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Science Reports
What do students and teachers think about science? In this section you will
find a number of research reports that would help you learn more about science
education in the classroom. When you click on the title of the report below, you will find a summary of the research as well as information on where to obtain the research.
Benchmark for Science Literacy |
Report: Benchmark for Science Literacy
Authors: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Date: 2003
The AAAS document, Benchmarks for Science Literacy, complements the National Science Education Standards (NSES) in forming a comprehensive statement of what science students should know and be able to do. Benchmarks defines the essential concepts in twelve areas: the nature of science; the nature of mathematics; the nature of technology; physical setting; the living environment; the human organism; human society; the designed world; the mathematical world; historical perspectives; common themes; and habits of mind.
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Comparing
Science Content in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
2000 and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003
Assessments |
Report: Comparing
Science Content in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
2000 and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003
Assessments
Authors: Neidorf, Teresa; Binkley, Marilyn; Stephens, Maria
Date: March 2006
US Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences
This technical report, done by the US Department of Education, Institute
of Education Sciences describes a study that was undertaken to compare the
content of two recent fourth- and eighth-grade assessments in science: the
NAEP 2000 assessment and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science
Study (TIMSS) 2003 assessment. The report provides information that will be
useful for interpreting and comparing the results from the two assessments,
based on an in-depth look at the content of the respective frameworks and
assessment items. The report draws upon information provided by the developers
of the assessments, as well as data obtained from an expert panel convened
to the frameworks and items from the two assessments on various dimensions.
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Depth Versus Breadth: How Content Coverage in High School Courses Relates to Later Success in College Science Coursework |
Report: Depth Versus Breadth: How Content Coverage in High School Courses Relates to Later Success in College Science Coursework
Authors: Robert Tai, associate professor at the University of Virginia's Curry School of Education, Marc S. Schwartz of the University of Texas at Arlington and Philip M. Sadler and Gerhard Sonnert of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Date: Dec 22, 2008
High school students who study fewer science topics, but study them in greater depth, have an advantage in college science classes over their peers who study more topics and spend less time on each.
The study revealed that students in courses that focused on mastering a particular topic were impacted twice as much as those in courses that touched on every major topic.
The study explored differences between science disciplines, teacher decisions about classroom activities, and out-of-class projects and homework. The researchers carefully controlled for differences in student backgrounds.
The study also points out that standardized testing, which seeks to measure overall knowledge in an entire discipline, may not capture a student's high level of mastery in a few key science topics.
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Effective Science Instruction: What Does Research Tell Us? |
Report: Effective Science Instruction: What Does Research Tell Us?
Authors: Eric Banilower,
Kim Cohen,
Joan Pasley,
Iris Weis
Date: 2009
Horizon Research, Inc
A debate continues over what constitutes effective science instruction. This brief endeavors to distill the research on science learning to inform a common vision of science instruction and to describe the extent to which K-12 science education currently reflects this vision. A final section on implications for policymakers and science education practitioners describes actions that could integrate the findings from research into science education.
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How Students Learn- Science in the Classroom: A Targeted Report for Teachers |
Report: How Students Learn- Science in the Classroom: A Targeted Report for Teachers
Authors: Committee on How People Learn, A Targeted Report for Teachers, Center for Studies on Behavior and Development, National Research Council
Date: 2005
This resource offers a strong research foundation for particular instructional methods along with a rich description of application of the research in real classroom settings. How Students Learn is a product of the Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences and Education of the National Academies, one of three volumes (the others in mathematics and history) which take three fundamental principles of knowing -- preconceptions, interrelationships between factual and conceptual knowledge, and metacognition -- and applies those principles to particular subject area concepts. Chapters describe a science concept at three levels of schooling -- elementary, middle school and high school -- and demonstrate how preconceptions can be made evident by teachers and addressed when they prove to be mistaken ideas. The hypothetical lessons offered in the middle chapters represent a synthesis of both qualitative and quantitative science education research integrated with the cognitive science findings detailed in the introductory chapters. The interplay of a diverse research foundation with descriptions of lively classroom "scenes" makes the volume accessible to teachers and professional developers.
