K–12 science education reform—a primer for scientists (original) (raw)

refocused public attention on current deficiencies in science education for US students and possible solutions for its improvement. Reports resulting from TIMSS, a 5-year international project comparing curricula and achievement in 50 countries, ranked twelfth-grade US student performance-among the lowest of participating countries in general knowledge of mathematics and science and more specific knowledge of physics and advanced math (NCES 1998). However, at the same time a new vision of science education for K-12 students has emerged. This vision, which calls for excellence in science education for all children, is expressed in the NRC Standards, which, along with Project 2061's Benchmarks for Science Literacy (AAAS 1993), provides recommendations and guidelines for student learning, classroom practices, teacher professional development, and overall organization of educational systems. Development, writing, and review of the NRC Standards involved more than 18,000 people over a 4-year period, including classroom teachers, science educators, engineers, scientists from a variety of disciplines, and representatives from 22 science education and scientific organizations (NRC 1997). NRC Standards are voluntary, yet they are being adapted and applied by local school districts throughout the country, as well as by state educational organizations responsible for creating or implementing educational guidelines. The NRC Standards clearly identifies the need for ongoing partnerships among scientists, teacher educators, teachers, and school districts as a way to address shortcomings in the nation's current approaches to science education. Although such partnerships can take many forms, it is almost universally accepted that K-12 science education improves when scientists contribute their knowledge and skills (Wheeler 1998). For most scientists, the world of K-12 education is long forgotten, left in a distant past before years of advanced study. Even scientists with children sometimes find the K-12 culture of teaching and learning-with its own vocabulary, policies, and procedures-difficult to enter and navigate. In addition, members of the science community can unintentionally intimidate teachers and nonscientists and, at the same time, ignore the realities and challenges facing science education today. A useful beginning step toward enhancing the ability of scientists to work with teachers and schools is to promote basic understanding of the issues by all participants. Scientists, teachers, school administrators, and parents all need to recognize the contributions that each of them can make and be able to talk about their potential contributions using a common language. Mutual understanding of key concepts, approaches, strengths, weaknesses, and barriers is especially important in helping all parties to communicate clearly and work together in meaningful ways. Many scientists now active in science education reform have discovered that this growing field has developed its own vocabulary-borrowed from both science and traditional education. Simple words and phrases, such as "assessment," "cooperative