Scientists in Science Education

Scientists in Science Education
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January 2008

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Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1
Why Improve Science Education? .................................................................................. 1
Science Education in Today’s Schools............................................................................ 2
Thinking about Your Role................................................................................................ 4
• Visit a Science Classroom.................................................................................... 7
• Provide
Professional
Development, or Training, for Teachers ............................. 8
• Support Informal Science Education .................................................................. 10
• Work
with
Parents
and School Boards ............................................................... 10
• Select
and
Implement
a
New Science Program ................................................. 12
• Final
Note ........................................................................................................... 12
Did You Have an Impact? ............................................................................................. 13
Summary....................................................................................................................... 13
Appendix I. How Well Are U.S. Students Doing? .........................................................A-1
Appendix II. What Is Inquiry and Why Is It Important in Science Education? ...............A-4
Appendix III. Understanding Today’s Schools..............................................................A-8
Appendix IV. Educational Resources .........................................................................A-10
Appendix V. References.............................................................................................A-11

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Scientists in Science Education
Introduction
•
Being asked to serve in the position of
As schools prepare today’s students to live in the
“scientist” on the school district’s
highly globalized and competitive 21st century,
education reform or textbook selection
the need for every student to receive a good
committee.
science education has never been more pressing.
•
Choosing to volunteer at a local science
All students, not just those destined for a
museum.
scientific, technical, or health-related career, can
benefit from the skills that science education can
Very few scientists get involved in all of these
provide—such as critical thinking, data analysis,
areas. One of the objectives of this document is
working in teams, and oral and written
to increase involvement by helping you decide
communication. The need for scientists to share
how and where to get started. It is also important
their unique skills and understanding with their
for you to understand something about the
own local school or school system has also
rationale for improving science education, what
never been more pressing.
kind of science education is needed, and some of
the pressures on school systems today. This
Schools today are under enormous pressures and
document will provide information on each of
constraints that were not present as few as 10
these topics as well.
years ago. To maximize your effectiveness as a
scientist playing a role in education, it is
Why Improve
important to learn something about the forces at
Science Education?
play in American education today. This report is
It is important to understand why improving
intended to help you make the most of the time
science education is necessary. Most scientists
you have decided to dedicate to improving
would argue that science is an important tool for
science education, whether that is a single hour
understanding the way the world works, for
spent conducting a lab demonstration or a
comprehending some of the critical issues of the
hundred hours spent reviewing your state’s
day, and even for improving citizenship. For
science education standards.
many parents, however, the most compelling
rationale might be to develop the skills their
Many scientists find it rewarding to share their
sons and daughters will need to prosper in a 21st-
passion for science with their community. Their
century workforce.
interest in science education often originated in a
memorable personal experience. While each
How can this be? We certainly do not mean to
person has a novel story about what prompted
imply that everyone in the 21st century will be
them to get involved, scenarios like these seem
working as a scientist or engineer. Far from it!
to be common:
•
Depending on how strictly we define science,

Worrying about the education that your
only 3 to 8 percent of our workforce is employed
son or daughter is receiving in science
as scientists or other similar technical
class.
professionals. When we look at the skills valued
•
Being approached to talk to a local
by employers, however, it becomes apparent that
classroom about science or “being a
scientists have a lot to offer in preparing
scientist.”
students to meet these proficiencies. We will
•
Being invited to run a workshop about
briefly discuss some of the skills valued by
science for teachers.
today’s employers and examine how well
students in the United States are learning these
skills.
1

