Concerns about science Education in Schools

[thinkerlady[$]]

"The kids today don't have a chance to discover," she said. "They don't even get to go check out their own neighborhood. We have to know what they're doing all the time. They just don't know what exploration

Science Eduactors are finally speaking up!!

The science news of late has not been uplifting, from national test scores to teachers' confidence in their science skills and parents' satisfaction in course offerings. Business leaders say they have seen declining interest in science among students

Maybe being able to teach for inquiry and discovery, and not to correctly answer a test could become a goal!

But in today's schools, teachers see problems even in finding time to plan and set up a science lesson in class.

As a 7th grade Science teacher, I couldn't agree more with this article. Science just isn't given the priority it should be given, and many kids have a lack of interest, or fear of the subject, just because they haven't had an opportunity to learn. I have seen many kids enter high school, and not be able to understand the science classes they take, let alone know what to do in a lab.

Any thoughts?

[frazzledspice]

There are lots of "extracurricular" chances for kids to have fun with science--from Science Fairs to Science Quiz Bowls to Science Camps to Science Clubs.

Most cities have wonderful Science Museums, zoos, and aquariums.

But kids may never reach the point where they want to participate in any of these extra activities if they don't get about excited in their regular classrooms. And kids in poor rural or inner city schools may never have a chance to participate in these extracurricular activities, because they may not be available in their schools.

I never liked science as a child. I never liked science even though my Mom's boss was the Dad of the Mr. Wizard girl (she later starred in soap operas--Rita McLaughlin.) My sister and I never wanted to watch Mr. Wizard because all we'd hear about was Rita and the wonderful exciting life she led.

I went to a Catholic school in the good old days where there were 60 kids in a class, held firmly in line by a very strict nun with a ruler. Not many fun experiments there.

I went to a Catholic high school where three kids had to share one frog, and the frog was the only thing we dissected all year. But I was one of the lucky ones. One of my classmates lost her eye in chemistry class because the school didn't have safety goggles. She sued, she lost, but the school got safety goggles.

If my experience is any indication, this kind of an education doesn't breed love of science.

[thinkerlady[$]]

I guess I am really sensitive to this. I teach in a parochial school, and we have a "state of the art" science program. We have a fully equipped lab, each class has 2 days of the week designated as lab-time, and 2 days of class time. The program is designed for the "ordinary" classroom teacher, inqury based, requires active participation, and is fun. The program was written by a group of educators, and pediatiricians, from one of our better known universities and medical schools here in PA.

It is an expensive program, and one that many schools, including the public systems do not want to undertake. We have it, and have been a model for several schools. The sad thing is, when kids from our school move on to high school, depending where they go, their science instruction may not be at the same level. Then again, in high school they will be ready for specific disciplines in science. Hopefully they will be better equipped academically, and have a better attitude that previous students.

[frazzledspice]

You are forgetting that I went to high school in the late 1960's. I am sure that parochial schools follow appropriate safety procedures now.

More problematic are the private (and a few public) schools that teach creation science. Most religious denominations, both Christian and non-Christian, believe that scientific evidence of creation is not in confict with belief in God's role in creation, but those who base their timeline of geological and biological history on "the flood" are shortchanging their students scientifically.