In many U.S
States, K-12 educators must adhere to
rigid standards or frameworks of what content is to be
taught to which age groups.
Unfortunately, this often leads
teachers to rush to “cover” the materials, without truly “teaching’ it.
In addition, the
process of science education,,
including such elements as the scientific method and critical thinking, is often overlooked . this emphasis can produce students who
pass standardized tests without
having development complex problem solving skills. Although at the college level American
science education tends to be less regulated, it is actually more
rigorous, with teachers and
professors fitting more content into the same time period.
professors fitting more content into the same time period.
In 1996,
the U.S national academy of sciences of the U.S
national academies produced the national science education standards,
which is available online for free in
multiple forms. Its focus on inquiry
–based science, based on the theory of constructivism rather than on direct instruction
of facts and methods, remains controversial. Some research suggest that it is more
effective as a model for teaching science.
“The standards call for more than ‘science as process’ in which students learns such
skills as observing, inferring, and experimenting. Inquiry is central to
science learning.
When engaging in inquiry, students describe objects and events, ask questions, construct explanations, test those explanations against current scientific knowledge, and communicate their ideas to others. They identify their assumptions, use critical and logical thinking, and consider alternative explanations. In this way, students actively develop their understanding of science by combining scientific knowledge with reasoning and thinking skills.
When engaging in inquiry, students describe objects and events, ask questions, construct explanations, test those explanations against current scientific knowledge, and communicate their ideas to others. They identify their assumptions, use critical and logical thinking, and consider alternative explanations. In this way, students actively develop their understanding of science by combining scientific knowledge with reasoning and thinking skills.
The state of Alabama has particularly embraced the implementations of inquiry-based science instruction through the development of its science in motion program. “the Alabama science in motion (ASIM) program is a visionary educational program established in 1994 by the Alabama legislature. Learning science requires an understanding of the scientific method, which is acquired through ‘hand-on’ minds –on’ laboratory activity. Equipment, knowledge of the discipline, preparation time, and motivation are essential elements of an effective laboratory program. ASIM is a network of resources designed to provide the equipment, discipline training, ad preparation support needed to run an effective secondary science laboratory program. ASIM also incorporates a strong teacher training component.
Each site provides 15 days of teacher training. Summer training is designed to update and strengthen content knowledge, to familiarize teachers with the use and operation of ASIM equipment, and to model teaching strategies that are successful with a broad range of students. Follow –up workshops during the school year allow teachers to ‘find tune” their knowledge and to share suggestions and experiences from the classroom. Initially, the ASIM specialist might lead the laboratory activity. The ultimate objective is for the laboratory activity. The ultimate objective is for the teacher to lead the lab, or for the ASIM specialist and teacher to team-teach the lab. This program provides the opportunity for instruction and laboratory activities that many students would never experience without ASIM.
As a result of these opportunities, Alabama students should be better prepared for postsecondary education or entry into the work force” other approaches include standards-based assessments such as Washington assessment of student learning, which emphasize devising experiments at early grades at a level traditionally not cover until college (traditionally, students conducted rather than designed experiments), based on mock data with very little testing of factual knowledge. Their eight categories of national science education standards reflect a new emphasis on the themes of constructivist approaches, diversity, and social justice common throughout the education reform movement.
These categories are unifying concepts and processes, science as inquiry, physical science, life science, earth and space science, science and technology, science in personal and social perspectives, and history and nature of science. Concern about science education and science standards has often been driven by worries that American students lag behind their peers in international rankings. One notable example was the wave of education reforms implemented after the soviet union launched its sputnik satellite in 1957. The first and most prominent of these reforms was led by the physical science study committee at MIT.
In recent years, business leaders such as Microsoft chairman bill gates have called for more emphasis on science education, saying the united states risks losing its economic edge. To this end, tapping America’s potential is an organization aimed at getting more students to graduate with science, technology, engineering and mathematics degrees. Public opinion surveys, however, indicate most U.S parents are complacent about science education and that their level of concern has actually declined in recent years.
Furthermore, in the recent national curriculum survey
conducted by ACT, researchers
uncovered a possible disconnect
among science educators. “both
middle school/junior high
school teachers and postsecondary science instructors rate(s) process/inquiry skills as more important than advanced science content topics; high school teachers
rate them in exactly the
opposite order. “ perhaps more communication among educators at the different grade levels in necessary to
ensure common goal s
for students.
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