Science Education & Policy

Continued from Part 1, Why Not Try A Scientific Approach To Science Education? In a traditional science class, the teacher stands at the front of the class lecturing to a largely passive group of students. Those students then go off and do back-of-the-chapter homework problems from the textbook and take exams that are similar to those exercises. The research has several things to say about this pedagogical strategy, but I’ll focus on three findings—the first about the retention of information from lecture, the second about understanding basic concepts, and the third about general beliefs…

It seems obvious; even in a noble profession like education, if you pay people more who are better at it, better people are incentivized to do it. Obviously a number of people do it despite the money, just like science and academia, and the overall quality of education has improved a lot this decade but America has a way to go if we are going to keep at the forefront of science and technology in the face of huge populations in China and India. But there has been resistance to that from educational lobbyists and a hardline union that only votes Democrat, which has unfortunately made education…

Are Americans bad at science?  If so, are they worse than anywhere else?   We know the answer to one of those questions.  A new national survey commissioned by the California Academy of Sciences and conducted by Harris Interactive  says that the U.S. public is unable to pass even a basic scientific literacy test.  The good news; U.S. adults do believe that scientific research and education are important. About 4 in 5 adults think science education is "absolutely essential" or "very important" to the U.S. healthcare system (86%), the U.S. global reputation (79%),…

...and the depth vs. breadth argument in science education continues, even though .This article chimes in with some updated information.  A new study shows that students who studied basic topics more in depth in high school did better in college introductory courses than those who had the "we must cram everything we can think of about this topic into your heads so that you can pass the state-mandated graduation exam" approach. Go figure.  We already knew that.  Problem is, how are we going to change our education system?  I have been part of it for almost 7 years now and…

Our editor, Hank Campbell, is collecting ideas for the SB 2.0 T-Shirt Collection. Here are a few ideas. I'd love to have some of yours. Maybe you'll see your name in lights... or at least on cotton. Science and calculus don't mix. Never drink and derive.Love a Geologist and feel the earthquake My rocks are gneiss, don't take 'em for granite All my faults are normal Geologists make the bedrock! So many beds, so little time Geology is a load of schist! Subduction ALWAYS leads to orogeny How many geologists does it take to change a lightbulb? One, but hundreds will apply. Metamorphic…

A new study challenges the prevailing assumption that you must pay attention to something in order to learn it. Research in the journal Neuron says that stimulus-reward pairing can elicit visual learning in adults ... even without awareness of the stimulus presentation or reward contingencies.  Study participants were asked to view a computer monitor, maintain their gaze on a central spot and enjoy the occasional drop of water that was delivered to their mouths through a tube. The drop of water was considered a reward because subjects were required to abstain from eating and drinking for…

The purpose of science education is no longer simply to train that tiny fraction of the population who will become the next generation of scientists. We need a more scientifically literate populace to address the global challenges that humanity now faces and that only science can explain and possibly mitigate, such as global warming, as well as to make wise decisions, informed by scientific understanding, about issues such as genetic modification. Moreover, the modern economy is largely based on science and technology, and for that economy to thrive and for individuals within it to be…

I am disarmed every day by the amount of info my students do not know at this stage of their life cycle.................I am teaching the life cycle of stars for the 4th year (this is my second career....my first was in healthcare 20+ years). Does anyone else feel this way or am I blogging to the wrong audience? Even if you don't teach or don't teach H.S. we should all be concerned about the quality of science information or mis-information that is out there!!

Whether you are for, against, or apathetic to tobacco, Congress is working to ensure that tobacco and tobacco companies fall under FDA regulation. The bill - under consideration before the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee today - would go beyond current restrictions on tobacco marketing set during a 1998 landmark settlement between 46 states and the tobacco industry. Regulators would have to review new tobacco products before they are sold, restrict marketing practices (especially those used to target children, like fruity-flavored cigarettes), give FDA the authority to ban…

Gifted youths already know what they want to be when they grow up - in a lot of cases it's applied sciences, but when they are asked why they made their choices, they are not able to explain. A study surveyed 800 gifted and non-gifted high-school students and examined the differences in self-concept and other psychological variables between the two groups. The study also observed the ways in which maturing gifted students form their identity. The results showed that while gifted youths have higher self-esteem in their educational achievements, they have lower self-esteem in social and…