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Schools need to prepare students for the
Other skills
21st-century workforce. In the 1970s,
•
The ability to use personal computers to
students could attain a middle-class lifestyle
carry out simple tasks like word
with only a high school diploma. Over the past
processing
30 years, however, the skills needed to obtain a
job and make a middle-class salary have
In today’s advanced technological world, many
changed dramatically. During this time, the
employers are willing to teach knowledge
advent of advanced technology, especially in
specific to their industry, as long as potential
manufacturing industries that had formerly paid
employees are proficient at the New Basic
high wages, along with the increasing
Skills. In addition, these skills are needed by all
international trade competition for low-skill jobs
students, regardless of whether they attend
have made things much more difficult for
college or enter the workforce directly after high
students with only a high school diploma. It is
school. Murnane and Levy describe why specific
becoming clear that even people with a college
jobs, such as working on an auto assembly line
degree, or more, may not be immune from the
or for an insurance company, require skills that
forces of globalization.
were not needed 30 years ago and are not
possessed by most applicants today.
These difficulties are compounded by the fact
that the skill set taught in schools has remained
Recent assessments of grade 12 students in the
the same over this time period. The education
United States show that they are lacking in
that was effective in the 1970s has stayed the
preparation for these basic skills. According to
same while the workplace has changed
findings from the 2005 National Assessment of
dramatically. In the early years of the 21st
Educational Progress (NAEP), the number of
century, there is a substantial gap between the
students performing at a basic level in reading
skills of graduating high school seniors and the
dropped by 7 percent between 1992 and 2005. In
skills valued by employers.
addition, just over half of students performed at
a basic level in mathematics. The Organization
In Teaching the New Basic Skills, Richard
for Economic Cooperation and Development’s
Murnane and Frank Levy (1996) describe a new
(OECD) Programme for International Student
set of skills important to employers and work
Assessment (PISA) found that, in 2003, 58
practices in firms paying middle-class wages.
percent of students surveyed in the United States
The New Basic Skills are those abilities needed
scored only as basic problem solvers or below.
to obtain at least a middle-class position. They
Further-more, the United States ranked 29th out
include:
of 40 countries surveyed in this study. To read
more about how these assessments were
Hard skills
conducted, how students in the United States
•
The ability to read at the ninth-grade level
scored, and how they compare with students in
or better
other countries, see Appendix I.
•
The ability to do math at the ninth-grade
level or better
Science Education in
•
The ability to solve semi-structured
Today’s Schools
problems where hypotheses must be
To make your experience in science education a
formed and tested
positive one, it is important to understand a few
issues in today’s educational system. This is not
Soft skills
•
meant to be an exhaustive explanation of

The ability to work in groups with people
schools, but rather, to briefly familiarize you
of various backgrounds
with terminology you may encounter.
•
The ability to communicate effectively,
both orally and in writing, at the ninth-
grade level or better
2
Scientists in Science Education

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Teaching Science as Inquiry
students learn through inquiry-based teaching
Inquiry may not be a term you have heard before
are striking (Figure 1).
in relation to science education, but you surely
know what it is! On the most basic level, inquiry
It should be clear from this comparison that the
refers to the process of doing science. Inquiry-
fundamental process of science has direct links
based learning engages students in the
to inquiry-based science teaching. Scientists’
investigative nature of science. Using inquiry to
knowledge of the scientific process makes them
teach science helps students put materials into a
invaluable in facilitating student education. As
meaningful context, fosters critical thinking
you contemplate the role you would like to play
(Narode et al., 1987), engages students so they
in science education, consider the information
develop positive attitudes toward science (Kyle
on practicing science versus teaching science
et al., 1985; Rakow, 1986), and improves their
and consider how you might incorporate this
communication skills (Rodriguez and Bethel,
knowledge into what you do.
1983). Inquiry shifts the focus of education to
cognitive abilities such as reasoning with data,
No Child Left Behind
constructing an argument, and making a
A piece of national legislation that has had a
logically coherent explanation.
dramatic impact on education in the past few
years is the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB),
Using inquiry to teach science can, we believe,
passed in 2001. The purpose of this legislation
serve to develop a number of the New Basic
was to ensure that all children in the United
Skills and help students prepare for the world of
States receive a high-
work. Inquiry-based science can give students
practice reading and understanding the rich
quality education. The act has led to higher
scenarios and activities that typify this mode of
standards and accountability in school systems
teaching. Inquiry-based science activities
across the nation. NCLB has placed the
frequently ask students to create and test
responsibility for children’s learning in the
hypotheses; use math, graphs, and other
hands of the teachers and schools by holding
approaches to analyze data; work as part of a
school districts accountable. Parents receive
problem-solving team; and communicate
information on the schools in their district about
findings and conclusions orally or in writing.
which ones are succeeding and why. Because
students and schools are evaluated each year for
To be certain, science class is not the only place
progress in particular areas, teachers must be
that students can learn these skills. If students
aware of the state education goals at all times.
are exposed to a set of rich, inquiry-oriented
science lessons over the years, though, they will
Under NCLB, a school must make Adequate
have a great deal of practice developing the
Yearly Progress (AYP), which is based on
skills and abilities that are highly prized in the
student performance, with at least 95 percent of
21st-century workplace, whether or not they plan
students participating in the NCLB student
to attend college. Unfortunately, inquiry-based
assessments, and continued progress over time.
teaching is not the norm in most classrooms. To
If a school does not make AYP, it is subject to
read more about the features of inquiry-based
mandated school improvements, corrective
learning, see Appendix II.
actions, or restructuring. This puts a great deal
of pressure on teachers and schools. For this
Why should scientists be involved in
reason, it is important that you ensure that the
inquiry-based science education? The
role you play and the information you provide in
simple answer to this question is, Who better to
science education fits with the goals of the
teach students about how to think like a scientist
teacher, the school, and the school district. To
than the people who do just that every day? The
read more about NCLB, see Appendix III.
parallels between the way scientists learn new
information through research and the way
Scientists in Science Education
3

