How schools and teaching practices shape students' performance in and dispositions towards science

This chapter focuses on the opportunity to learn science at school, the school resources devoted to science, and how science is taught in schools. It discusses how these are related to student performance in science, students’ epistemic beliefs, and students’ expectations of pursuing a career in science. The opportunity to learn science includes the attendance at science courses and the choice of school science courses. The school resources examined include the quality and availability of science laboratories, the qualifications of the science teaching staff, and the availability of science-related extracurricular activities. The methods for teaching science discussed in the chapter include teacher-directed instruction, feedback, adaptive instruction and enquiry-based instruction.