education
Students Rate Science, Hands-on Learning High
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onventional wisdom holds that elementary through high school students find science classes boring and a grind. But half of more than 1,000 students in a recent survey rated science at or near the top on their list of favorite subjects. The survey also found that children who learn science through a hands-on teaching approach are more likely to enjoy science than those who learn through more traditional teaching methods. The results were presented at a press conference last month in Washington, D.C. The survey, "Bayer Facts of Science Education HI: A U.S. Report Card on Science Education," was sponsored by Bayer Corp., a member of Germany's Bayer Group, as part of the National Science Foundation's National Science & Technology Week (NSTW). Among the study's findings, science ranked highest when compared with math, English, and history in several areas: Some 42% of students said science was the subject they were most curious about, 36% said it was the "coolest," and 31% said it was the class they participated in the most. In addition, 84% of students said they would give their science teacher an A or a B grade and that their teacher was enthusiastic about science and gave examples to relate science to everyday life. This is "a great report card for science teachers" or anyone concerned with science, said Peter D. Hart, director of Peter D. Hart Research Associates, Washington, D.C, thefirmthat conducted the study. The firm surveyed 217 elementary school students, 372 middle school students, and 427 high school students about their views on the kind of science education they are receiving and what they would improve if they could. Hart said the study had two goals: to evaluate science education and to learn what kind of changes can improve science teaching. The findings contradict three myths of science education, Hart said: that science is for boys—89% of students said it was as much for girls as for boys; that science is about memorizing—89% said science let them bring out their creativity; and that science is for nerds—93% said it was not. The results show that "science is no longer the 'spinach' of academic life," he said. 62 MAY 5, 1997 C&EN
Survey results also showed the importance of interactive learning in getting children interested in science. The number one reason students gave for liking science was performing experiments and projects, whereas the number one reason they gave for being turned off to science was taking notes from the teacher, the textbook, or the blackboard. Students who described their science learning as hands-on were more likely to rank science high and more likely to consider themselves good science students. They were also less likely to consider science the most difficult subject or to call it boring. Some 88% said they would be more "psyched" about learning science if they could go on-line to talk with scientists and other students and if they could do more experiments in class.
Where is science on your list of favorite subjects? Near the bottom 11%
At the bottom 6%
In the middle 33%o
Near the top 31%
At the top 19%
Total = 1,016 students Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates
Mae C. Jemison, a chemical engineer, physician, and former astronaut who has been Bayer's science literacy advocate for the past three years, said the study showed what shed known all along: Kids like messing around in the mud and taking things apart to see how they work. "They've all at one time or another looked up at the stars and wondered what it would be like to actually go there," she said. This study is important, she noted, because it asked kids about their attitudes instead of looking at performance on tests. According to the 3rd International Mathematics & Science Study (TIMSS), re-
leased by the Department of Education last November, U.S. eighth-grade students rank slightly above average in science when compared with students from 41 other countries. Their scores were comparable to students in Canada, the U.K., and Germany, but significantly lower than those in Japan and several other Asian and Eastern European countries. Results of the Bayer/NSF study were consistent with the TIMSS report: 48% of students said their abilities in science were pretty good, compared with very good (29%), excellent (8%), or so-so (13%). At the press conference, Jemison stressed the importance of hands-on learning in improving children's science literacy. She said when students learn science through doing, "they not only remember it, but theyflourishin it." She said students recognize the role science will play in their future, but she believes science teaching hasn't yet been made a priority. The study is the third by Bayer and NSF to look at the quality of science education in the U.S. The first, released in 1995, surveyed elementary school teachers and parents. Last year's study questioned elementary school principals and business executives at both science and nonscience companies. These studies also showed the importance of hands-on science teaching. Also presented at the conference as part of NSTW were the 10 finalist teams for the first annual Bayer/NSF Award for Community Innovation, sponsored by the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation and Discover magazine, in addition to Bayer and NSF. Each team was made up of four middle school students and a team leader, who were charged with identifying and solving a problem in their own community. The projects ranged from installing traffic lights at dangerous intersections to designing a recycling program for office buildings. Winners will be announced at a ceremony at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., on May 31. Information on next year's program is available on the World Wide Web at www.nsf.gov/bayer-nsfaward.htm or by calling (800) 291-6020. NSTW, which this year was April 2026, was begun by NSF in 1985. Its purpose is to call attention to the importance of science in everyday life, said Julia A. Moore, director of NSF's Office of Legislative & Government Affairs. It also aims to urge scientists and engineers to enter into dialogue with the American people, not just to teach, but also to listen and learn how research can make a contribution, Moore said. Julie Grisham
