IBSE Final

4 NaTIoNal SCIENCE TEaChERS aSSoCIaTIoN

Chapter 1 The Teaching of Science: Contemporary Challenges

to bridge theory and practice in science education? What are the respon-

sibilities of researchers and teachers to see that new knowledge is applied

in the classroom?

• Teaching science as inquiry: Teach science content or process? Is it necessary to

separate science content and process? What should students know and be

able to do relative to scientific procedures? Can science classrooms incor-

porate both? If not, how can both goals be attained?

• Improving science teachers’ knowledge and skills—professional development:

Teach scientific knowledge or pedagogical skills? What will be most helpful for

science teachers? How can we productively move beyond lessons “to do

on Monday”? What do teachers really need to do their job?

• Attaining higher levels of student achievement: Assessment for individual develop-

ment or international comparison? Can we respond to both the needs of

teachers and policy makers? Can we reduce or close the achievement gap?

Scientific Literacy: Achieving Goals for All Citizens

The term scientific literacy expresses the major goal of science education—

advancing individual development and satisfying society’s aspirations through

science education. I think it is reasonable to say that most science teachers would

support a goal such as “scientific literacy for all learners.” Such a phrase embodies

the highest and most admirable goals of science education. Let’s examine the

idea of scientific literacy.

A Brief Introduction to Scientific Literacy

Use of the term scientific literacy most likely began with James Bryant Conant in the

1940s (Holton 1998) and was elaborated on for educators in a 1958 article by Paul

DeHart Hurd titled “Science Literacy: Its Meaning for American Schools.” Hurd

described the purpose of scientific literacy as an understanding of science and

its applications to social experience. Science had such a prominent role in society

that economic, political, and personal decisions could not be made without some

consideration of the science and technology involved (Hurd 1958).

Achieving Scientific Literacy

In the 50 years since Hurd’s article, the term scientific literacy has been used exten-

sively to describe the purposes, policies, programs, and practices of science educa-

tion. The term scientific literacy, however, is not the reality of science education.

Academic researchers debate the real meaning of the term, classroom teachers

claim their students are attaining scientific literacy, and national and international

assessments provide evidence that somewhere between the abstract purposes

of science education and concrete practice in science classrooms, the education

community is not achieving the goal, at least in the United States.