What does 'teaching science in the primary school' mean to primary teachers? Evidential in the inquiry are teacher responses to interview questions which encourage teachers to reflect on and interpret their classroom practices. The growing body of research on teacher thinking in relation to educational change is based in a context which acknowledges that teaching is more than just behaviour, it is as suggested by Freeman 'thoughtful work'. Decisions about what to teach, why, who the students are and how the teacher feels about them are all a part of the way a teacher constructs an individual perception of the reality of his/her classroom. Studies have demonstrated that such perceptions are a result of personal experience and so may differ from teacher to teacher and each teaching situation. These perceptions guide a teacher through the complex process of planning and implementing curriculum in their classroom, impacting on decisions at all levels. This study focuses on these perceptions in the area of science and uses a phenomenographic approach, to describe primary school science through the eyes of the teachers that teach it. It is a study of the different ways primary teachers 'experience, perceive, apprehend, understand and conceptualise' this area of their teaching. The evidence used for this study consists of 12 interviews conducted with primary school teachers. These were transcribed and rigorously analysed in an attempt to discover the different ways that primary teachers perceive the teaching of science in the Primary School. The study attempts to describe these different perceptions which teachers may and do choose to use when expressing their understanding of 'this phenomenon'. The result is the identification of three perceptions containing component parts which are detailed in three categories of description; A, B and C. Sections of interview transcripts are used to demonstrate the types of responses which were characteristic of the perceptions identified. Although three perceptions are outlined these are rarely used in isolation but may actually be used simultaneously by primary teachers depending on the context of their science teaching situation. The insights into teacher practice which this study offers are discussed and the implications and issues which these categories inherently hold for professional development programs are also explored. The study is done within a framework that holds educational theory and practice as dialectic in nature. Although discussed briefly, this relationship is not subjected to inquiry in this work. In the long term the information that this study provides may contribute to understanding the process of change in primary science education. Specifically, by empowering teachers to identify their own perceptions. This knowledge may assist them to become more active players in the process of effective curriculum change, 'agents' of change rather than 'victims' of the same. This may be a crucial factor towards ensuring that the outcomes of such change are personally productive and meaningful for each teacher.