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Practical, open-ended and extended investigations in science

The Gatsby Good Practical science report identifies opportunities to carry out open-ended work as one of their ten benchmarks for good practical science, yet there is currently no requirement for students in England to have access to the opportunity to carry out such work, which means that such work is often pushed to the margins. This study aimed to find out why and how teachers use open-ended investigative work with students in order to identify ways in which it can be possible in schools in England.  

The report titled 'Practical, open-ended and extended investigative projects in science (PDF , 1,738kb)' presents case studies of twelve teachers and identifies conditions that enable successful project work in schools or colleges, and how to overcome barriers to open-ended investigative work.