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Figure 1. Practicing science versus teaching science.
Scientific research approach
Inquiry-based teaching approach
Raise fundamental question of interest that is
Engage student interest; guide the development of
addressable via scientific investigation.
questions (i.e., establish basis for inquiry) in a
specific area of content.
Research what is already known.
Discuss with students what they already “know” or
think they know (prior knowledge assessment) to
help address the question(s).
Make a prediction or hypothesis in answer to the
Ask students to make a prediction or hypothesis in
question of interest.
answer to the question of interest.
Plan and implement an experiment to test the
Plan and implement an experiment to test the
prediction.
prediction (hands-on activity).
Reflect on the results of the experiment and how
Reflect with students on the results of their hands-
they affect what was known before. Be alert for
on activity or investigation and use their
how the new data do or do not readily fit into the
predictions to assist them with gaining new and
existing structure of scientific understanding.
deeper understanding of content. Be alert for any
shifts from “prior knowledge” as students integrate
their new experiences.
Communicate new knowledge via talks and papers.
Communicate new knowledge via presentations,
Science community judges the validity and value of papers, demonstrations, exams (means of student
the results. New questions are raised.
assessment). Teachers judge students’ learning and
guide them to apply it to new circumstances.
Courtesy, Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., and the Space Science Institute.
Standards and Assessment
time on information that does not relate to their
Another concern for teachers is the content
state standards. See Appendix III for more
taught to students. To help guide the curriculum,
information about standards in today’s schools.
a voluntary set of National Science Education
Standards was released in 1996 by the National
Thinking about Your Role
Academy of Sciences. Many school systems
By now you likely have some understanding of
have referred extensively to these national
why science education should be improved, how
standards, while others use state or district
inquiry-based learning is an important part of
standards. Standards help improve science
that reform, and why scientists must be involved
education by providing guidance on content and
in this effort. To look more specifically at the
assessment in a particular area.
role you can play within science education,
consider the following questions.
Before making a decision about what your role
in science education is, determine which set of
•
Do you want to do presentations to
standards is used by teachers in your area. In
students or teachers, or work behind the
most places, the standards are available online.
scenes?
Read through them, determine how your ideas
•
Are you comfortable speaking in front of
fit into the curriculum presented there, and
an audience?
discuss your ideas with your collaborators in
education. In today’s environment of
accountability, teachers are reluctant to spend
4
Scientists in Science Education

