The Monitoring Practical Science in Schools and Colleges study ran from 2015 to 2017. Data were collected in year 1 of the study in 2015, during reforms to the Scottish National 5 and Higher qualifications and prior to implementation of reformed GCSE and A level science specifications in England. Data collected in year 3 of the study (in 2017), was post implementation of reforms in Scotland and in England was at the point when A level students were completing the reformed qualifications for the first time and progressing to undergraduate study in higher education institutions, and GCSE students had completed one year of their reformed programmes. Data is in the form of survey responses and transcripts from telephone interviews with higher education staff involved in the teaching of undergraduate laboratories in biological sciences, chemistry and physics. This project collected data relating to practical work in science provision in schools, colleges and higher education collected in England and Scotland from 2015 - 2017. The project aimed to investigate the quantity and breadth of practical work undertaken and how this changed during the study. The project also sought to identify possible reasons for any observed outcomes. The project also examined how these data illustrate how school- and college-based practical work in science prepares students for laboratory based courses at university. Data were collected in year 1 of the study in 2015, during reforms to the Scottish National 5 and Higher qualifications and prior to implementation of reformed GCSE and A level science specifications in England. Data collected in year 3 of the study (in 2017), was post implementation of reforms in Scotland and in England was at the point when A level students were completing the reformed qualifications for the first time and progressing to undergraduate study, and GCSE students had completed one year of their reformed programmes.

The survey of Higher Education staff targeted a list of the top 28 universities identified using overall Times Good University Guide rankings in each of the three years and individual departmental rankings in biology, chemistry and physics. Telephone calls were made to each department in the listed universities to identify email addresses for first year laboratory coordinators and departmental administrators who were then asked to distribute the survey to anyone involved in the teaching of first year undergraduate laboratories. Higher Education student surveys were distributed by members of staff who had expressed an interest in distributing surveys to their students in a question at the end of the HE staff survey. Further detail on the Research Methods is provided in the published report. In years 1 and 2 the survey was delivered using online web survey software, “CVENT”. In year 3, the survey was moved to be delivered using Bristol Online Survey “BOS”. No respondents requested a paper copy of the survey. Data was transferred to SPSS and anonymised using coding schemes. As part of the anonymisation process, all survey responses from Scotland and Wales have been combined under the location "other parts of the UK" to preserve the anonymity of respondents. Higher Education staff telephone interviews HE staff who had expressed an interest via a question at the end of the HE staff survey were contacted to participate in telephone interviews.