Inspiring the Next Generation of Innovators:
Students, Parents and Educators Speak Up about Science Education
National Report Release
NECC – July 1, 2008
Project Tomorrow & PASCO scientific
Download at:
http://www.pasco.com/SpeakUp/
http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/scienceReport.html
Special Speak Up Report
In collaboration with PASCO scientific
Key finding:
Disconnect between
how students want
to learn science –
and what is really
happening in their
classrooms
• Annual national research project– Online surveys– Open for all K-12 schools– Schools/districts get their own data for planning and budgeting
• Collect data ↔ Stimulate conversations– Students, Teachers, Parents and School Leaders
• Inform policies & programs– Analysis and reporting – national reports – Services: custom reports, consulting with schools, Speak Up Your Way!
• 5 years of empowering authentic voices – since 2003: – 1.1 million K-12 students– 74,000 teachers– 34,000 parents– 3,200 school leaders– 14,000 schools – from all 50 states, DC, American military base
schools, Canada, Mexico, Australia
What is Speak Up?
1.2 million respondents
Speak Up is facilitated annually by
Project Tomorrow (formerly known as NetDay)
About Project Tomorrow:
A national education nonprofit organization providing leadership, research and programming to support STEM education in America’s schools
Learning & Teaching with Technology
Web 2.0 / Web 3.0 in Education
21st Century Skills
Science Instruction & Global Competitiveness
Emerging Technologies in the Classroom
Designing the 21st Century School
2007 survey question themes:
We would like to recognize ourSpeak Up 2007 Sponsors:
We would like to also acknowledge the support of our Speak Up 2007 National Champion Outreach Partners:
K-12 Students 319,223 Teachers 25,544
Teach science 10,288 Parents (in English & Spanish) 19,726 School/District Administrators 3,263 Schools 3,729 Districts 867 States All 50
Top 10 in total participation: TX, CA, AZ, IL, AL, MD, NC, PA, FL, MI
About Speak Up 2007 Schools:– 97% public, 3% private– 32% urban, 40% suburban, 29% rural– 43% Title 1 eligible– 29% majority-minority student population
Speak Up 2007 Participation Overview
21st Century Science Education & Technology
Students & technology
National policy
Science instruction
STEM careers
Speak Up 2007 Data Findings
21st Century Science Education & Technology
National Policy to Improve Science Education
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
StronglyAgree
Agree Neutral Disagree StronglyDisagree
Parents
Teachers
Leaders
Do you agree? Improving K-12 science education be a national priority
School Leaders: 84% agree
21st Century Science Education & Technology
Science instruction today
Teachers: What instructional strategies do you use to teach science?
What are the barriers to teaching inquiry-based science?
21st Century Science Education & Technology
Which of these instructional strategies is the primary method teachers are using?
a. Inquiry based investigations25%
b. Lecture23%
c. Kit-based materials21%
d. Hands-on activities30%
e. Make science relevant in today’s world 26%
f. Demonstration lessons 26%
g. Multimedia/interactive simulations16%
21st Century Science Education & Technology
What the barriers to teaching inquiry-based science?
1. Lack of time to conduct investigations
2. Inadequate equipment or materials
3. Lack of funding to purchase materials
4. Pressure to conform to a prescribed
curriculum
5. Inadequate space
21st Century Science Education & Technology
Improving science instruction
Parents: What would improve your child’s science education?
Students:
Imagine your ultimate science classroom
21st Century Science Education & Technology
Parents: What would improve your child’s science education?
Top voter getters:
21st Century Science Education & Technology
Parents: What would improve your child’s science education?
Top voter getters:
Teacher excited about science 60%Child conducting real research52%Teacher well trained in science44%Using tech tools for investigations43%Explain relevancy to my child40%
21st Century Science Education & Technology
Parents: What would improve your child’s science education?
