A New Vision for Teaching Science

Recent studies from neuroscience and psychology suggest ways to improve science education in the U.S.

Key Concepts

• Two recent reports from the National Research Council call for significant changes in the way science is taught in elementary school. Unlike previous recommendations, the new suggestions reflect recent findings about how young children think and how they acquire knowledge.
• Research shows that children learn best when they regularly revisit topics, moving from basic to sophisticated views. In keeping with this knowledge, education experts advocate curricula in which students deepen their understanding of a topic—and hone their abilities to practice science—across many grades.
• The most effective teaching expands both the knowledge and the skills needed to engage with science authentically—that is, in a manner akin to how scientists work. To practice science in the classroom calls for problem- and project-based lessons, as well as considerable social interaction. As is the case among scientists, argumentation and discourse help students to refine one another’s ideas and to articulate their own.

Read more . . .

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Tags: curricula, education experts, effective teaching, global awareness, Innovation, knowledge research, national research council, neuroscience, psychology, science education, scientists, social interaction, teaching science

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 at 8:48 pm and is filed under Innovation Needed, Scientific American, learning. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.