Across the world, policymakers are realising that science education is the key to the knowledge economy that is so important to developed and developing countries – nowhere more so than in South-East Asia. Growing professionalism among science educators is driven by this realisation, and facilitated by the ASE. Part of this professionalism is the drive to base science teaching practice on the best evidence available, and I have been fortunate to co-author the Education Endowment Foundation’s Science Guidance report, whose seven evidence-based recommendations form the themes of the conference. I’ll provide the background to these seven themes – which are equally applicable to primary and secondary science education. I’ll also take one of these themes – Practical Work – and explore it in a workshop setting in the light of my international study for Gatsby on Good Practical Science.