Top voter getters:
Teacher excited about science 60%Child conducting real research 52%Teacher well trained in science 44%Using tech tools for investigations 43%Explain relevancy to my child 40%
Bottom vote getter:
Reading the science textbook 11%
21st Century Science Education & Technology
Students: Design the ultimate science classroom
What do the students want?
a. Teacher excited about scienceb. Use animations & simulationsc. Conduct real researchd. Work on group projectse. Use tech tools for investigationsf. Use standard lab tools
21st Century Science Education & Technology
Students: Design the ultimate science classroom
F ig ure T wo: F eatures of s tudents ' ultimate s c ience c las s room.
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Teacher
Animations
R es earch
G roup Work
Tech Tools
L ab Tools
G r 6-8 G r 9-12
21st Century Science Education & Technology
21st Century Tools
Teachers: Which tools have the greatest potential for increasing student achievement?
Administrators:
What factors influence you and your decisions for improving science education?
21st Century Science Education & Technology
Teachers: Which tools have the greatest potential for increasing student achievement?
21st Century Science Education & Technology
Teachers: Which tools have the greatest potential for increasing student achievement?
21st century tool Advanced-level Average-level Beginner-level
Animations 51% 43% 38%
Simulations 50% 40% 32%
Standard tools 42% 36% 27%
Projection systems 39% 28% 20%
Interactive whiteboards 38% 28% 21%
21st Century Science Education & Technology
Administrators: What factors influence you and your decisions for improving science education?
21st Century Science Education & Technology
F ig ure T hree: B es ides funding , whic h fac tors influenc e s c hool or dis tric t adminis trators to improv e s c ienc e educ ation?
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
B roc hures
Works hops
C onferenc es
P olic y
R es earc h
Dept C hair
Integration E as e
R es ourc es
S tudent A c hievement
B es t P rac tic es
21st Century Science Education & Technology
Preparing today’s students for STEM careers
Parents & Students: Importance of science and impact on STEM careers
21st Century Science Education & Technology
Importance of learning science
Parents say:
• To develop problem solving and critical thinking skills• To be successful
Students say:• To help me get into college• For a future job
21st Century Science Education & Technology
Importance of learning science
Parents say:
• To develop problem solving and critical thinking skills• To be successful
Students say:• To help me get into college• For a future job
12% say: not important for my future
21st Century Science Education & Technology
STEM Careers
Parents say:
54% are likely to encourage a child to
pursue a job in a STEM field
Factors that would influence that decision:
1. Child’s interest areas2. Child’s academic strengths
21st Century Science Education & Technology
Students and STEM Careers
F ig ure F our: Are s tudents interes ted in S T E M c areers ?
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Not interes ted
Maybe
S omewhat
Y es
G r 3-5 G r 6-8 G r 9-12
21st Century Science Education & Technology
What strategies do students say would help them get more interested in STEM careers?
F ig ure F iv e: S tudents (G 9-12) mos t interes ted in S T E M careers are more intens ely motiv ated by expos ure.
47%44%
48%52%
44%
35% 36%40% 40%
36%32%
26%
71%66% 66% 64%
60%57% 55%
52% 50% 48% 48%
40%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Maybe interes ted S omewhat interes ted Y es interes ted
Is your school doing a good job preparing you/your students/your child for future jobs?
Yes:School Principals 66%District Administrators 48%Teachers 47%Parents 43%
Is your school doing a good job preparing you/your students/your child for future jobs?
Yes:School Principals 66%District Administrators 48%Teachers 47%Parents 43%
Advanced tech students 23%
Is your school doing a good job preparing you/your students/your child for future jobs?
Download at:
http://www.pasco.com/SpeakUp/
http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/scienceReport.html
Let’s discuss: http://speakupblog.tomorrow.org/
More Speak Up data? http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/index.html
Speak Up 2008Fall 2008
Have a voice in national discussions
Learn about the ideas of your own stakeholders
Inform your plans, budgets and programs
Participating schools and districts get free online access to your
own quantitative data – with national benchmark data
Copyright Project Tomorrow 2008. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate
otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.
Thank you for your participation.
Julie [email protected]