Vision for Science Education
| SCIENCE EDUCATION WILL INVOLVE LESS: | SCIENCE EDUCATION WILL INVOLVE MORE: |
|---|---|
| Rote memorization of facts and terminology. |
Facts and terminology learned as needed while developing explanations and designing solutions supported by evidence-based arguments and reasoning. |
| Learning of ideas disconnected from questions about phenomena |
Systems thinking and modeling to explain |
| Teachers providing information to the whole class | Students conducting investigations, solving problems, and engaging in discussions with teachers’ guidance |
| Teachers posing questions with only one right answer | Students discussing open-ended questions that focus on the strength of the evidence used to generate claims. |
| Students reading textbooks and answering questions at the end of the chapter |
Students reading multiple sources, including |
| Worksheets | Student writing of journals, reports, posters, and media presentations that explain and argue |
| Oversimplification of activities for students who are perceived to be less able to do science and engineering |
Provision of supports so that all students can engage in sophisticated science and engineering practices |