A History of Ideas in Science Education: Implications for Practice

By George DeBoer
Chapter 8: Curriculum Reform Movement of the 1!"#s and $"#s
%ac&'round(
Progressive education was dead by the late 1950s
Shortage of technical personnel during !!" had an un#et need for scientists and
engineers
Perceived threat to national security brought on by the $old ar
Soviet launch of Sputni%& beat us in the space race
'#erican education #oved away fro# the the#e of social relevance to a #astery of the
traditional disciplines
Curriculum Pro)ects Supported *y the +ational Science ,oundation
(id 1950s the )S* +funded by the federal govern#ent, financially supported several
curriculu# pro-ects
Purpose was to #a%e available to schools a set of curriculu# #aterials of high .uality
and considerable appeal ')D prepare students for entering into college science progra#s
$urriculu# included a te/t boo%0 lab guide0 series of fil#s0 and optional supple#ental
#aterial" so#e progra#s offered different versions for slow learners0 those not going to
college
P12S!$S3 Physical Science Study Committee- 1!$
Pri#ary goal was to present physics as a coherent set of related concepts
4/cluded technological applications0 description of physical laws0 real life application0
#ath
B!565G23 %iolo'ical Sciences Curriculum Study- 1!
Pri#ary goal was to create a #ore up&to date course that allowed deeper understanding of
biological concepts0 hu#an side of scientific investigation
4/cluded technological applications0 relation to everyday life
$14(!S7823 Chemical %ond Approach Pro)ect- 1!.
Pri#ary Goal was to introduce logical thin%ing using a unifying the#e& the che#ical
bond" present che#istry as an intellectual discipline" develop analytical and critical
thin%ing
4/cluded applications to everyday life
$14(!S7823 CHEM S/0123 Chemical Education Material Study- 1!
Goal was give students a better idea of the nature of scientific investigation and how
%nowledge is generated
4/cluded applications in industry and the ho#e" pictures and illustrations
4'871 S$!4)$43 Secondary School Pro)ect3 4/ime5 Space5 and Matter6- 1$$ and Earth
Science Curriculum Pro)ect3 American 7eolo'ical Institute- 1$.
P12S!$'6 S$!4)$43 Introductory Physical Science- 1$.
464(4)7'82 S$!4)$43 Science- A Process Approach- 1$.8 Study Elementary Science
Study - 1$8 Science Curriculum Improvement- 1."
/heoretical Support for the Curriculum Reform Movement
9erome %runer- noted psychologist fro# 1arvard
1959&7he oods 1ole $onference
7entatively supported inductive0 discovery learning as an appropriate #ode of learning
!ntroduced a nu#ber of other ideas0 na#ely idea of stages of #ental devt fro# 9ean
Piaget0 ending up as :spiral curriculu#;
9oseph 9 Sch:a*& curriculu# theorist fro# <niversity of $hicago
*elt the nation faced three i#portant needs3
1& additional scientists
=& co#petent political leaders
>& a public sy#pathetic to ongoing progra#s of scientific research
Stressed the processes by which scientists generated the %nowledge
Ho: successful :ere the ne: pro'rams;
Studies conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the new progra#s?
)S* sponsored :)ational Survey;& 19@@
o 1alf of all school districts used one or #ore of the BS$S courses in Biology
o *ewer than one .uarter used the new #aterials in che#istry or physics
o $ourses in earth science and physical science beca#e #ore popular in -unior high
school
SuAanne Buic%& 19@C studied the effects of the new curriculu# on co##ercially
published te/tboo%s
o (ost notable changes in te/tboo%s was their updating of science content and
greater use of conceptual the#es to organiAe that content into #ore conceptually
#eaningful units
$14( Study Group& 19DE evaluate any changes in enroll#ent into science classes
o !ncrease in students in the new versus the old courses0 B<7 the overall percentage
of students enrolled in science courses re#ained essentially unchanged +the
actually dropped a tiny bitF,
5verall analyses of the pro-ects? Paul Hurd- 1." in 4+e: 1irections for /eachin'
Secondary School Science6
Pros: +identified 1E specific points,
(ore up to date and valid infor#ation
4ngaged students in independent0 :discovery;& type investigations
Presented a #ore accurate picture of the nature of science
Dealt with s#aller nu#ber of significant concepts taught in depth and in conte/t
Cons: +identified 1> specific points,
7oo difficult for avg high school students
Didnt #otivate students to study science&no relation to real world
!gnored the role of science in everyday life
,uture Implications(
By the end of the 19D0s there was a new the#e e#erging a#ong science educators?
Scientific <iteracy- renewed e#phasis on the study of science in its relationships to hu#an life
and action
/he +e: Pro'ressivism(