ABSTRACT
People who come into science teaching do so from vastly different backgrounds, in terms of culture, age, educational experience, work experience, attitudes, levels of confidence, languages and religions. Science, along with mathematics, information communications technology (ICT), religious education (RE) and business studies, attracts people from more diverse ethnic backgrounds than other subjects. The age profile is wide with many people having worked in research, science-based industries, or finance before turning to teach science. Some come with teaching experience of say English as a foreign language, or science in schools where a teaching qualification was not required, or working as learning support assistants in local schools. Many have worked with young people in clubs and youth groups. Their educational experiences of science can vary widely, not only in the type of school they went to but the different teaching styles they experienced and the different resources to which they had access. The prominence given to practical work in UK schools can come as a surprise to many graduates from other European countries, from the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Qualifications vary considerably; there are those who came into science via vocational qualifications, possibly going to university for their first degrees in mid-to late-twenties, as opposed to others who went to higher education straight after school. Some have gone through access courses to gain entry to higher education. There is diversity also in studies at university, so that people with degrees as diverse as astrophysics, genetics, sports science and geology can all be training for the same job of ‘science teacher’. Different religious beliefs may put creationists and evolutionists side by side as colleagues.