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•
Do you have already-established
include programs funded by the National
relationships that you could use as a point
Institutes of Health, the National Science
of entry into the educational system?
Foundation, or Howard Hughes Medical
•
Would you prefer a long- or short-term
Institute. Joining a program that is already under
commitment?
way is often an efficient approach.
•
Would you prefer to work as an individual
or as part of a team?
You can become involved in many ways. You
•
Are you interested in learning more about
might consider your interests, time, and talents.
educational issues?
Traditionally, most scientists think about visiting
•
With whom do you want to interact—
schools, doing demonstrations, and serving as
students, teachers, administrators, policy
role models. We certainly encourage this. We
makers?
hope you will consider other ways that your
expertise can contribute to science education,
These questions, Figures 2 and 3, and the
too. Figure 3 presents a variety of opportunities
descriptions in Box 1 will help you determine
that vary in time and level of involvement. The
avenues for involvement in science education.
roles are grouped under advocating, serving as a
As you investigate different options, please take
resource, and becoming a full partner.
some time to look into local science education
efforts that may already exist in your community
or at your university. These efforts might
Figure 2. Characteristics of different roles in science education.
Role
In the
Professional
Informal
Parents
Developing
classroom
development
education and school
instructional
(training)
boards
materials
Make live
9
9
9
9
presentations
Speak in front of an
9
9
9
9
audience
Tap into
9
9
9
9
9
relationships
Make a short-term
9
9
commitment
Work as an
9
9
9
individual
Learn about
9
9
9
educational issues
Interact with
9
students
Interact with
9
teachers
Interact with
9
9
administrators
Interact with policy
9
makers
Scientists in Science Education
5

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Figure 3. A sampling of roles for scientists in education.
Level of
Advocate
Resource
Partner
involvement
K-12 students •
Participate in PTA.
• Judge a science fair. • Mentor a student in your
• Talk to school board
• Answer student e-
laboratory.
about the importance of
mail.
• Partner with students in a
science education.
• Give a tour of a
research project.
research facility.
K-12 teachers •
Speak out in support of
• Answer teacher e-
• Work with a teacher to
appropriate professional
mail about science
implement curriculum.
development, or training,
content questions.
• Hire a teacher intern.
opportunities for
• Present in teacher
teachers.
workshop on some
aspect of science.
Schools of
• Speak out in your
• Teach a science
• Hire a graduate in education
education
department or
course or workshop
to work as evaluator or co-
(pre-service
organization in favor of
segment for pre-
developer of education
teachers,
closer ties with colleges
service teachers.
project.
graduate
of education.
• Collaborate with
• Develop a science course or
students,
• Speak favorably of
education faculty to
curriculum for teachers-to-be.
faculty
teachers and the teaching
improve courses on
members)
profession in your
teaching science.
undergraduate classes.
Systemic
• Speak out at professional • Review science
• Collaborate on writing or
change
meetings about the
standards for science
adapting science standards.
(change
importance and value of
accuracy.
• Participate on state boards for
throughout a
scientist involvement in
• Review the state
adoption of standards,
district, a state,
systemic change.
framework for
instructional materials, or
or the country) •
Speak out in your district
science education.
teacher certification.
for better science
education.
Educational
• Speak out at a school
• Agree to serve on an • Collaborate on creating
materials
board meeting for
advisory board for a
exemplary science education
development
adopting exemplary
science education
materials.
(BSCS,
science-rich educational
project.
NSRC, EDC,
materials.
• Review science
Lawrence Hall
educational
of Science)
materials for science
accuracy.
Informal
• Speak out in your
• Review science
• Collaborate on creating a
education
community on behalf of
content of scripts for
museum exhibit or
(Science
the importance of
science exhibits,
planetarium show.
centers,
informal science
planetarium shows,
• Serve as science coordinator
scouts,
education at science
or environmental
for a scout troop.
planetaria)
centers, museums,
programs.
• Participate on the board of a
planetariums, etc.
• Give a talk at a
science center, planetarium,
science center.
environmental center, or
museum.
Source: Improving Science Education: The Role of Scientists, by Rodger W. Bybee and Cherilynn A. Morrow. Printed in the
Fall 1998 Newsletter of the American Physical Society Forum on Education. The complete article is available at
http://units.aps.org/units/fed/newsletters/fall98.pdf. Reprinted with permission from the American Physical Society Forum on
Education.
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Scientists in Science Education

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