The teaching of science through the performing arts

AbstractEducational thinking in England currently includes emphasis on creativity. Planned curriculum redesign for primary schools recommends aspects of thematic contexts and cross curricular links. Student teachers in the School of Education will be required to deliver this curriculum on entering the teaching profession. The study arises from a desire to explore the teaching of science concepts through the performing arts thus examining elements of a cross curricular nature and blurring subject boundaries. Education students work closely with students from the School of Arts and New Media to produce performances designed to address ‘difficult to teach’ science concepts. These performances will then be presented to children in their primary schools. This study explores potential shifts in attitude to, and engagement with, science by the participants or, conversely, their engagement with the performing arts. The relevant data is collected by questionnaires and semi-structured interviews