What barriers are there to conducting practical science lessons

Date published: 13 May 2025
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A group of secondary school students in a school science lab sit around a work bench with their pens and work book. There is scientific equipment on the surface too. The students are wearing protective goggles.

Overview

The Science Education Tracker highlighted a decline in students having hands-on practical lessons. This decline mostly impacts young people with the least interest in science. This report aims to understand the barriers teachers face in delivering lessons where students experience hands-on practical work.

For the School report series we conducted research with 800 STEM teachers across the UK. This report focuses on findings from 398 science teachers.

School report: Barriers to practical science

Who this is for

  • Careers leads
  • Policymakers
  • Researchers
  • STEM outreach organisers
  • Teachers

Key findings

  • 44% of teachers said the demands of delivering the curriculum doesn't allow them to deliver hands-on practical lessons
  • More than a third of teachers (37%) said it is difficult to schedule hands-on practical work due to time
  • Just under half (45%) said 1 or more of these school equipment and resource issues were a barrier to delivering hands-on practical lessons: Not enough money to buy equipment (27%), School doesn't have enough equipment (26%), or not enough technicians (23%)

Young people without strong engagement in science are likely to be the group missing out the most by reduced practical science in schools. To have a diverse and growing engineering and technology workforce, we need more young people engaged in science.

— School report: Barriers to practical science
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