Every child a scientist: student-centred approaches to active learning in science

Workshop. In the Centre for Science Education at Sheffield Hallam University, we lead national and international projects which enable students to learn science through active, student-centred, inquiry-based approaches to learning. We work with teachers and scientists to develop these approaches, so that they are authentic, contextually appropriate and successful in developing students' skills and understanding. In this workshop we will explore the benefits of enabling students to act as scientists at all stages of their learning in science. We will illustrate these benefits by drawing on our own experiences of developing active approaches to learning science, and discuss some of the challenges which can be faced in this style of learning. Participants will share their own experiences and ideas about student-centred and inquiry-led learning in science, and we will work together to develop further ideas for authentic student research projects.