Why did people hate science in school?

[Blandmum]

Follow on from the cross country thread and others.

There are lots of people on mn who hated science in school, I find this hard to understand mt self

But an honest question, and the answer would be useful to me to help stop kids now from hating it.

Why did you hate it in school? It would help if you can be specific in your answers, so if 'It was boring' is the answer if would be useful if you could also tell me why it was boring IYSWIM

Many thanks!

because there were never enough experiments and changing blue thinks to pink - and it was always about the water cycle and photosinthesis.

i would certainly like much more to boil something on a bunsen that to write out the fking water cycle AGAIN.

plus there was always that safety bit - really boring

I liked the fact that chemistry was dangerous - our teacher once demonstrated why you should never blow on a bunsen burner by, er, blowing on a bunsen burner! Luckily the girl sitting right in front of him had the presence of mind to jump off her stool...

We used to set fire to the gas tap (think flamethrower ) and melt pen lids on the bunsen burner and play with the plastic - had thin lines of burns all over my hands for AGES after school!

HM we teach the phlogiston/oxygen thing as part of ks3 now!

I'd have you all in detention for the risky behaviour tsk tsk

The sad thing is that we have to be safety nazis now because of the risk of litigation

MB - your quote "WE only exsis because of a sub microscopic shift in electrons. Amazing. Not essential to know, but essential to happen and mind blowing to understand" was what really turned me onto science. I can remember having my mind totally blown by the realisation that everything that happened was down to the transfer of electrons. and because I have a very mathematical brain and therefore loved chemical formulae, I loved the fact that one could - given enough time, formularise everything that happened - thoughts, breathing, everything. In fact - it still blows my mind.
I also loved experiments which really demonstrated things - I can still remeber vividly hanging the classes coats and jumpers over the windows so we could see photosynthesis in action with that water plant that gives off air bubbles.
I did however give up science after GCSE (when I did a double GCSE in combined science) because the perception in my school was that it was only really useful to do sciences if you wanted to go to medical school, execpt for physics, which could be combined with maths if you wanted to do a maths degree.

I think it's down to the differences in the male and female brain - there was a thread on here a few days ago about how many dh's don't read works of fiction , but will read factual books - -my own dh is one of these.

Also how many girls are interested in cars in the sam way as men? Not many.

My db used to raid the local rubbish dump and bring things such as washing machine motors home and take them apart to find out how they worked. Not my idea of fun I have to say, but very useful to have a db wwho can fix anything

Not may female mechanics are there - -because they are just not interested in how engines work

BTW I liked science and was good at it, and I know all about the internal combustion engine - -something I've boasted of before on here

and I have a degree in English too

and my db was rubbish at arts subjects -- not interested in them at all at school, but did very well at technical subjects

I think that 'men are into science and facts and women are into arts' stuff is a dangerous stereotype. Puts girls off sciences and boys off arts. I know plenty of women who took sciences and men who took arts. Dh wouldn't have a clue how to take anything mechanical apart!

I loved science, but not many girls did.
It needs to be made relevant.
I have done many things with girls in schools since graduating.
Make soap, lipstick, toothpaste - Kids need to know how science affects their lives.

iota - this is a true sterotype ime, BUT you dont have to love taking cars apart to be an engineer or a scientist! I personally am fascinated with protocols - the rules that different bits of the telecom network use when they talk to each other. OK, there are times when I have to understand practical things like what a rake receiver is, but Ive never taken a car apart or built a crystal set, honest!

Agree that stereotyping is dangerous, but there is always one girl who says sod that, this is too interesting for boys alone.....

Mechanics are NOT engineers.
I hate how engineers are degraded in the UK.
One survey asked schoolkids to name a famous engineer. Who came top??
Isambard Kingdom Brunel?
Faraday?

Nope.... Kevin off Coronation Street!

I teach any number of very girly girls who love science. I don't think that it has ever occured to them that sience is for boys.

Of the 70 odd kids in year 11 that I teach, half have expressed an interest in doing at least one science to A level....and the split is even between boys and girls.

And I'm another scientist who has never stripped down a car engine....not my thing at all

the interest is in knowing how things work though, not making my fingers hurt taking them apart! Plus, I hate it when they dont work afterwards.

Jeez - -you people who have never taken an engine apart don't know what you're missing -- I used to be my db's trusty assistant in such matters

gingerbear!
must say, it is nice living in France for that reason. When you say you're an engineer, you get RESPECT!

iota - I have mended my car, but only with the help of the Haynes manual.

I changed a headlight - does that count?

I have used a spot welder!

Thanks for that recommendation MB, I'll look it out. I've read 'The man who mistook his wife for a hat' (is that it?).

The Levi is wonderful (though the English translation doesn't do it full justice).

when I went to university I made good friends with someone who was studying zoology. I was stunned by her passion and enthusiasm for it. I was jealous, tbh. I also felt a tad resentful that I had been taught sciences in a way that never made any linkages beyond passing your exams - with the possible exception of becoming a doctor I had aboslutely no idea what you could do with science, as it were. I used to look at my friend and compare her to my stultifying biology teacher (the unfortunately names Miss Virgin!) and wonder whether she once had passion and lost it (no name gags intended!) or if she had always been dreary. I kept up chemistry til o level (we had to do one - this was in the days when science came in 3 chunks) because of a fabulously talented and engaging teacher but that was it for me. I'm now married to a rapt scientist who says things like "Who needs Father Christmas to give children a sense of wonder when there are stars?" so - the moral of my ramblings - zoology and astronomy - get the kids thinking and dreaming

I loved sciences and maths too.

I think one of the reasons why people might have not like them is that in science subjects I think the teachers have to be stricter to keep control over children, when there are much more potential dangers around.

You might be able to cope with a bit of joshing in a normal classroom, but add bunsen burners and boiling substances in a test tube to the mix and the risks are much higher. As a result the teachers are stricter and of course the little darlings don't like this unfamiliar approach too much

I had phenomenally good teachers in physics and chemistry - really ground breakingly good. The message was clear - if you behave and are responsible then we will take this way beyond the syllabus and we will really have fun. Muck around and you are out on your arse!

MB... have you seen today's Guardian Education section? There's an article on p.5 about why kids find science boring (haven't had time to read it all, but seems not enough flame-throwing... which wouldn't do it for me, with my bunsen paranoia!)

MB - just seen this. I loved science at school and still find it endlessly fascinating. However my DDs often come home saying science is boring (often I do feel that what they are being taught is rather limiting). I have learnt to talk about science by stealth and it is amazing what they have picked up. This morning we were talking about wet clothes which lead to a discussion on evaporation and then ways to keep drinks cool. So I am doing my best to ensure that they never use "boring" to describe science.

My science teachers were not that inspiring and we didn't do any at Primary so I don't think it is necessarily down to the teacher. My parents were definitely not interested either. I think I just enjoyed learning TBH.