Eleven Edinburgh University students geared up for the most exciting test yet of their short teaching careers as they met over one hundred and seventy of Scotland’s scientists of the future.

The primary teaching students, who are all training for Professional Graduate Diplomas in Education (PGDE), spent two days teaching science to over 170 primary school pupils in Fife as part of the Shell Education Service programme which aims to increase the levels of education in physical sciences at primary school age.

But before their two days of teaching, the eleven students spent a day learning specialist teaching skills from experts from Shell Education Service, all aimed building confidence and knowledge in teaching science.

Sarah Langford from Shell Education Service said, “Getting children interested in science at an early age is essential if we are to increase the number of people making science their career.  Equally important to this challenge is increasing the number of primary teachers that are trained to deliver interesting and engaging lessons.”

Alex Baird, Plant Manager at Shell UK’s Mossmorran Plant, said, "The Shell Education Service has been encouraging and supporting science education for over fifty years and now provides a series of unique, interactive physical science workshops to 50,000 young children a year as well as providing training to student teachers across the UK.  As a global energy company Shell understands that science plays a key part in industry and commerce and as a result it must be encouraged at all levels of education from primary schools right through to higher education and beyond.”

The eleven student teachers spent the 26^th and 27^th of March working with over 170 primary six pupils [10-11 years old] from all over Fife investigating such things as electricity and turbines through a range of entertaining and hands on experiments.

As well as supporting trainee primary teachers, Shell Education Service provides a series of unique, interactive physical science workshops to 50,000 young children a year, running workshops designed to support the UK curricula.  These are aimed at assisting teachers to boost their own science lessons.  

Shell has supported this programme for over 50 years by listening to teachers and moving from providing books and posters to today’s hands-on expertise.