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ABSTRACT: Jane Jackson, in a Physoc post of 1 July 2009, calls
attention to Tobias & Baffert's (2009) FREE online book "Science
Teaching as a Profession: Why It Isn't, How It Could Be." I join Jane
in urging teachers to (a) read the Tobias/Baffert book, and (b) work
collectively to promote increased professionalism in high-school
science teaching, one of the country's most vital occupations.
Biologist James Gentile, in a Huffington Post article at
<http://tinyurl.com/nh2uo2> provides an excellent review of Tobias &
Baffert (2009) in the context of "Improving Science Teaching in
America's Schools."
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Jane Jackson (2009), in a PHYSOC post of 1 Jul 2009 with the above
subject title, wrote:
"Sheila Tobias has a new book, FREE online: 'Science Teaching as a
Profession: Why It Isn't How It Could Be' [Tobias & Baffert (2009)].
She wrote it with a high school science teacher. I strongly encourage
you to read it! It will empower you to make a positive difference
collectively. Download it at <http://www.rescorp.org> (halfway down
the webpage)."
I join with Jane in urging science teachers to (a) read Tobias &
Baffert's (2009) book, and (b) work collectively to promote increased
professionalism in high-school science teaching, one of the country's
most vital occupations.
My only curmudgeonly reservation is that Tobias & Baffert's online
book doesn't take full advantage of *hot-linking* - that precious
gift of physicist-turned-computer-scientist Tim Berners-Lee that
allows material to be brought to the reader's screen with the click
of a mouse.
For more on Tobias & Baffert (2009) see "High-School Science Teaching
as a Profession" [Hake (2009)], and biologist James Gentile's (2009)
"Improving Science Teaching in America's Schools."
Gentile wrote (slightly edited, bracketed by lines "GGGGGGG. . . ."):
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
In a fascinating new book by noted education writer Sheila Tobias and
veteran science teacher Anne Baffert, entitled "Science Teaching as a
Profession: Why It Isn't, How It Could Be," the authors make a
startling discovery. Based on their communications with nearly 500
science teachers across the United States over the past two years,
they found that attrition by U.S. high-school science teachers is not
primarily a function of money. More pressing are concerns about loss
of autonomy, control, and stature.
Among their key findings are the following - Science teachers want:
a. more autonomy over how and what they teach, including the
sequencing of specific topic areas and the selection of textbooks.
Great teaching is intensely personal; the less the teaching can be
personalized the less impactful it is.
b. more control in terms of the extent to which they are allowed to
teach in their own area of specialty (biology vs. physics, for
instance) and are able to influence school policy by participating in
policy deliberations. They are also concerned about the loss of
control over student assessment. Such assessment used to be the
prerogative of teachers; increasingly it is too much determined by
student performance in "high-stakes testing."
c. to be considered professionals - appreciated for their expertise;
trusted for their judgment; valued by school administrators and
society more broadly.
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
REFERENCES [Tiny URL's courtesy <http://tinyurl.com/create.php>.]
Gentile, J.M. 2009. "Improving Science Teaching in America's
Schools," Huffington Post, 9 June; online at
<http://tinyurl.com/nh2uo2>, along with 23 comments as of 3 July 2009
12:46:00-0700.
Hake, R.R. 2009. "High-School Science Teaching as a Profession,"
AERA-B post of 9 May 2009 09:02:53-0700; online on the OPEN! AERA-B
archives at <http://tinyurl.com/nj8l69>.
Jackson, J. 2009. "Re: FREE new book by Sheila Tobias on HS science
teaching profession," PHYSOC post of 1 Jul 2009 06:41:26-0700;
online at <http://tinyurl.com/kungw5>.
Tobias, S. & A. Baffert. 2009. "Science Teaching as a Profession: Why
It Isn't How It Could Be." Research Corporation for Science
Advancement. Currently FREE online as a 1.3 MB pdf at
<http://www.rescorp.org>. The book's website is
<http://www.science-teaching-as-a-profession.com>.