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Looking Inside the Classroom: A Study of K-12 Mathematics
and Science Education in the United States |
Report: Looking Inside the Classroom: A Study of K-12 Mathematics and Science Education in the United States
Authors:Weiss, Iris R.; Pasley, Joan D.; Smith, P. Sean; Banilower, Eric R.; Heck, Daniel J.
Date:May 2003
Horizon Research, Inc
This report summarizes findings from observations of and interviews with 364 science and mathematics teachers in schools across the United States. Areas addressed include: how science and mathematics are portrayed, the intellectual engagement of students in lessons, the accuracy of science and mathematics content, teacher questioning strategies, and factors that determine teachers' choice of content and instructional strategies.
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Nation's Report Card: Science 2005 |
Report: Nation's Report
Card: Science 2005
Authors: National Assessment of Educational Progress
Date: 2005
US Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences
The results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2005
science assessment have been released. In addition to national results for
grades 4, 8, and 12, fourth- and eighth-grade results are reported for 44
participating states and the Department of Defense schools. Assessment results
are described in terms of students' average science score on a 0-300 scale
and in terms of the percentage of students attaining each of three achievement
levels: Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. National scores at selected percentiles
on the scale (indicating the percentage of students whose scores fell at or
below a particular point) are also discussed, as are scores for three fields
of science. The report also provides results for groups of students defined
by various background characteristics (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, and students'
eligibility for free/reduced-price school lunch). Comparisons are made to
results from previous years in which the assessment was administered. In addition
to the 2005 results, national results are reported from the 1996 and 2000
assessments.
The national results show an increase in the average science score since
1996 at grade 4, no significant change at grade 8, and a decline at grade
12. Results for participating states and other jurisdictions from the 2000
assessment at grade 4 and from the 1996 and 2000 assessments at grade 8 are
also reported. Of the 37 states and jurisdictions that participated in both
the 2000 and 2005 fourth-grade science assessments, nine showed gains in average
scores and none showed declines. Of the 37 states and jurisdictions that participated
in the 2000 and 2005 eighth-grade assessments, 11 showed gains and 4 showed
declines.
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National ScienceEducation Standards |
Report: National Science Education Standards
Authors:National Academy of Sciences.
Date: 1996
The National Science Education Standards is one of the foundational documents in science education, defining what science students should know and be able to do to become educated citizens. The NSES serve as the basis for state science standards and curriculum frameworks across the country. In addition, the Standards are identified by the Science Committee of the National Governing Board as one of the core documents underlying the framework for both the 2005 and the upcoming 2009 NAEP Science assessment. As states develop measures of proficiency in science, the National Science Education Standards will be an essential resource.
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National Science Board Releases Science and Engineering Indicators |
Report: National Science Board Releases Science and Engineering Indicators 2008
Author(s):National Science Board
Date: 2008
The National Science Foundation (NSF)
Science and Engineering Indicators 2008 (SEI'08) isthe Board's biennial report on the state of science and engineering research and education in the United States. Called the "gold standard," it is the most comprehensive source of information on research and development conducted by universities, industry, the federal government and the international science and engineering enterprise.
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Report: Ready, Set, Science!
Author(s):Sarah Michaels, Andrew W. Shouse, Heidi A. Schweingruber, National Research Council
Date: 2007
The National Academies
"Ready, Set, Science!" is a new publication from the National Research Council explaining how the latest research on learning and teaching can be put into practice in K-8 science classrooms. Using extensive examples and case studies, the book guides teachers and science specialists in applying the findings in the Research Council's 2006 report, "Taking Science to School: Learning and Teaching Science in Grades K-8." "Ready, Set, Science!" guides the way with a comprehensive synthesis of research into teaching and learning science in kindergarten through eighth grade. Based on the recently released National Research Council report, "Taking Science to School: Learning and Teaching Science in Grades K-8," this book summarizes a rich body of findings from the learning sciences and builds detailed cases of science educators at work to make the implications of research clear, accessible, and stimulating for a broad range of science educators.
