All students should be familiar with the requirements for IA. It should be made clear to them that they are entirely responsible for their own work. It is helpful if teachers encourage students to develop a sense of responsibility for their own learning so that they accept a degree of ownership and take pride in their own work.

In responding to specific questions from students concerning investigations, teachers should (where appropriate) guide students into more productive routes of inquiry rather than respond with a direct answer. As part of the learning process, teachers can give general advice to students on a first draft of their work for IA. However, constant drafting and redrafting is not allowed and the next version handed to the teacher after the first draft must be the final one. This is marked by the teacher using the IA criteria. It is useful to annotate this work with the levels awarded for each aspect—“c” for complete, “p” for partial and “n” for not at all, to assist the moderator should the work be selected as part of the sample.

In assessing student work using the IA criteria, teachers should only mark and annotate the final draft.

When completing an investigation outside the classroom, students should work independently. Teachers are required to ensure that work submitted is the student’s own. If any doubt exists, authenticity may be checked by one or more of the following methods.

• Discussion with the student

• Asking the student to explain the methods used and to summarize the results

• Asking the student to repeat the investigation

Teachers are required to sign the IA coversheet to confirm that the work of each student is his or her own unaided work.

Safety

While teachers are responsible for following national or local guidelines, which may differ from country to country, attention should be given to the mission statement below, which was developed by the International Council of Associations for Science Education (ICASE) Safety Committee.

ICASE Safety Committee

Mission statement

The mission of the ICASE Safety Committee is to promote good quality, exciting practical science, which will stimulate students and motivate their teachers, in a safe and healthy learning environment. In this way, all individuals (teachers, students, laboratory assistants, supervisors, visitors) involved in science education are entitled to work under the safest possible practicable conditions in science classrooms and laboratories. Every reasonable effort needs to be made by administrators to provide and maintain a safe and healthy learning environment and to establish and require safe methods and practices at all times. Safety rules and regulations need to be developed and enforced for the protection of those individuals carrying out their activities in science classrooms and laboratories, and experiences in the field. Alternative science activities are encouraged in the absence of sufficiently safe conditions.

It is a basic responsibility of everyone involved to make safety and health an ongoing commitment. Any advice given will acknowledge the need to respect the local context, the varying educational and cultural traditions, the financial constraints and the legal systems of differing countries.