4.6 The Desired State for Middle School Science

I am using the concept of "desired state" which was developed by the authors of the Project Synthesis reports. The desired state is the opinion of a group of science educators as to what the curriculum in a specific content area ought to be. The concept of a desired state was dependent on the intellect, judgement and experience of the persons involved. Desired states for middle school and high school science will be identified in this chapter.

Although there was not a middle school group in Project Synthesis, an NSTA task force on middle/junior high science developed criteria (using the Project Synthesis model of desired states) for exemplary programs in middle school science. I have summarized the recommendations of the middle school/junior high task force in the following areas: goals, curriculum, instruction, teachers and evaluation.

Goals. The middle school science program should emphasize a holistic approach to science teaching. Exemplary middle school science programs contribute to scientific literacy by helping students develop the use of the skills of inquiry and problem-solving by paying close attention to investigative and reasoning abilities, gaining independence, practical applications of the methods of science, and learning how to learn. According to the middle school task force, the science program should also help students gain an academic background in science, but the focus should be on developing a foundation in science for them as they function as citizens, rather than science specialists. The goals of an exemplary program should also include the development of attitudes, experience science in interdisciplinary settings and in the world of work, and help the students relate science to the understanding of self, one's relation to the environment, and to the role of science in daily activities.

Curriculum. The curriculum of the middle school is literally caught in the middle between elementary and high school. As such it is a much debated issue. A number of educators think the curriculum should emphasize the interdisciplinary nature science, and the selection of content should be related to the contemporary needs of preadolescent students, as well the fact that they will be future citizens and in that capacity will need to make decisions and solve problems. Thus some of the proposals include curriculum which is heavily oriented toward the science-technology-society theme. Topics such as space exploration, health science, earthquake preparedness, weather phenomena and storms, animals in the local environment are being included as content topics. In Chapter 5, I will explore the science-Technology-Society (STS) theme, and give examples of curricula and specific lessons that exemplify this approach.

The desired state of the middle school curriculum should also be characterized by the following:

• Science processes focusing on inquiry.

• A balance among life, earth science, and physical science.

• Practical applications and everyday experiences incorporated into science topics.

• Issues in science and society, career awareness, historical aspects of science, as well as the nature of the science community.

• Cognitive, affective and psychomotor learning goals and activities.

• An opportunity for student input to curriculum topics, and for independent work.

• The interdisciplinary nature of science.

Instruction and Learning. Instruction in the middle school should take into account the developmental characteristics of the preadolescent child, realizing that most of them will be at the concrete and transitional levels in cognitive development. The curriculum should also take into account the varying student learning styles among the preadolescent (see Chapter 2).Exemplary science programs should offer a variety of instructional strategies (see Chapters 5-7 for specific recommendations). Learning should focus on concrete experiences. Technology and a variety of supplemental teaching aids such as multiple textbooks, microcomputers, hands-on materials, and visual-aids should be central in the learning process. Middle school students should be involved with community resources, including field trip sites, outdoor education programs (see the discussion below of OBIS, Project Wild and Project Learning Tree), and the opportunity to interact with adult women and men outside the school who can serve as role models.

Instruction should provide opportunities for the students' social growth, for clarifying values (especially on socially and personally relevant topics in the STS realm), and for the development of independence in thought and action. Instruction should involve student in small group learning activities, as well as independent study and research projects.

Teachers. Teachers, according to the middle/junior high science task force, are the most significant factor in creating the desired state for middle school science programs. They report that "teachers in exemplary programs are dynamic, thoughtful, young at heart, and eager to learn with their students." Teachers should have a broad background in science, and should be seen more as a generalist, rather than a specialist. They should have a strong grasp of how science relates to individuals and society, and how technology and careers intersect with science teaching. Teachers should have specialized preparation in the teaching of science for the preadolescent, and should have deep understanding of the psycho-social development of the student at this age. These teachers also understand how the middle school provides the transition from elementary to high school. Teachers are creative: they are able to make optimal use of classroom space, and are able to engineer an interesting classroom given existing facilities, materials, apparatus, time, budget and community resources.

Evaluation. Exemplary programs should include a provision for continual evaluation of the program. Evaluation does not rest on simply cognitive scores on achievement tests. The evaluation of the science program should include cognitive, affective, and psychomotor measures. Students should be asked to provide feedback on what they like and dislike in the program, and teachers should use this data and their own reflective processes to evaluation the program's effectiveness. Program evaluation should include process and product. Successful evaluation leads to improvements in the quality, efficiency, effectiveness, and functioning of the program.

The desired state for middle school science provides us with a vantage point as we look at middle school science programs. We can ask how the current middle program compares to the criteria identified in the desired state.