High marks for biology A level

31 October 2003

A-level biology is popular with students and is seen to offer good prospects after school, a report commissioned by the Wellcome Trust has discovered. However, links between school and university bioscience communities are not strong, and students can struggle to find the right course after A level. The growth of different bioscience specialisms is also making it difficult for secondary education policy makers to cater for the needs of tertiary education.

The report, Life Study: Biology A level in the 21st century, was produced by a team from the University of Warwick. The group set out to determine the views of students and teachers to A-level biology courses, their success in preparing students for further study in the biosciences, and the extent to which A-level courses are reflecting the changing nature of bioscience research.

Biology was widely regarded as interesting and enjoyable, with subjects such as human and medical biology particularly popular. Some subjects, however, were notably less popular, including plant biology and agri-science. Despite its high factual content, A-level courses are well liked. The amount of assessment was a cause for concern, and more experienced teachers suggested that the amount of practical work being undertaken had fallen.

It was widely agreed that current research priorities should be reflected in A-level courses, although it was recognised this needed to be carefully managed to avoid too much emphasis on trendy ideas and to ensure courses provided a wide-ranging foundation.

The full report is available as a PDF.