"It must be the BOOK OF THE YEAR!" ICASE Newsletter. 1994 (ICASE= International Council for Associations of Science Education)
"This is a truly excellent text and should have been available a long time ago" DG Swift, Senior Education Adviser DFID, UK, 1994
"The whole approach breathes originality...uses commonly available resources that are inexpensive, dismantleable, recyclable and storable... demonstrates science in action in clear exciting ways, even when time and resources are limited. The book aims to link the classroom with the community, to inspire and encourage teachers to think in a creative way in making maximum use of local resources, and to ensure that science teaching and learning is firmly based in everyday experience. The book is highly recommended as being filled with good sense." CASTME Journal Vol 14. No 3. (CASTME= Commonwealth Assn of Science, Technology and Mathematics Educators)
"Related to the real situation in the classrooms of developing countries...user friendly...should be at the fingertips of every practising teacher and every student teacher in training colleges in developing countries...a useful resource anywhere in the world". British Council Science Education Newsletter
"It shows how classic textbook experiments can be done without imported or expensive equipment... An excellent basis for good practice." Times Educational Supplement (UK), 1996
"The most useful, practical and professional tool that I used during my two years in Zimbabwe." VSO science teacher
"...admired here not only by the science teachers, but by teachers of all subjects." Science teacher, South Africa
"...Although originally intended for teachers working in developing countries it is an invaluable resource for the UK. This is an excellent resource for practical ways to address cross-cultural and EAL issues in schools." Ian Morrison (VSO)
"...Papua New Guinea still makes use of your handbook. First purchased in the 90's for all PNG schools." Russell Jackson , 2008
"...an old classic that still pulls weight in the classroom." Institute of Physics Journal (UK) 2007
"Most wonderful science activities book... I translated this book into my language, Hindi, and it has helped thousands of teachers. It is in the third reprint... I also translated The VSO Mathematics Teachers' Handbook into Hindi... We now have both these books in Marathi (the language of Maharashtra State in India)... for free or at-cost distribution by a highly-respected Indian educational NGO." Arvind Gupta (India)
"This book is stolen more times from our library than any other science education handbook... lecturers and student teachers just respect it, especially when going for teaching practice... Why do they respect it so much? It is academically well organised and written in fine style, very easily utilised, and comprehensively packed full of syllabus relevent topics.... and proudly we Nigerians humbly claim a portion of some credit, because one of the authors taught in our beloved Kwara state... and we thank our almighty God for Book Aid International !" Nigerian science professor
"You wrote our science teacher's handbook? Then let me buy you some really big drinks!" US Peace Corps volunteer, Malawi, 2007
"It’s a great book! – very relevent for any country like India, where there is an undue emphasis on rote learning." Science teacher educator and advisor, India
"... but it's not really a handbook it's an African science teacher's bible!.. One way to swiftly improve science education in any developing country is to give this book to every science teacher and volunteer be they JICA, VSO, Peace Corps or a whatever!" Talular workshop feedback, Malawi, 1999
"Many hundreds of teachers and thousands of pupils have truly, truly benefitted from the Science Teachers' Handbooks... presented to us at the conclusion of the training in Lahore over some 12 years ago... my copy is dog's eared but still very active indeed!" Science teacher trainer and advisor, Pakistan, 2002
"...a triumph of selection and communication which could not have been easy... focused upon the essential practical concerns of a teacher." Professor W Harlen OBE, author of UNESCO’s Source Book for Primary Science, Director of the Scottish Foundation for Research in Education
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This handbook provides over 400 exciting and practical ideas developed by teachers around the world. It is suitable for both new and experienced teachers, lecturers and curriculum developers.
* Lots of ideas for experiments with simple, locally available resources
* Easy to use with hundreds of clear illustrations
* Step-by-step guides to making experiments and activities work
* Covers common biology, chemistry and physics syllabus topics
* Essential for every junior and secondary level science teacher
(Source: Science Teachers' Handbook back cover)
A free pdf version from Arvind Gupta's wonderful collection of ebooks. It is not a perfect reproduction, but perfect enough if you can't buy one. In recent months 56,000 books were downloaded from Arvind's website by teachers across the world - specially from developing countries.
