Many of those countries that currently aspire to achieve and retain prosperous economies place great value on the provision of science education for all citizens, not only during the years of schooling but also throughout life. The pattern of reactions by individuals to these national aspirations is mixed. In some countries the demand for science education is high, yet in others this is far from being the case. What is common across this spectrum of response is a feeling that science education currently faces a range of challenges.
Students commonly find the subject – matter of science to be abstract,couched in complex language, and too often of insufficient immediate interest. This can lead to a lower than desired attainment in examinations and hence to a disinclination to continue the study of science beyond whatis mandatory. The teaching of science requires a broad range of knowledge at some considerable depth of understanding, conditions often not supported by the ‘modular’ structures of courses provided by many universities.