How does a context‐based approach influence understanding of key chemical ideas at 16+?

One of the characteristics of curriculum development in recent years has been an increased emphasis on using contexts and applications as a means of developing scientific understanding. Yet relatively little has been done to compare the effects of learning on context‐based approaches to science teaching with more traditional approaches. This study compares the performance on a range of diagnostic questions of pupils following both a context‐based approach and a more traditional approach to high school chemistry. The study shows that there is little difference in levels of understanding, but that there appear to be some benefits associated with a context‐based approach in terms of stimulating pupils’ interest in science.