Why are students today not learning biology, appreciating its importance in their lives, or pursuing it as a career? Experts believe dismal learning experiences in biology classes are causing the vast majority of students to miss information that could help them lead healthier lives and make more intelligent decisions as adults. How can we improve the teaching of biology throughout the school curriculum? Fulfilling the Promise offers a vision of what biology education in our schools could be—along with practical, hard-hitting recommendations on how to make that vision a reality. Noting that many of their recommended changes will be controversial, the authors explore in detail the major questions that must be answered to bring biology education to an acceptable standard: how elementary, middle, and high-school biology education arrived at its present state; what impediments stand in the way of improving biology education; how to properly prepare biology teachers and encourage their continuing good performance; and what type of leadership is needed to improve biology education.
- Fulfilling the Promise
- Copyright
- Preface
- Contents
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Where Are We Now? The Motivation for Change
- EDUCATION IN SCIENCE FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
- BIOLOGY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
- BIOLOGY IN THE MIDDLE GRADES
- The Rationale for Middle Schools
- Early Adolescence Today
- Science Curricula in Today's Middle Grades
- Teacher and Student Perspectives on Life-Science Courses
- Textbooks for Life-Science Courses
- Conclusions
- BIOLOGY IN HIGH SCHOOL
- The Importance and Teaching of Fundamental Concepts
- Textbooks
- Teachers
- Conclusions
- 3 Curricular Goals for the Near Future
- ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
- Time for Science
- Natural History as One Focus
- The Need to Explore
- Achievement Tests
- Science Education of Elementary-School Science Teachers
- Conclusions
- Recommendations
- MIDDLE SCHOOL
- Human Biology as a Focus
- Course Structure
- Conclusions
- Recommendations
- HIGH SCHOOL
- Examples of What Is Needed
- Development and Reproduction
- Energy and Metabolism
- Cell and Molecular Biology
- Evolution
- Ecology
- CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: THE SCOPE OF CHANGE
- 4 Impediments to Implementing Curricular Change: Texts, Tests, and Classroom Practice
- TEXTBOOKS
- The Present Situation
- Forces That Shape Textbooks
- How Can Things Change?
- Recommendations
- LABORATORY ACTIVITY
- The Importance of Laboratory Activity
- Current Failures of Laboratory Instruction
- Conclusions
- Recommendations
- TESTS AND TESTING
- Current Perceptions of Student Performance
- Standardized Tests
- Teacher-Made Tests
- The Educational Impact of Tests
- Conclusions
- Recommendations
- OTHER FACTORS THAT HINDER EFFECTIVE EDUCATION
- 5 Impediments to Implementing Curricular Change: Training and Support of Teachers
- PRESERVICE EDUCATION: TEACHING THE TEACHERS
- Preservice Education of High-School Biology Teachers
- Preservice Education of Elementary-School, Middle-School, and Junior-High-School Teachers
- The Process of Induction in the Education of Precollege Teachers
- Currents of Reform and Their Possible Impact
- Conclusions
- Recommendations
- LICENSING AND CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS
- Licensing
- Certification
- Conclusions
- Recommendations
- INSERVICE EDUCATION: HOW TEACHERS CONTINUE TO LEARN
- Background
- Reform Movements and Inservice Programs
- The Concept of Mentors
- The Role of Mentors
- Identification of Mentors
- Benefits to the Mentors
- Conclusions
- Recommendations
- 6 Recruiting Scientists, Teachers, Technicians, and Physicians
- THE GENERALITY OF BASIC EDUCATIONAL GOALS IN SCIENCE
- AN IMPORTANT ROLE FOR UNIVERSITIES AND UNIVERSITY SCIENTISTS
- THE NEED FOR A NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM TO ATTRACT OUTSTANDING YOUNG PEOPLE INTO TEACHING
- SEX, DEMOGRAPHICS, AND RECRUITMENT
- Attracting Women and Minority-Group Members into Research Careers in Biology
- Attracting Women and Minority-Group Members into Teaching Careers in Biology
- Conclusions
- Recommendations
- 7 Other Modes and Contexts for Teaching Science
- INTEGRATING BIOLOGY WITH OTHER SCIENCES
- ADVANCED-PLACEMENT BIOLOGY
- The Present Advanced-Placement Program in Biology
- The Success of AP Biology
- Opinions of Teachers and Parents
- Conclusions
- Recommendations
- A CAPSTONE HIGH-SCHOOL COURSE IN SCIENCE
- Rationale: Integrating Science and Society
- Organization and Content
- Benefits and Costs
- Recommendations
- THE ROLES OF SPECIAL SCIENCE SCHOOLS AND CENTERS
- Older, Specialized Public High Schools
- Magnet Schools
- Residential Schools for Science and Mathematics
- Centers for Science and Technology
- Recommendations
- 8 Achieving National Goals: Dilemma and Resolution
- WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED FROM THREE DECADES OF ATTEMPTED EDUCATIONAL REFORM?
- THE NEED FOR NATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND FEDERAL FUNDING
- A ROLE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY THROUGH THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
- Executive Summary
- THE CURRICULUM
- TEXTBOOKS
- LABORATORY ACTIVITIES
- TESTS AND TESTING
- OTHER FACTORS THAT HINDER EFFECTIVE EDUCATION
- PRESERVICE EDUCATION: TEACHING THE TEACHERS
- LICENSING AND CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS
- INSERVICE EDUCATION: HOW TEACHERS CONTINUE TO LEARN
- RECRUITING SCIENTISTS, TEACHERS, TECHNICIANS, AND PHYSICIANS
- INTEGRATING BIOLOGY WITH OTHER SCIENCES
- SPECIAL SCIENCE SCHOOLS AND CENTERS
- LEADERSHIP
- References
- Appendixes
- Appendix A Principles and Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Precollege Education
- Principle 1
- Principle 2
- Principle 3
- Principle 4
- Principle 5
- Principle 6
- Principle 7
- Principle 8
- Principle 9
- Principle 10
- Exceptions
- Appendix B Principles and Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Precollege Education
- Standards For Preparation of the Biology Teacher
- Standards For Professional Growth of the Biology Teacher
- Appendix C Principles and Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Precollege Education
- I. Science Content Preparation
- II. Science Teaching Preparation
- Science Teaching Methods and Curricula
- Communication Skills and Classroom Management Techniques
- Appendix D State Alternative Certification Programs (As Of June 1987)
- Appendix E Special Science Programs And Schools
- Some Specialized Public High Schools and Magnet High Schools of Science and Mathematics
- State-Sponsored Residential Schools of Science and Mathematics
- Local and Regional Science and Technology Centers
- Additional Science and Technology Enhancement Programs
- Teacher Enhancement:
- Student Enhancement:
- Appendix F Programs Targeted to Women and Members of Minority Groups
- Carnegie Corporation of New York
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Ford Foundation
- National Science Foundation
- References
- Appendix G Strategies for Implementing Report Recommendations
- Inservice Activities
- Mentors
- Fellowships for Teacher Education
- Committee Members
- Index
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