Here is is, all 126 glorious pages of it. The I’m a Scientist Evaluation Report [pdf 1mb].

If you’re interested in how the event went and what people got out of it then look at Section 1 (findings) and Section 3 (case studies). If you’re a fellow science communication professional, and want to know more about how we did things and learn from our experience, then look at Section 2 (development) and Appendix 3 (formative evaluation findings).

The key messages were:-

Students said: “i learnt loads and feel much more confident to put my hand up and ask questions and know that ok sometimes i will get it wrong”

Teachers said: “The pupils were looking forward to their science lessons, asking about them in the corridor etc.”

Scientists said: “It engaged the kids in a way I’ve never seen before.”

Every scientist and teacher surveyed said they would recommend it to a colleague.

Key Outcomes

• Students realised scientists are real, interesting, fun people
• Students were inspired and enthused
• Developed debate and discussion and How Science Works (HSW) skills

Key reasons it worked

• Giving some power to young people gives them a reason to engage and shows that they are trusted
• The fact that it’s real – real scientists, real science, real prize money – makes it far more vivid
• The intimacy of the medium makes it easier to break down barriers and make connections

The key lessons for others were

• Teachers want to use more debate and discussion for the new GCSE but feel they and/or the students don’t know how to do it. So resources which help are welcome.
• Many existing resources to support the new GCSE feel ‘rushed out’ and don’t always ‘get’ what How Science Works is.
• A teacher panel is a really useful way to include teachers in development of your project.
• A project blog is a great way to be transparent and keep everyone informed.

I hope this is useful to people.