The ideal of standards and the reality of schools: Needed research

Abstract

Research potentially can assist in the process of implementing the National Science Education Standards. Existing research shows that changes called for in the Standards are difficult to put into practice, create dilemmas for teachers, require significant changes in teachers' values and beliefs, are fostered when change is pursued within departments within schools, are influenced powerfully by teacher collaboration in the work context, are often resisted strongly by parents, and often demand new student roles and different student work. The results of research on reform do not give a definitive picture of the most productive roles for students, the nature of the desired student work, how teachers can best be engaged in reassessing values and beliefs and taking responsibility for acquiring new professional competencies, how to realize “science for all,” and the most effective ways of involving parents. Research is needed which will: (1) be approached from multiple perspectives, (2) be conducted in the “real world,” (3) focus on interventions into conventional school practice, (4) not assume change can be driven from the top down, (5) be interpretive in nature, (6) focus on student roles and student work, (7) give major attention to teacher learning, (8) attend to parents' concerns, and (9) be approached systemically. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 38: 3–16, 2001

The cultural production of science in reform‐based physics: Girls' access, participation, and resistance

“…(see Barton & Osborne, 1998). In studying girls' participation in a reform-based setting, this study follows recommendations made by Anderson & Helms (2001), who called for more nuanced understandings of the complexities of reform in science education and students' roles within reform-based classrooms in ordinary school contexts. However, the study raises additional questions and prompts further research.…”

Conceptual change: A powerful framework for improving science teaching and learning

“…Anderson and Helms (2001) point to the crucial issue of changing teachers' views of teaching and learning from transmissive towards constructivist orientation. However, research has also shown that a constructivist view, for example, as revealed in interviews, does not necessarily guarantee teaching behaviour that is constructivist oriented (Fischler, 1994).…”

Contributions from the Philosophy of Science to the Education of Science Teachers

“…Finally, the educational administration and the parents themselves can also stimulate change in the teacher, or indeed hinder it if those changes do not respond to their conception of what is good teaching or if the initial rates of learning do not come up to their expectations (Bencze and Hodson 1999;Anderson and Helms 2001).…”

“…Teacher education programs have to treat the teacher as an integral member of a group, providing collective development experiences and encouraging collaboration. In sum, they must consider the school as being the most suitable place for professional development and as the unit for change Anderson and Helms 2001;Reyes et al 2001;Marcelo 2002;Ritchie and Rigano 2002;Davis 2003;Sassi et al 2005). This requires time and much sustained support before the teacher can see the improvement in the pupils' learning and perceive ongoing education as a meaningful experience personally, for his or her classes, and for the school Tal et al 2001;Peers et al 2003).…”