ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter, we considered planning science activities in line with school policy and children's needs. Here, we will look at the need for you to consider certain operational matters in the primary science classroom such as problems of classroom organization and management and the ways in which you and the children interact during lessons. These operational matters are what Kerry and Eggleston (1988) call the nitty-gritty of classroom life. They describe them as the most critical of all issues and point out that,
… classroom processes are not just about the context of learning but about those aspects of teacher behaviour that are labelled ‘teaching skills’. They are about effective classroom management; about the ability of the teacher to explain, question and set interesting and demanding tasks; about the teacher's proficiency in providing a variety of learning experiences which pupils see as valuable.
(pp. 78–79)