Science Education: Where are we now and where are we heading?

Rena HeapThe University of Auckland

r.heap@auckland.ac.nz

Will Lani’s teenage self choose science?

Is this the landscape of our science education?

Or is it more like this?

There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million.

Walt Streightiff

Catch them while they’re young

PISA* mean scores (2009)

- assesses and compares how well countries are preparing their 15 yr old students to meet real life opportunities and challenges.

* Programme for International Student Assessment Science

Scientific literacy proficiency levels

Source: OECD. (2010). PISA 2009 Results: What Students Know and Can Do: Student Performance in Reading, Mathematics and Science,Vol 1. OECD: Paris.

PISA – 2009

Year 5In performance:•relatively low science achievement

lower mean than 29 countries, similar to 3, higher than 17

lower mean than all other participating English-speaking countries

•range of achievement wider than nearly all the high performing countries

& nearly all the countries who tested in English

•relatively high proportion of very low achieversmore very low achievers among Pasifika & Māori than among Pākehā/European & Asian students

TIMMS – Trends in International Mathematics & Science Study – 2010/11

Distribution of middle primary science achievement in TIMSS 2010/11

OECD mean

We sit here

Source: Adapted from Exhibit 1.1, Mullis, Martin, Foy, and Arora, 2012

In Year 5In teaching:

•low instructional hours c.f. nearly all countries.

•less emphasis on science investigations

•far fewer NZ primary schools had science laboratories available for use

TIMMS – Trends in International Mathematics & Science Study – 2010/11

ERO Report, 2012

Education Review Office. (May 2012). Science in the New Zealand Curriculum Years 5 to 8. Wellington, N.Z.

Key findings

Overall Quality of Schools' Science Programmes

ERO Report, 2012

Trends since 2004 Report

• teachers’ lack of confidence & competence in teaching science

• need for a greater focus on teaching NOS strand

• difficulties in maintaining the integrity of science within an integrated approach

• significantly decreased opportunities for ongoing professional learning development in science

• literacy and numeracy has gained a higher priority

Sir Peter Gluckman, Chief Science Advisor

Three recent reports:

• Looking ahead: Science education for the twenty-first century (2011)

• Science and New Zealand’s future(2012)

• Interpreting Science: Implications for public understanding, advocacy and policy formation (2013)

From these - key recomendations

• identify the purpose of science education at different levels of schooling

at all levels: dual need 1) scientifically literate population & 2) professionally qualified science workforce

• develop school – scientific community partnerships

• strategic development of science champions to lead growth of science teaching and learning

• use of modern and novel approaches to develop science education in ways that include low decile, rural & Māori & Pasifika students

Strengthening engagements between schools and the science community

role of ICT in the engagement

The potential of science learning

• learning that matters in the real world

• social justice agenda

• can embody all that is best in learning & engagement – creating memorable moments

Need:Relevant, authentic science learning

NOT endless boring facts

not this …… is science

this…So this……

A science that’s relevant in their world