Comment on Accuracy of TIMSS Report
NEW HAVEN, Conn., April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. science teachers
responsible for educating students in kindergarten through high school sent
out a warning today about the state of science education and whether students
will be adequately prepared for the challenges of the next century.
That is according to a new survey released by Bayer Corporation and the
National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), whose members called the poor
performance of U.S. middle and high school students in the Third International
Math and Science Study (TIMSS) an accurate reflection of student performance.
According to the Bayer Facts of Science Education V, a Bayer/NSTA survey,
the nation's pre-college science teachers say that the reforms outlined in the
National Science Education Standards, which emphasize hands-on, inquiry-based
learning, can significantly strengthen science education and student
performance if communities band together to support and properly implement
them.
Bayer and NSTA today presented key findings of the survey at Bayer's First
Making Science Make Sense Volunteer Conference here. Making Science Make
Sense is Bayer's companywide initiative which advances science literacy across
the United States through hands-on, inquiry-based science learning, employee
volunteerism and public education. The volunteer conference brings together
Bayer employees from across the country to share ideas and information about
ways to improve their science education volunteer/mentoring efforts in local
communities across the country. Dr. Mae C. Jemison, former astronaut and
current science literacy advocate for Bayer Corporation's Making Science Make
Sense initiative, gave a keynote address to attendees about the results.
According to the survey, science teachers say they look to scientists to
help strengthen science education. They say that working directly with
scientists in the classroom offers substantial benefits to both them and their
students.
"It Takes A Village"
Overwhelmingly, pre-college science teachers say that successful reform
requires, in addition to scientists, the active support of all stakeholder
groups. More than three-quarters "strongly agree" that reform efforts will
fail or fall far short of their goals without the involvement of teachers,
school administrators and school boards, parents and other citizens, business
and industry, and the scientific community.
Buy-in from these groups clearly has not yet been achieved, as science
teachers involved in implementing reforms in their local school districts
report running into obstacles. Four out of five (78 percent) of the
80 percent involved in science education reform efforts, report experiencing
barriers, including lack of adequate time for planning and working with other
teachers (81 percent); a shortage of science materials, resources and
facilities (58 percent); and, lack of financial support for relevant
professional development (45 percent).
"The results of this survey paint a `good news/bad news' scenario about
the state of science education," said NSTA President Dr. Steven Rakow. "The
good news is that teachers are enthusiastically embracing the vision of the
Standards and are leaders in the reform effort; the bad news is that they
continue to report major barriers that prevent them from succeeding. To
overcome these barriers, we must make long-term, systemic changes to the
entire K-12 education system."
Science Literacy Is Critical
Why is science education reform so important? "Because," says Dr. Rakow,
"when students learn science experientially through the scientific processes
of asking questions, experimenting, analyzing and testing assumptions,
they become scientifically literate and develop important lifelong skills,
such as critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork abilities."
And, science literacy, say science teachers, is critical for all adults.
More than two-thirds (68 percent) cite science literacy as "essential" for
adults. However, they do not believe the general public views it in quite the
same way. In fact, according to the survey, there is a wide disparity between
the importance science teachers place on science literacy and the importance
they believe the general public places on it. Almost none (two percent)
believe that the general public thinks science literacy is essential for
adults.
"Science teachers are sending a clear message of the importance of
hands-on, inquiry-based learning and that `it takes a village' to achieve
effective science education reform," said Dr. Jemison.
Scientists in the Classroom
When it comes to programs that bring scientists into classrooms to work
directly with students, even though only about half of the science teachers
(48 percent) report having participated in this type of program, almost all of
them (98 percent) say it is critical for students to be exposed to scientists
and/or engineers, with nearly one-third (29 percent) calling it "essential"
and half (51 percent) "very important."
Moreover, among the half (51 percent) who have not participated in
student-scientist programs, three out of four (71 percent) say they would like
to. Both those teachers who have and those who haven't participated in such
programs give them high marks. They agree that working with scientists helps
students better understand science content and peaks their interest in the
subject. The experience, say teachers, also provides students with positive
role models and solid information about science as a career.
Teachers, too, derive benefits from working with scientists on science
curricula and professional development. Though fewer say they have experience
with this type of volunteer program (36 percent), those who have say it
bolstered their motivation and enthusiasm for teaching the subject
(92 percent); helped them better understand science content (90 percent); and,
improved their teaching of science content (87 percent). Of the 62 percent
who haven't worked with scientists, almost two-thirds (60 percent) say they
would like to.
"There is a magnificent opportunity to create meaningful and effective
relationships between the nation's scientific and science education
communities," said Sande Deitch, executive director of the Bayer Foundation
and architect of Making Science Make Sense.
She said that in light of this, Bayer is stepping up its efforts by
committing to double its science-volunteers around the country from 1,000 to
2,000 by 2005. "That is one of the important aims of this volunteer
conference," she added.
