Students' Perception of Risk and
their Experience of Science in School

REPORT

DR ERIC ALBONE

(registered charity 1020913)

WITH RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN FOR
CLIFTON SCIENTIFIC TRUST BY

SARAH WEBSTER

WEBSTER MCCABE MARKET RESEARCH

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE

(agreement 3599/R71.020)

PROJECT OFFICER: DR JOHN MCGUINNESS

AND

THE INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS

MAY 1997

ADVISORS:

MR ANTHONY BANDLE, Health and Safety Executive
DR PETER BORROWS, Director, CLEAPSS School Science Service

This Project is linked with Clifton Scientific Trust's "Science for Real" Initiative
which is supported by the Office of Science and Technology and the Nuffield Foundation.

"To teach people how to take risks
is an important part of growing up."

(Secondary Teacher)

"They don't have much opportunity to learn to
think for themselves... we are now in the business
of de-skilling kids. We are over protective."

(Primary Teacher)

"It's not dangerous if you know what you are doing."

(M, 13-14)

A hard copy of the report can be obtained in the UK at cost (£10) from the Trust.
Most of the report can be downloaded in Word format.

Related papers
Eric Albone, "Risking Chemistry", Chemistry in Britain, 35 (4) 53-54 (April 1999)
Eric Albone, "Risk in the Classroom", Science and Public Affairs, 26-29 (Autumn 1998)