Science/Technology/Society (S/T/S) is a reform effort to broaden science as a discipline in schools and colleges; to relate science to other facets of the curriculum; and to relate science specifically to technology and to the society that supports and produces new conceptualizations of both. S/T/S is also defined as the teaching and learning of science/technology in the context of human experience. It focuses on a method of teaching that recognizes the importance that experience in the real world has on the learning process. And it recognizes that real learning can occur only when the learner is engaged and able to construct her or his own meaning. Science/Technology/Society as Reform in Science Education, is rich with examples of such teaching and learning. It includes impressive research evidence that illustrates that progress has been made and goals have been met. For teachers and administrators alike, this book provides and validates new visions for science education.

Proven strategies for reforming STEM education in America’s schools, colleges, and universities. One study after another shows American students ranking behind their international counterparts in the STEM fields—science, technology, engineering, and math. Businesspeople and cultural critics such as Bill Gates warn that this alarming situation puts the United States at a serious disadvantage in the high-tech global marketplace of the twenty-first century, and President Obama places improvement in these areas at the center of his educational reform. What can be done to reverse this poor performance and to unleash America’s wasted talent? David E. Drew has good news—and the tools America needs to keep competitive. Drawing on both academic literature and his own rich experience, Drew identifies proven strategies for reforming America’s schools, colleges, and universities, and his comprehensive review of STEM education in the United States offers a positive blueprint for the future. These research-based strategies include creative and successful methods for building strong programs in science and mathematics education and show how the achievement gap between majority and minority students can be closed. A crucial measure, he argues, is recruiting, educating, supporting, and respecting America’s teachers. Accessible, engaging, and hard hitting, STEM the Tide is a clarion call to policymakers, administrators, educators, and everyone else concerned about students’ participation in the STEM fields and America’s competitive global position.

Concerned about the lack of science literacy among today's graduating students, the American Association for the Advancement of Science compiled reports on the education system aimed at the implementation of specific reforms. BLUEPRINTS FOR REFORM is a summation of those reports, offering a starting point for reforming our education system.

Vol. 1 of Foundations, a monograph series published by the National Science Foundation to serve those working to better science, mathematics and technology education in the U.S. Examines opportunities and challenges for those at the front line of science education in elementary and middle schools. Designed as a resource for teachers and administrators who have not yet implemented a program of inquiry-based science education, and a short introduction for those beginning the complex and difficult journey of science education reform based on the experiences of educators working in the field today.

In this volume of the ""Ways of Knowing in Science Series"", Rodger Bybee presents 15 years of his essays on science education, that develop several major themes: the need for the curriculum to take into account the accelerating pace of scientific research and discovery; the increasing irrelevance of the traditional boundaries among the sciences; the significant changes to civilisation brought about by scientific advancement; the growing realisation that the competitive position of any country in today's global economy rests primarily on the production and use of scientific knowledge and technologic products; and the necessity of scientific and technologic literacy for all citizens. As Bybee points out, the American educational community has not yet successfully redefined its goal to conform to new realities, a prerequisite to any meaningful transformation of the science curriculum. The book is suitable for use in graduate courses in science education, undergraduate methods courses, in-service science education teachers' courses, and for use by professors and researchers of science education, curriculum planners and school leaders.

Two international leaders offer important insights into the ways in which the discipline of science education has developed and how school curriculum has been shaped by both scientific discovery and social change. J Myron Atkin (U.S.) and Paul Black (U.K.) share their vast and varied experiences in this historical account that chronicles the many developments in the field from the end of World War II to the present. The chapters in this volume cover: the aims and politics of science education, curriculum development, subject matter boundaries, pedagogy and learning, assessment and evaluation, educational research and practice, and the teaching profession. Each theme is introduced in its historical and philosophical context, with current issues emphasized. The authors then analyze these themes by drawing on relevant episodes from their transatlantic careers. These episodes act as a springboard for developing insights into each theme, including comparisons between educational practices in the United States and the United Kingdom. Featuring compelling examples and a cohesive presentation, this groundbreaking volume is essential reading for anyone making decisions about the future of science education.