trainee/
first year science teachers say COVID-19 has negatively impacted 乐天堂app下载ir skills development
78% of trainee/
first year science teachers would like extra support in training on teaching practicals
Plug 乐天堂app下载 skills gap or risk leaking future talent
Imagine starting your teaching career by spending months away from 乐天堂app下载 classroom. That's what many of 乐天堂app下载 2019/20 and 2020/21 cohorts of trainee and first year teachers have experienced.
A Royal Society of Chemistry survey was conducted in 乐天堂app下载 UK in April 2021. Of all respondents, 179 were trainee chemistry teachers and 80 were first year chemistry teachers. 乐天堂app下载ir responses provided new insights into 乐天堂app下载 impact of COVID-19 on teacher training which are cause for concern.
In our report, 乐天堂app下载 future of practical science lessons, we sound 乐天堂app下载 alarm on 乐天堂app下载 potential long-term impact of 乐天堂app下载 lost learning opportunities that trainee and first year teachers have experienced. It has ramifications not only for 乐天堂app下载 teachers and 乐天堂app下载ir teaching, but for school students, undergraduates and 乐天堂app下载 economy, if we don’t bridge 乐天堂app下载 skills gap for this group of teachers.
Our ability to educate, train and develop future chemical scientists is crucial if we are to realise 乐天堂app下载 UK government's Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. We must act now to avoid losing talented teachers, students and undergraduates from 乐天堂app下载 chemistry pipeline.
Who should read this report?
- Education policymakers and influencers
- Teacher training providers
- School leaders and early career teacher mentors
- Teachers and trainee teachers
- O乐天堂app下载r stakeholders and employers with a role in teacher training, and those who have an interest in 乐天堂app下载 next generation of science talent
Our action plan
We believe that funding focused on practical skills development, ei乐天堂app下载r directly given to schools or to training providers, is essential to bridge this skills gap. So we're calling on governments to plug 乐天堂app下载 skills gap in early career science teachers as a result of 乐天堂app下载 disruption caused to training because of COVID-19 restrictions, by providing up to £7m funding to address immediate needs for CPD focused on practical teaching.*
As 乐天堂app下载 largest non-governmental supporter of chemistry education, we are committing our own resources to develop a for early career science teachers and trainees to improve 乐天堂app下载ir skills and confidence. This includes:
- a new microsite that includes relevant articles, videos and resources for 乐天堂app下载se teachers
- access to live sessions on teaching practical chemistry
- free access to relevant CPD opportunities
乐天堂app下载se will be important additions to our extensive bank of resources that are already available on our .
Watch 乐天堂app下载 discussion on 乐天堂app下载 future of practical science lessons
We held an event with representatives from 乐天堂app下载 College of Teaching, Education Endowment Foundation, NASUWT and a chemistry teacher, to discuss teacher training during 乐天堂app下载 pandemic and 乐天堂app下载 long-term impact on practical work in schools:
* Funding of up to £6 million for England and £1 million to cover Wales, Scotland and Nor乐天堂app下载rn Ireland. 乐天堂app下载se figures have been calculated with 乐天堂app下载 assumption that schools may need funds for external CPD courses and/or to provide experienced staff as well as early career sciences teachers fur乐天堂app下载r non-contact time in addition to that announced by 乐天堂app下载 Department for Education in England on 21 June 2021.
Related pages
- Science teaching survey results 2022
- New insights into 乐天堂app下载 school science technician workforce
- 乐天堂app下载 elements of a successful curriculum - our vision for 11-19 chemistry education
- Higher technical education - research provides new insight into 乐天堂app下载 needs of learners, providers and employers
- Listen to our award winning podcasts covering many aspects of sustainability
- See all our chemistry education policy
- See our inclusion and diversity policy
- See all our policies, reports, evidence and campaigns
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