The 2024 Science Teaching Survey results are in
The three leading science bodies for chemistry, biology and physics are calling for STEM curriculum reform to prepare young people for the workplace of tomorrow as teachers criticised the ‘overloaded’ and ‘outdated’ current curriculum.
Almost three-quarters (72 per cent) of science teachers surveyed said the current curriculum is ‘overloaded’ and more than a quarter of educators (29 per cent) believe it is ‘out of date/irrelevant’, and that this is having a detrimental effect on the outcomes of students.
The annual Science Teaching Survey, led by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and supported by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) and Institute of Physics (IOP), is the most comprehensive review of science teacher attitudes in the UK, surveying 1,500 secondary science teachers. It launches ahead of vital government reviews of the secondary curriculum in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Experts from the three science bodies fear the UK could see its position as a world leader in science diminished if work is not done to overhaul the curriculum so that it better engages and enthuses students, and shows how a future in the sciences is ‘for people like me’.
This is a view that is echoed from both teachers and pupils, with a teacher who was asked about the results of the survey from around the UK branding the curriculum as ‘dated for years’ and a lack of involvement of teachers as ‘a major problem’.
Previous research from the Royal Society of Chemistry has also revealed that 81% of young people feel it is important to be taught about climate change and sustainability in school/college, and 66% of young people are interested in future careers or studies related to sustainability.
A fifth of educators surveyed across the UK and Ireland also said they do not know what skills employers in the chemical sciences are looking for – with follow-up focus groups from the RSC indicating that teachers had to rely on their personal experiences for this.
In 2024, teachers shared that the biggest challenges impacting student learning outcomes are:
The 2024 Science Teaching Survey results are available here.
Laura Daly, Education Policy Programme Manager at the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: “Teachers and students have told us they feel the current curriculum doesn’t reflect student interests in topics such as sustainability and climate change, which ultimately means they’re disengaged, and not encouraged to explore the subject or find their own ways into science. Curriculum reform must ensure it is fit for purpose, engaging and relevant while avoiding content overload.
“There are nearly three million science-using jobs in the UK*, and if we are to continue to deliver a workforce fit for the future we need to provide young people with skills and understanding that enable them to become scientifically literate citizens prepared for further study and careers in fields like the chemical sciences.
“In England, the Department for Education is currently asking for evidence of how they can improve the curriculum and assessment system, and we strongly encourage all teaching staff or parents to write down their thoughts as indicated on the government website. Scotland has already begun a review of its curriculum, with Northern Ireland set to follow in due course.”
"I feel as if it's been dated for years – and the onus is on us to keep it updated. It’s up to the class teacher or the department to keep an eye on resources and developments that they can incorporate. We’ve had a few curriculum reviews but often teachers aren’t on the review body – that’s been a major problem.
"For example, we teach polymers, but it isn’t up to date with important developments in chemistry, such as biopolymers. I run experiments where students can make plastic from potato starch thanks to resources provided by the Royal Society of Chemistry, but if it wasn’t for them I would still be doing the same things I was 20 or 25 years ago.
"We've got a problem in chemistry in that other subjects have options such as human biology and environmental sciences, which is offered through the geography department, but we just have chemistry – and students just don’t pick chemistry unless they feel ‘good’ at it. There must be other ways of engaging students – perhaps more practical, industry or environmentally based. I think we can be offering something more."
Shona Donnelly, a chemistry teacher at Marr College in South Ayrshire
Hari Rentala, Head of Learning and Skills at the Institute of Physics, said: “Teachers are clearly feeling the pressure with an overloaded curriculum that is having a negative effect on their students. To promote a love of science, we must make sure all the sciences, including physics, have the right curriculum in place to stimulate students, energising them to ask questions of the world around them.
“This is important because physics skills and knowledge power nearly two million jobs in the UK and Ireland and there is a significant unmet demand for physics skills.
“The IOP is calling for the physics curricula in the UK to focus on core physics ideas which make sense of our environment, underpin future technology and can inspire young people from all backgrounds to imagine a future in the sciences. An emphasis on this kind of ‘physics thinking’ will help equip all young people for the demands of a rapidly changing economy as well as lending scientific rigour to the way they approach problems.”
Lauren MᶜLeod MRSB, Head of Education Policy at the Royal Society of Biology, said: “Under-staffing in biology teaching, paired with reduced technician support, is a critical challenge impacting both teacher well-being and student learning outcomes. We urge for sustained subject-specific professional development and a streamlined science curriculum that fosters curiosity and deeper understanding.
“RSB aims to put subject voice and subject organisations at the centre of curriculum reform, and to address the issues raised by teachers in these annual survey responses. RSB calls for less content and more time for depth and skills in 5-19 biology education, and a better, more manageable GCSE in the sciences that supports better teaching and learning for all.”
Press office
- Tel:
- +44 (0) 20 7440 3351
- Email:
- Send us an email