Honing higher-order thinking skills with Great Science Share for Schools
Tuesday 13th January 2026
In the latest special edition of the Association for Science Education Primary Science journal, The Oxford Trust’s Director of Science Education and Engagement Francesca MacLennan reflects on Science Oxford’s Big Science Event run in collaboration with the Great Science Share for Schools and how these platforms springboard pupils’ thinking skills in science.
The open access Primary Science special issue marks ten years of Great Science Share for Schools, tells of many different science shares including Science Oxford’s Big Science Event.
The Big Science Event
The Big Science Event has been running since 2010, encouraging 5–11-year-olds to ask curious questions, conduct practical scientific investigations and share findings. Joining with the national initiative of the Great Science Share for Schools brought two organisations with shared values and goals together to inspire and support pupil-led scientific enquiry and to further their aims of optimising science education, engaging as many pupils and teachers as possible.
Improving children’s higher-order thinking skills
We knew that we wanted to ensure the impact of this initiative gave as many learning benefits to pupils as possible. We considered the ways in which we would be able to foster curiosity, enhance problem solving skills, increase oracy as well as advance analysis, evaluation and creative abilities.
Read more about the partnership, goals and impact in the full article.
