http://www.asbj.com/current/research.html
The answer
appears to be hands-on science class activities that link the students' existing
knowledge with real-world applications. For example, in the article above,
students did a wide range of real-life learning activities involving a
California watershed and gained huge increases in science test scores. They
practiced scientific fieldwork techniques and prepared meaningful charts and
reports. It had to be far more interesting and instructive than sitting in
class listening to a teacher lecture, or reading a dull science textbook.
Actually,
those textbooks are notorious for containing factual errors, relegating
scientific principles to cartoon-like graphics, and missing the mark in a lot
of ways with overly simplistic writing, as the article sets out.
Another
reason for mediocre or poor science instruction is the academic preparation of the
science teacher: often, it's woefully lacking. Parents whose children are in
the classrooms of teachers who really don't know science, or even like it,
would be well-advised to homeschool or afterschool their children on science,
by purchasing reference books, going on family field trips, shadowing working
scientists, and of course, the old standby, doing at-home science experiments
of all kinds.
It's also important
to note that good teaching techniques that go far beyond lecturing are in order
for a good science classroom. Teachers should be leading group discussions,
assigning students to write journals about their science thinking, making
models, and preparing illustrations and presentations.
It's true:
science can be a lot of fun. And, in fact, it should be.