"Ready, Set, Science!" is filled with classroom case studies that bring to life the research findings and help readers to replicate success. Most of these stories are based on real classroom experiences that illustrate the complexities that teachers grapple with every day. They show how teachers work to select and design rigorous and engaging instructional tasks, manage classrooms, orchestrate productive discussions with culturally and linguistically diverse groups of students, and help students make their thinking visible using a variety of representational tools. The report is available for purchase, but may also be read online.
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Revolutionizing Earth System Science Education for the 21st Century: Report and Recommendations from a 50-State Analysis of Earth Science Education |
Report: Revolutionizing Earth System Science Education for the 21st Century: Report and Recommendations from a 50-State Analysis of Earth Science Education
Authors: Martos Hoffman;
Daniel Barstow
Date: June 11, 2007
TERC and NOAA
This study analyzed K-12 Earth science standards and frameworks of all fifty states, plus the District of Columbia, to determine how well each state's standards address the following six Earth science content and pedagogical criteria:
- Content related to atmosphere, weather, climate and the ocean;
- Environmental literacy principles and applications;
- Earth considered as a dynamic interactive system;
- Earth examined through the perspective of space-age tools;
- Use of 21st century technologies in Earth science research; and
- Application of inquiry-based approaches to teaching and learning
about Earth science
The study was conducted by TERC on behalf of NOAA's Office of Education and is available in both a high resolution and a lower resolution version.
High resolution copy of report (6 MB pdf)
Low resolution copy of report (1.2 MB pdf)
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Science for all Americans |
Report: Science for all Americans
Authors:American Association for the Advancement of Science
Date: 1989
The conversation about scientific literacy for every citizen began with the publication of Science for All Americans. This document makes explicit the essential topics and key concepts whose understanding are a part of everyday American life. This statement of fundamental knowledge has application not only in K-12 settings, but makes the case for the inclusion of science literacy in adult learning experiences as well.
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Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) |
Report: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Author(s): State Educational Technology Directors Associaton (SETDA)
Date: 2008
This report addresses the need to provide all children with an education that includes a solid foundation of rigorous science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instruction. The report provides over ten solid examples from across the country where states, districts, or schools are successfully implementing STEM education into the curriculum. The report highlights the need for societal changes in America if we are to successfully compete and lead the world in the next generation. The US will not be able to meet its workforce needs as early as 2015 based on the need for 400,000 new graduates in STEM related fields. Yet, today's students continue to pursue degrees in non-STEM careers. Key recommendations gleaned from the successful examples highlighted in the STEM Report include:
- Obtain Societal Support for STEM Education
- Expose Students to STEM Careers
- Provide On-Going and Sustainable STEM Professional Development
- Provide STEM Pre-Service Teacher Training
- Recruit and Retain STEM Teachers
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Students Benefit from Undergraduate Research Opportunities |
Report: Students Benefit from Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Authors: Susan H. Russell, Mary P. Hancock, and James McCullough
Date: April 27, 2007
NSF and SRI International
A recent report urges science educators to encourage their elementary and high school students to engage in hands-on activities as they learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Researchers concluded that such students, when they enter two- or four year colleges, will likely take part in hands-on research and pursue advanced degrees in the STEM disciplines. The National Science Foundation underwrote a series of surveys to determine undergraduates’ interest and experience. Students reported that their experiences in performing actual research projects not only produced positive learning but also stimulated their desire to pursue graduate work.
The results were published in the April 27, 2007 issue of Science.
