Introduction
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought the role of science into sharp focus. Whether it’s involved data literacy to interpret the statistics, or epidemiological modelling to anticipate what’s coming next, we have all had to educate ourselves and come to terms with new realities.
398
teachers from 22 countries and regions responded to our questions
In 2019, Oxford University Press began developing the PISA 2025 science framework with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Our goal? To understand what knowledge and skills children will need to have to further science and address the scientific challenges that face us in the coming 25 years.
As part of this process, we’ve been lucky enough to work with some leading experts in the field of science education, some of whom we’ve featured in this report. We’ve also leant on the dynamic and close relationships that we have with teachers globally. They have told us how they feel about the state of science education, the ongoing impact of the pandemic, and the issues they think their practice will need to prepare children for in the future.
We felt compelled to share the voices of these teachers because what they said was striking: for many, science education is not fit for the future. 398 teachers from 22 countries and regions responded to our questions and we represent them here, alongside voices from leading experts in science education. The PISA 2025 science framework will be revealed in 2022; until then, we hope this research will provoke discussion and engagement to inform the way we teach young people science and equip them with the skills to address future challenges.
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