Innovations In Science And Mathematics Education

The uses of technology in education have kindled great interest in recent years. Currently, considerable resources are being expended to connect schools to the Internet, to purchase powerful (and increasingly affordable) computers, and on other implementations of educational technologies. However, the mere availability of powerful, globally-connected computers is not sufficient to insure that students will learn--particularly in subjects that pose considerable conceptual difficulties, such as in science and mathematics. The true challenge is not just to put the newest technologies in our schools, but to identify advanced ways to design and use these new technologies to advance learning. This book offers a "snapshot" of current work that is attempting to address this challenge. It provides valuable and timely information to science and mathematics educators, educational and cognitive researchers, instructional technologists and educational software developers, educational policymakers, and to scholars and students in these fields.

This book is based on a set of stories from teachers and education professionals in thirteen OECD countries. Twenty-three case studies tell of innovations in practice involving school teachers, inspectors, academics and policy makers.

This edited volume explores key areas of interests in Singapore math and science education including issues on teacher education, pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, teaching practices, applied learning, ecology of learning, talent grooming, culture of science and math, vocational education and STEM. It presents to policymakers and educators a clear picture of the education scene in Singapore and insights into the role of math and science education in helping the country excel beyond international studies such as PISA, the pedagogical and curricula advancements in math and science learning, and the research and practices that give Singaporean students the competitive edge in facing the uncertain and challenging landscape of the future.

On cover & title page: OECD documents

This book, based on detailed studies of eight innovations in mathematics and science education, has many insights to offer on current school reform. Since each innovation studied has taken its own unique approach, the set as a whole spans the spectrum from curriculum development to systemic reform, from con centrating on particular school populations to addressing all of K-12 education. Yet these reform projects share a common context, a world view on what mat ters in science and mathematics for students of the 1990s and beyond, convic tions about what constitutes effective instruction, and some notions about how school change can be brought about. These commonalities are drawn out in the book and illustrated with examples from the individual case studies that are reported in full in Bold Ventures, Volumes 2 and 3. The eight innovations-all of them projects that are well-known, at least by name, to U. S. audiences-are briefly described in chapter 1. Each was the sub ject of an in-depth, three-year case study. The research teams analyzed many documents, attended numerous project meetings, visited multiple sites, conduct ed dozens of individual interviews. The team leaders, having spent much time with mathematics or science education over long careers, looked at these reform projects through several lenses; the teams sifted through the mountains of data they had collected in order to tell the story of each project in rich detail.

This book, based on detailed studies of eight innovations in mathematics and science education, has many insights to offer on current school reform. Since each innovation studied has taken its own unique approach, the set as a whole spans the spectrum from curriculum development to systemic reform, from c- centrating on particular school populations to addressing all of K-12 education. Yet these reform projects share a common context, a world view on what m- ters in science and mathematics for students of the 1990s and beyond, conv- tions about what constitutes effective instruction, and some notions about how school change can be brought about. These commonalities are drawn out in the book and illustrated with examples from the individual case studies that are reportedin full in BoldVentures, Volumes 2 and 3. The eight innovations—all of them projects that are well-known, at least by name, to U. S. audiences—are briefly described in chapter 1. Each was the s- ject of an in-depth, three-year case study. The research teams analyzed many documents, attended numerous project meetings, visited multiple sites, condu- ed dozens of individual interviews. The team leaders, having spent much time with mathematics or science education over long careers, looked at these reform projects through several lenses; the teams sifted through the mountains of data they had collected in order to tell the story of each project in rich detail.

"This book addresses the challenges that face science and mathematics education if it is to be relevant to 21st century citizens, as well as the ways that outstanding specialists from several countries around the world think it should deal with those challenges. Starting with the issue of science and mathematics teacher education in a changing world, it moves on to deal with innovative approaches to teaching science and mathematics. It then discusses contemporary issues related to the role played by technology in science and mathematics education, the challenges of the STEM agenda, and ways of making science and mathematics education more inclusive. Finally, it focuses on assessment issues, as the success of science and mathematics education depends at least in part on the purposes for which, and ways in which, students' learning is assessed. There is a worldwide trend towards providing meaningful science and mathematics education to all children for the sake of literacy and numeracy development and a need to produce enough science and technology specialists. This trend and need, coupled with the concern raised by students' disengagement in these two knowledge areas and the role that technology may play in countering it, put increasingly high demands on teachers. As shown in this book, science and mathematics education may offer a unique contribution in developing responsible citizens by fostering skills required in order to assume wider responsibilities and roles, focusing on personal, social and environmental dimensions. For instance, it offers unique insights into how teachers can build on students' complicated and interconnected real-worlds to help them learn authentic and relevant science and mathematics. Additionally, the book highlights potential positive relationships between science and mathematics, which are often envisaged as having a conflicting relationship in school curricula. By uncovering the similarities between them, and by providing evidence that both areas deal with issues that are relevant for citizens' daily lives, the book explores ways of linking and giving coherence to science and mathematics knowledge as components of everyday life settings. It also provides directions for future research on the educational potential of interconnecting science and mathematics at the different educational levels. Therefore, this is a worthwhile book for researchers, teacher educators and schoolteachers. It covers theoretical perspectives, research-based approaches and practical applications that may make a difference in education that is relevant and inclusive for citizens in the 21st century"--

Change in education is too often a process which enthusiasts, ranging from top policy makers to groups of teachers, plan and drive forward, but in which they all find unexpected pitfalls. Every innovation depends on the commitment of schools and teachers to make it work. But often that commitment is lacking, or is less than total, or it turns to fustration as events develop. This book is based on a set of stories from teachers and education professionals in thirteen OECD countries. Twenty-three case studies of educational innovation in science, mathematics and technology have involved school teachers, inspectors, academics (both subject specialists and educational researchers), policy makers and advisors. The case studies come from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland and the USA. Drawing on this rich variety of material the authors concentrate on the origins and purposes of innovation within and across the science, mathematics and technology curricula. They consider the conceptions of the three subjects, along with issues of teaching, learning and assessment, and explore the involvement of both teachers and students. They reflect on the various strategies adopted to cope with or bring about change, and offer valuable insights to advisors, developers, policy makers and practitioners, both in schools and outside. The writing team includes Paul Black, King's College London; Mike Atkin, Stanford University; Raymond Duval, University of Lille; Edwyn James, Consultant, OECD; John Olson, Queen's University of Kingston, Ontario; Dieter Pevsner, Consultant, London; Senta Raizen, National Centre for Improving Science Education, Washington; Maria Saez, University of Valladolid, Spain; and Helen Simons, Southampton University. Published in association with the OECDmatics and technology curricula. They consider the conceptions of the three subjects, along with issues of teaching, learning and assessment, and explore the involvement of both teachers and students. They reflect on the various strategies adopted to cope with or bring about change, and offer valuable insights to advisors, developers, policy makers and practitioners, both in schools and outside. The writing team includes Paul Black, King's College London; Mike Atkin, Stanford University; Raymond Duval, University of Lille; Edwyn James, Consultant, OECD; John Olson, Queen's University of Kingston, Ontario; Dieter Pevsner, Consultant, London; Senta Raizen, National Centre for Improving Science Education, Washington; Maria Saez, University of Valladolid, Spain; and Helen Simons, Southampton University. Published in association with the OECD