When children begin secondary school they already have knowledge and ideas about many aspects of the natural world from their experiences both in primary classes and outside school. These ideas, right or wrong, form the basis of all they subsequently learn: research has show that teaching is unlikely to be effective unless it takes into account the position from which the learner starts.
"Making Sense of Secondary Science" provides a concise, accessible summary of the international research that has been done in this area. The findings are arranged in three main sections: life and living processes, materials and their properties and physical processes. Much of this material has hitherto been difficult to access and its publication in this convenient form will be welcomed by all science teachers, both in initial training and in schools, who want to deepen their understanding of how their children think.