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Status of the Geoscience Workforce 2009: K-12 through Community College |
Report: Status of the Geoscience Workforce 2009: K-12 through Community College
Author(s): AGI
Date: 2009
Trends in Earth science education are a major focus of “Status of the Geoscience Workforce 2009,” a report recently released by AGI’s Workforce Program. The first chapter, “Trends in Geoscience Education from K-12 through Community College” details U.S. students’ access to Earth science education.
Based on original data collected by AGI as well as from federal sources, professional membership organizations, and industry, the report describes the supply and training of students, workforce demographics and employment projections, and trends in geosciences research funding and economic indicators.
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Status of Elementary Science Teaching |
Report: The
Status of Elementary Science Teaching
Authors: Fulp, Sherri L.
Date: December 2002
Horizon Research, INC
The Status of Elementary Science Teaching is one of a series of reports based
on data from the 2000 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education,
a survey of 5,765 science and mathematics teachers in schools across the United
States. Areas addressed include: teacher backgrounds and beliefs, the need
for and participation in professional development, course offerings, instructional
objectives and activities, and instructional resources.
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Systems for State Science Assessment |
Report: Systems for State Science Assessment
Author(s):Mark R. Wilson and Meryl W. Bertenthal, Editors.
Date: 2005
National Research Council
The volume, Systems for State Science Assessment, is intended as a guide for states "in making decisions about assessment to meet NCLB requirements and in planning more broadly for assessment as a tool for supporting student learning." (p 2) Completed by the Committee on Test Design for K-12 Science Achievement of the National Academies, it addresses the critical questions states must consider in the design of effective systems for measuring student attainment in science.
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Taking Science to School: Learning and Teaching Science in Grades K-8 |
Report: Taking
Science to School: Learning and Teaching Science in Grades K-8 (2007)
Authors: Duschl, Richard A.; Schweingruber, Heidi A.; Shouse, Andrew
W.
Date: 2007
National Research Council
Improving science education in kindergarten through eighth grade will require
major changes in how science is taught in America's classrooms, as well as
shifts in commonly held views of what young children know and how they learn.
After decades of education reform efforts that have produced only modest gains
in science performance, the need for change is clear. This report emphasizes
that doing science entails much more than reciting facts or being able to
design experiments. Today's standards are still too broad, resulting in superficial
coverage of science that fails to link concepts or develop them over successive
grades, the report says. Teachers need more opportunities to learn how to
teach science as an integrated whole. First, students should know, use, and
interpret scientific explanations of the natural world. Second, they should
be able to generate and evaluate scientific evidence and explanations. Third,
they should understand the nature and development of scientific knowledge.
And finally, students' work should include active participation in scientific
collaboration and discussion.
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The 2000 National Survey of Science and Mathematics
Education |
Report: The
2000 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education
Authors: Weiss, Iris R.; Banilower, Eric R.; McMahon, Kelly C.; Smith,
P. Sean
Date: December 2001
Horizon Research, INC
The Report of 2000 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education describes
the results of a survey of 5,765 science and mathematics teachers in schools
across the United States. Areas addressed include: teacher backgrounds and
beliefs, teachers as professionals, science and mathematics courses, instructional
objectives and activities, instructional resources, and factors affecting
instruction.
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Why Science Standards are Important to a Strong Science
Curriculum and How States Measure Up |
Report: Why Science Standards are Important to a Strong Science
Curriculum and How States Measure Up
Authors: Louise S. Mead, Anton Mates
Date: August 7, 2009
Evolution is receiving better coverage in state science standards compared to 10 years ago according to a review of all 50 state science standards and the District of Columbia by the National Center of Science Education (NCSE). Louise S. Mead and Anton Mates of NCSE conclude that "[t]he treatment of biological evolution in state science standards has improved dramatically over the last ten years." Nine states and the District of Columbia received an A for their treatment of evolution, However the study authors point out that five states--Alabama, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and West Virginia-- received a grade of 'F' for their treatment of evolution and there are others that didn’t include key concepts such as the Big Bang Theory.
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