Another is to encourage more Bayer sites across the country to support
science education reform. The latest site to do so is Bayer's Pharmaceutical
Division based in West Haven, Connecticut. During the volunteer conference,
it announced it has formed a partnership with the New Haven Public Schools
(NHPS) to spearhead science education reform in all 34 elementary schools.
Bayer will provide NHPS with a $250,000 grant and science volunteers who will
work to implement a hands-on, inquiry-based curriculum for some
10,000 students in grades K-6. The curriculum, developed by the National
Science Resources Center (NSRC), aligns with both the National Science
Education Standards and Connecticut's Science Education Standards.
The Bayer Facts of Science Education V survey was commissioned by Bayer
Corporation and the National Science Teachers Association in celebration of
National Volunteer Week and National Science & Technology Week. Conducted by
Marketing Research Institute, it polled 1,712 NSTA members who report teaching
students in grades K-12. The survey had a margin of error of +/-3 percent.
Founded in 1944, the Arlington-based National Science Teachers Association
is the world's largest organization that seeks to promote excellence and
innovation in science teaching and learning for all. Its 53,000-plus members
include science teachers of all grade levels, science supervisors,
administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others
involved in science education.
Bayer Corporation is a research-based company with major businesses in
health care and life sciences and chemicals. The company had 1998 sales of
$8.1 billion and employs more than 23,000 people. Bayer Corporation is
investing $15 billion in capital expenditures and research and development
from 1995 through the year 2004. 1999 capital investment and R&D expenditures
are projected to total $1.6 billion. Bayer Corporation, with headquarters in
Pittsburgh, is a member of the worldwide Bayer Group, a $31 billion chemicals
and health care group based in Leverkusen, Germany.
Key Survey Findings
Science Literacy and the State of Science Education
-- 100% of science teachers say it's important for adults to be science
literate; 68% say it is essential
-- 33% believe the general public views science literacy as not very
important for today's adults; 2% think the general public believes
science literacy is essential
-- 49% are not at all confident that elementary schools are providing
students with the kind of quality science education they will need in
the coming century
-- 29% and 23% report the same lack of confidence about middle and high
school science education, respectively
Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS), the National Science
Education Standards and Science Education Reform
-- 57% of science teachers believe that TIMSS, which shows U.S. middle and
high school students performing substantially below those of leading
countries in math and science, is an accurate reflection of their
performance
-- 86% agree that science education reform as exemplified by the National
Science Education Standards will substantially strengthen science
education and improve student performance
-- 80% report having been personally involved in efforts to put the
Standards into practice in their school district
-- 78% say they have experienced barriers to implementing the Standards
including a lack of adequate time for planning (81%), science
materials and resources (58%), and financial support (45%)
-- 54% somewhat agree that the Standards are making a difference in their
school district
-- Only 17% strongly agree that the Standards are making a difference in
their school district
-- 76% strongly agree that without the active support of teachers, school
administrators and school boards, parents and other citizens, business
and industry, and the scientific community reform efforts will most
likely fail or fall far short of their goals
Scientists in the Classroom
-- 51% of science teachers believe it is very important for students to be
exposed to scientists and/or engineers; 29% believe it is essential
-- 95% agree that contact with scientists and/or engineers is an effective
way to help students better appreciate science and engineering as
careers
-- 48% say they have experience with programs that bring scientists and/or
engineers into schools to work directly with students, making class
presentations or demonstrations, or assisting students with projects
-- For those who participated in such a program, 75% say it helped their
students better understand science content; 87% say it peaked their
students' interest in science; 92% say it provided their students with
positive images of scientists and/or engineers; and, 85% say it
provided useful information about science careers
-- 71% of science teachers who have not had experience with these types of
programs say they would like to
-- Of those who would like to participate, 87% believe it would provide
students with useful information about science and/or engineering
careers; 83% believe it would provide positive images of scientists
and/or engineers; 83% believe it would peak student interest in
science; and, 65% think it would help students better understand
science content
-- 36% of science teachers report participating in programs that give
teachers the opportunity to work directly with scientists and/or
engineers on science curricula or other professional development
activities
-- Of those participating, 90% believe it helped them better understand
science content; 87% say it improved their teaching of science
content; and, 92% report it bolstered their motivation and enthusiasm
for teaching
-- 60% of science teachers who have not participated in these types of
programs say they would like to
-- Of those who have not participated, 78% believe it would help them
better understand science content; 72% think it would improve their
teaching of science content; and 78% report it would bolster their
motivation and enthusiasm for teaching science.
SOURCE Bayer Corporation
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http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/092575.html or fax,
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CONTACT:
Cindy Workosky of the National Science
Teachers Association 703-312-9248, or pager, 888-620-0812; or
Cynthia Carway of Carway Communications, 212-378-2020; or Bayer
Corporation Media Line, 412-777-5666
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