The Role Of Public Policy In K 12 Science Education

Download or read book The Role of Public Policy in K-12 Science Education written by George E. DeBoer and published by IAP. This book was released on 2011-01-01 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The goal of this volume of Research in Science Education is to examine the relationship between science education policy and practice and the special role that science education researchers play in influencing policy. It has been suggested that the science education research community is isolated from the political process, pays little attention to policy matters, and has little influence on policy. But to influence policy, it is important to understand how policy is made and how it is implemented. This volume sheds light on the intersection between policy and practice through both theoretical discussions and practical examples. This book was written primarily about science education policy development in the context of the highly decentralized educational system of the United States. But, because policy development is fundamentally a social activity involving knowledge, values, and personal and community interests, there are similarities in how education policy gets enacted and implemented around the world. This volume is meant to be useful to science education researchers and to practitioners such as teachers and administrators because it provides information about which aspects of the science education enterprise are affected by state, local, and national policies. It also provides helpful information for researchers and practitioners who wonder how they might influence policy. In particular, it points out how the values of people who are affected by policy initiatives are critical to the implementation of those policies.

Download or read book A Framework for K-12 Science Education written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2012-02-28 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Science, engineering, and technology permeate nearly every facet of modern life and hold the key to solving many of humanity's most pressing current and future challenges. The United States' position in the global economy is declining, in part because U.S. workers lack fundamental knowledge in these fields. To address the critical issues of U.S. competitiveness and to better prepare the workforce, A Framework for K-12 Science Education proposes a new approach to K-12 science education that will capture students' interest and provide them with the necessary foundational knowledge in the field. A Framework for K-12 Science Education outlines a broad set of expectations for students in science and engineering in grades K-12. These expectations will inform the development of new standards for K-12 science education and, subsequently, revisions to curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development for educators. This book identifies three dimensions that convey the core ideas and practices around which science and engineering education in these grades should be built. These three dimensions are: crosscutting concepts that unify the study of science through their common application across science and engineering; scientific and engineering practices; and disciplinary core ideas in the physical sciences, life sciences, and earth and space sciences and for engineering, technology, and the applications of science. The overarching goal is for all high school graduates to have sufficient knowledge of science and engineering to engage in public discussions on science-related issues, be careful consumers of scientific and technical information, and enter the careers of their choice. A Framework for K-12 Science Education is the first step in a process that can inform state-level decisions and achieve a research-grounded basis for improving science instruction and learning across the country. The book will guide standards developers, teachers, curriculum designers, assessment developers, state and district science administrators, and educators who teach science in informal environments.

Download or read book Science and Engineering for Grades 6-12 written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (U.S.). Committee on Science Investigations and Engineering Design Experiences in Grades 6-12 and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Students learn by doing. Science investigation and engineering design provide an opportunity for students to do. When students engage in science investigation and engineering design, they are able to engage deeply with phenomena as they ask questions, collect and analyze data, generate and utilize evidence, and develop models to support explanations and solutions. Research studies demonstrate that deeper engagement leads to stronger conceptual understandings of science content than what is demonstrated through more traditional, memorization-intensive approaches. Investigations provide the evidence student need to construct explanations for the causes of phenomena. Constructing understanding by actively engaging in investigation and design also creates meaningful and memorable learning experiences for all students. These experiences pique students' curiosity and lead to greater interest and identity in science"--Preface.

Download or read book Physics Teaching and Learning written by Dennis W. Sunal and published by IAP. This book was released on 2019-05-01 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Physics Teaching and Learning: Challenging the Paradigm, RISE Volume 8, focuses on research contributions challenging the basic assumptions, ways of thinking, and practices commonly accepted in physics education. Teaching physics involves multifaceted, research-based, value added strategies designed to improve academic engagement and depth of learning. In this volume, researchers, teaching and curriculum reformers, and reform implementers discuss a range of important issues. The volume should be considered as a first step in thinking through what physics teaching and physics learning might address in teacher preparation programs, in-service professional development programs, and in classrooms. To facilitate thinking about research-based physics teaching and learning each chapter in the volume was organized around five common elements: 1. A significant review of research in the issue or problem area. 2. Themes addressed are relevant for the teaching and learning of K-16 science 3. Discussion of original research by the author(s) addressing the major theme of the chapter. 4. Bridge gaps between theory and practice and/or research and practice. 5. Concerns and needs are addressed of school/community context stakeholders including students, teachers, parents, administrators, and community members.

Download or read book Constructing Meaning in a Science Methods Course for Prospective Elementary Teachers written by Barbara S. Spector and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-02-10 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do prospective elementary science teachers think? This case study • reveals thinking patterns common to preservice elementary teachers;• identifies their behavioral characteristics while learning to teach science which are not commonly noted in current literature;• provides change strategies to accelerate preservice elementary teachers embracing the holistic, constructivist, inquiry/practice-based paradigm consistent with the standards set by the curriculum. The chapters in this book immerse the reader in a sequence of episodes in this science methods course, and reveal the adventure of turning theory into practice while analyzing student-student/student-instructor interactions and their outcomes in an inquiry-driven, flipped classroom. Strategies presented empower preservice elementary teachers to • implement national and state standards;• change science learning/teaching from “business as usual” to applying science and engineering practices in the classroom;• make cognitive and behavioral changes required to shift paradigms and eliminate science anxiety;• pass through stages of grief inherent in the loss of dominant mechanistic paradigm. This book will interest a wide readership including science educators;scientists and engineers; administrators, supervisors, and elementary teachers in a clinical education setting; preservice elementary teachers; and anyone seeking to improve STEM education in elementary schools.

Download or read book Moving the Equity Agenda Forward written by Julie A. Bianchini and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-08-11 with total page 373 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume takes on the vital tasks of celebrating, challenging, and attempting to move forward our understanding of equity and diversity in science education. Organized thematically, the book explores five key areas of science education equity research: science education policy; globalization; context and culture; discourse, language and identity; and leadership and social networking. Chapter authors -- emerging to established US science education scholars -- present their latest research on how to make science interesting and accessible to all students. The volume includes international voices as well: Scholars from around the world crafted responses to each section. Together, authors and respondents attempt to refine our methods for examining equity issues across classrooms, schools, and policies, and deepen our understanding of ways to promote equity and acknowledge diversity in science classrooms. Moving the Equity Agenda Forward is endorsed by NARST: A Worldwide Organization for Improving Science Teaching and Learning Through Research. The volume gains authority from the fact that it was edited by one current and four former chairs of NARST’s Equity and Ethics Committee.

Download or read book What Every Principal Needs to Know to Create Equitable and Excellent Schools written by George Theoharis and published by Teachers College Press. This book was released on 2015-04-25 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: School leaders who succeed at creating a high-achieving learning community must also be committed to creating an equitable environment for all students. In this new book, key scholars across the content areas show how to put into practice a commitment to equity and excellence across the Pre-K12 spectrum. Readers learn directly from experts in each of the content domains (literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, music, early childhood, special education, English language learners, world languages, and physical education) how a commitment to social justice and equity can be grounded in core subject areas, why each has a place in the school, and what they need to know and do in each subject area. This book is a critical instructional leadership resource for new and veteran principals who want to see all students succeed. Contributors: Antonio J. Castro, Julie Causton-Theoharis, Virginia Collier, Katherine Delaney, Catherine Ennis, Virginia Goatley, Beth Graue, Rochelle Gutirrez, Kathleen A. Hinchman, Anne Karabon, Christi Kasa, Dave McAlpine, Mitchell Robinson, Victor Sampson, Sherry A. Southerland, and Wayne Thomas