Current Issues in Science Education

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Current Issues in Science Education

• An issue is a point on which there is
  disagreement.
• What causes issues to arise in science education?

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What do you consider to be the big issues in
science education today?
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• What are the barriers to change for each of
  these issues?

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Barriers to Change

• Barrier 1 Science Textbooks
• Science textbooks play a crucial role in
  science education. Its estimated that between
  90-95 of teachers surveyed use textbooks 90 of
  the time as their major curriculum materials.

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Barrier 2 Pressure to prepare for college

• The goal of academic preparation continues to
  dominate science education.

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Barriers Identified by Science Teachers

• NSTA asked science teachers if they thought the
  Standards would improve the way science is taught
  in their classrooms,
• 80 percent of the teachers who answered the
  question said yes.
• Seventy-five percent also believed that the
  Standards would improve the way science is taught
  in their schools.
• The three top barriers cited overwhelmingly by
  the respondents were the need for
• adequate time for planning and working with other
  teachers
• financial support for relevant professional
  development
• science materials, resources, and facilities

• NSTA administered in January, 1996 to 5000
  randomly selected NSTA members. The surveys
  return rate was more than 38 percent (1,900
  returned). Eighty-seven percent of these
  respondents were teachers.

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• Classroom teachers are the key decision makers
  in terms of course content, textbook selection,
  instructional strategies, teaching style,
  selection of texts, etc. Because of this, they
  are the real determiners of the goals of science
  education. Do you agree ... what about text
  authors publishers?

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Science Education Issues can Typically be
Separated into Three Areas

• INSTRUCTION How should we teach?
• CURRICULUM What should we teach?
• ASSESSMENT How should we measure student
  learning?

Reform will require change in these three areas
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Sample Science Education Issues

• Are standardized tests appropriate to measure
  achievement in science?
• Preparation for college vs. preparation for life
• Should science be basic for elementary school?

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• Should science teach evolution?
• Should a few topics be covered in depth or should
  many topics be surveyed?
• Should chemistry be taught before biology?
• Should physics be taught first?

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• Should environmental awareness be included as
  part of science?
• Should the history of science be included in
  science courses?
• Textbooks vs. no textbooks for elementary science
• Should we use cooperative groups?

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• Should evaluation be subjective or objective?
• Should science be required for high school
  graduation?
• Should students receive science credits for
  health?

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Assignment 3 Current Issues in Science
Curricula
Write a position paper on a current issue in
science curricula. You may use an issue from the
class-generated list of come up with a different
one. Your paper should explain the various sides
of the issue and give arguments for your position
which are based on research, NSTA (or other
authoritative) support, and/or examples. Prepare
an 8-10 minute (approximately) presentation on
your selected issue.