The elephant in the science staff room: an investigation into the maths skills and confidence of pre-service science teachers

This paper explores the importance of mathematical skills for teaching science effectively to 14–16-year-olds and evaluates the support pre-service science teachers (PSTs) receive during their postgraduate initial teacher education (ITE) in England. Triggered by increased mathematical demands in the science curriculum, the study gathered data from 18 ITE providers (11% of national providers) during the 2023/2024 academic year. These providers completed a qualitative questionnaire on the mathematical support they offer. Additionally, 236 PSTs (11% of the national cohort) voluntarily completed a marking exercise with eight questions reflecting mathematical skills needed in secondary science teaching. Results highlight wide variability in mathematical preparation across ITE programmes. Only 13.5% of PSTs completed the exercise both correctly and confidently. Performance differences emerged by gender and subject specialism, with male PSTs and physics specialists performing better. Greater prior mathematics education also correlated with higher competence. The study recommends developing a mathematics skills audit and intervention tool for PSTs, integrating stronger mathematical content into ITE programmes, and conducting further research on PSTs’ mathematical development needs. These steps aim to address gaps in mathematical competence and ensure science teachers are well-prepared to deliver the curriculum effectively.