• Science Education Courses:
• Science Education 503—Strategies for Teaching Science. Diagnosis, remediation of instruction strategies in problem areas in elementary and secondary school science, curricula design, instructional materials, and child development.
• Science Education 504-- Guiding Student Research in Science. This course will concentrate on the basic principles of research that teachers need to know to guide students in research. Emphasis will be on the designing, conducting, analyzing, and presentation of results of experiments for classroom research and science fair projects.
• Science Education 505--Teaching Environmental Science. This course will concentrate on the basic principles of environmental education using a hands-on approach. Environmental principles and how to teach them will be stressed.
• Science Education 529—Workshop in Science Education. Designed to provide in-service teachers with concepts, methods and strategies for implementation of essential elements in science in the elementary curriculum.
• Science Education 597--Special Topics in Science Education. This course will concentrate on the major issues of importance in contemporary science education. Issues in teaching methodology and content matter will be considered. Topics may vary.

"Increased scientific literacy will benefit our society: citizens will be able to use scientific principles and processes in making personal decisions; all will experience the richness and excitement of knowing about and understanding the natural world; economic productivity will increase in a society that is becoming increasingly dependent on scientific and technological skills; and informed citizens will be able to participate in debate about scientific issues that affect society." (National Science Education Standards. National Research Council. National Academy Press. November, 1994).

Science Education as a Solution

In an attempt to solve human problems, politicians, business and industry representatives, educators, and the public at large have addressed the role of science and science teaching as a contributor to the problems and as a possible means of solving them. Some have criticized science teachers for spending too much time lecturing from esoteric texts and having students sit passively memorizing inane facts to be regurgitated on tests, which often results in students acquiring little or no understanding of what science is or how to use it in real-life situations. This has produced individuals with little appreciation and/or understanding of science, making it highly unlikely that they will use science in solving the world's problems. On the other hand, researchers report that students can learn science if: (1) they receive top-quality instruction while in the elementary grades as well as in high school; (2) elementary-level teachers acquire better training in science and thereby gain more knowledge of appropriate science content and methods; and, (3) elementary teachers learn to teach science using hands-on approaches, which enable youngsters to study science concepts in real-life contexts. Science educators believe this approach will eventually produce citizens who can use science as a tool for effectively coping with some of the serious problems facing the world today. The importance of a "scientifically literate" population cannot be over stressed.

East Texas Regional Collaborative for Excellence in Science Teaching