What do you think teachers emphasize in their courses? What do you think should be emphasized. This activity will give you an opportunity to find out, and compare your opinions with practicing science teacher's opinions.
Materials
The goals of the science curriculum questionnaire.
Procedures
1. Write the goals listed below on individual index cards and use the cards while you go through some decision making procedures.
2. First consider what you think. If you were teaching a science course in grades 7 - 9, which goal would you emphasize the most. Rank order the remainder of the goals from most emphasized to least emphasized. Write your sequence on a sheet of paper.
3. Shift your attention to a high school course. Rank order the goals from most emphasized to least emphasized at the high school level.
4. Finally, group the goals into clusters or categories. What criteria did you use? Is it easier to consider the clusters of goals, rather the entire list of goals.
- Become interested in science.
- Learn basic science concepts.
- Prepare for further study in science.
- Develop inquiry skills.
- Develop a systematic approach to solving problems.
- Learn to effectively communicate ideas in science.
- Become aware of the importance of science in daily life.
- Learn about applications of science in technology.
- Learn about career relevance of science.
- Learn about the history of science.
- Develop awareness of safety issues in the laboratory.
- Develop skill in laboratory techniques.
Minds On Strategies
1. The results of the survey show that secondary science teachers consider the most important goals to be learning basic science concepts, developing a systematic approach to solving problems, and becoming aware of the importance of science in daily life. How do these results compare with your results? Compare your groups' results with the results given in the references section of this chapter.
2. Are there differences between middle/junior high science goals and high school science goals? Should there be?