ERIC Number: ED548252
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Apr
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Status of Secondary Science Education in the United States: Factors That Predict Practice
Smith, Adrienne A.; Banilower, Eric R.; Nelson, Michele M.; Smith, P. Sean
Horizon Research, Inc.
New K-12 science education standards emphasize teaching and learning grounded in authentic scientific practices. A first step toward supporting teachers' adoption of scientific practice-based pedagogies is to develop a clear picture of how teachers are currently teaching science, and what factors predict their pedagogical choices. A recently concluded, major study gathered data from a nationally representative sample of secondary science teachers. Among the topics studied were five sets of teacher-level predictors of traditional versus reform-oriented science instruction: teacher attributes, teacher beliefs, instructional resources, context-related factors, and inservice support. School-level factors (e.g., student demographics, community type, science expenditures) were also examined as potential predictors of classroom practice. This paper explores the relationships among these potential predictors and between the predictors and teachers' reported practices. The findings describe the national secondary science education landscape, and provide insight into the readiness of the field to implement the upcoming Next Generation Science Standards. An appendix provides two supplementary tables.
Descriptors: Science Education, Secondary School Science, Predictor Variables, Performance Factors, Educational Practices, Teaching Methods, Science Instruction, Secondary School Teachers, Teacher Characteristics, Instructional Materials, Educational Resources, Student Characteristics, Student Diversity, Demography, Expenditures, Classroom Environment, Academic Standards, School Readiness, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Teacher Background, Instructional Innovation, Educational Assessment, Educational Indicators, National Surveys, Teacher Surveys, Questionnaires
Horizon Research, Inc. 326 Cloister Court, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. Tel: 919-489-1725; Fax: 919-493-7589; e-mail: hri@horizon-research.com; Web site: http://www.horizon-research.com
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Authoring Institution: Horizon Research, Inc.
Grant or Contract Numbers: DRL-1008228
Author Affiliations: N/A