General Information

The Field of Science Education

• Science Education is a discipline concerned with the interface between science and the whole of society. The discipline is fundamentally defined by science as a human activity, and moves freely between persons practicing science and all citizens not a part of the scientific academy. It is a sub-discipline of the broader field of education which is another human endeavor focusing on the learning process as preparation for a career and life.
  
• Science Educators are concerned that science be appropriate, useful, and understandable by all regardless of age or level of intellectual development. Science in this context is often portrayed as having several basic features which include: 1) exploring the objects and events observed in the natural world; 2) offering explanations for the objects and events encountered; 3) understanding that these explanations must be testable to be science; 4) testing the ideas/explanations offered for their validity in nature; 5) communicating the results obtained to others in contributing to consensus and explanation.
  
• Research in science education contributes to a body of scientific results for improving public understanding of science, encouraging all to practice and to use science, using the features and procedures of science in making personal decisions, and encouraging all persons to engage intelligently in public discussion and debate about scientific and technology concerns.
  
• Science education like science itself is a human activity. Effective science educators are knowledgeable of and comfortable in the world of science as well as in education. A university program in science education has four essential facets: 1) research in the discipline, 2) exemplary teaching, 3) preparation of new science educators, and 4) service to science, education, and the general society.

The mission of the science education program should remain aligned with that of the College of Education, and wherever possible be brought into even closer alignment with the College's mission. Given this commitment, it becomes increasingly clear that the science education faculty views no goal to be more significant than the preparation of outstanding future science teachers.

Consequently, our purpose is to more effectively pursue that goal by continuing to improve the pedagogical components of our undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

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