[Phys-L] Re: Could the U.S. Finnish the K-12 Educational System?
From: jane.jackson at ASU.EDU (Jane Jackson)
Date: Mon Aug 22 15:21:54 2005
In his post of August 2, 2005 (see Refs: Hake 2005), Richard Hake quotes
Pekka Himanen, 31, a renowned scholar:
"The high quality of Finnish education depends on the high
quality of Finnish teachers. You need to have a college-level degree
to run a kindergarten. You need a master's-level degree to teach at a
primary school."
Dr. Hake quotes veteran educator Larry Cuban:
". . I know from both experience and research that the teacher is at
the heart of student learning and school improvement by virtue of
being the classroom authority and gatekeeper for change. Thus the
preparation, induction, and career development of teachers remain the
Archimedian lever for both short- and long-term improvement of public
schools."
Dr. Hake's central message is that the U.S.A. needs to improve K-12
education, and teacher quality is the key. Of course I agree.
Frank Noschese's response of Aug. 2 to the physhare listserv (Appendix)
highlights a big obstacle to better American higher education for teachers:
theoretical topics such as educational pedagogy, curriculum, testing,
statistics, & educational research don't properly prepare teachers, and in
turn lead to the high attrition rate of new teachers.
Another aspect of this problem is the fact that most U.S. high school
science and math teachers who need or want a Master's degree must get it in
education, rather than in a content area, because few master's - level
programs exist that combine appropriate content with effective pedagogy.
(Question: is this true in English, history, and other core subjects too?)
At Arizona State University (ASU), Professor of Physics David Hestenes has
spearheaded development of a graduate program that addresses the need to
produce high quality science teachers. I quote from him.
The ASU "MNS for teachers" is a graduate professional development program
for high school teachers of physics, chemistry and physical science that
culminates in a Master of Natural Science (MNS) degree. The MNS program has
the following features that make it a unique national resource:
* Quality science teaching. The MNS instutitionalizes the research-based
Modeling Method of Instruction, developed with continuous NSF funding for
more than a decade into the highest rated high school science program in
the nation, according to the U.S. Dept. of Education.
* Strong science content. This is ensured by unanimous support from the ASU
physics department and active participation of university research faculty.
* High relevance. All courses are tailored to meet the needs of teachers
for outcomes that are immediately useful in their classrooms.
* Accessibility. All courses are offered in the summer, so they are
available to teachers throughout the U.S.A.
* National Standards. The MNS courses meet or exceed the National Science
Education Standards in most respects.
Here's an example that clarifies this problem and its solution. A teacher
who earned the MNS degree in 2003 contrasts the two types of Master's
degree programs:
"I started the Masters in Secondary Ed at ___ University about 4-5 years
ago and got nearly half-way through it when I realized it was not making me
a better science teacher. I was taking classes on management, strategies,
problems of secondary teachers, and I was often the only science teacher in
the group. My classmates cited the need to advance on their "career
ladder" and get better pay as the reason for taking the classes. I was very
unhappy with what I saw as a waste of my time. ... I finished the MNS -
Physics last summer and am very pleased with my choice. I am a better
science teacher! I upgraded my skills in science in every class I took.
My confidence has improved, and I know many science teachers now. Except
for the modeling pedagogy, I think that interacting with other science/math
teachers was the greatest benefit to me. ... Most science teachers I know
have been called upon to teach in more than one science or math discipline,
and the integrated classes are perfect in meeting that need. Action
research was also a very valuable experience for me because for the first
time I did primary research on the teaching of science in my own
classroom."
A North Central Accreditation Academic Program Review Committee reported to
the ASU physics department in May 2005: "One of the important ways that ASU
is currently elevating science education in Arizona is its unique Master of
Natural Science (MNS) program for in-service teachers. There appears to be
no comparable program at any other university in the United States, and it
stands as an exemplary model of how physics departments can improve high
school physics education."
A description of the MNS - Physics program is at <http://modeling.asu.edu>.
Click on "ASU graduate program for high school teachers of the physical
sciences".
ASU's Center for Research on Education in Science, Math, Engineering, and
Technology (CRESMET) has a National Science Foundation grant to expand the
MNS program. Visit <http://cresmet.asu.edu/>.
Universities nationwide, particularly in metropolitan regions, should
develop similar programs. Initial preparation, induction, and career
development of teachers are crucial for short- and long-term improvement of
public schools; and focusing on career development, as ASU is doing, can
produce quickest improvements, at least in science.
Cheers,
Jane Jackson
REFERENCE:
Hake, R.R. 2005. "Re: Could the U.S. Put Finnishing Touches on K-12?
online at
<http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A1=ind0508&L=physhare#10>.
Post of PHYSHARE, AERA-K, AERA-C, AERA-G, AERA-GSL, AERA-H, AERA-J, AERA-L,
ap-physics, ASSESS, BIOPI-L, CHEMED-L, EVALTALK, math-learn, PHYS-L,
PHYSLRNR, STLHE-L, TEACHING_EDPSYCH, tips@acsun.frostburg.edu.
APPENDIX:
Date: Tue, 2 Aug 2005 18:49:40 -0700
In response to Hake's original post "Could the U.S. Finnish the K-12
Educational System?" [Tue, 2 Aug 2005], MICHAEL HORTON wrote:
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I honestly don't think that a Master's Degree in chemistry or physics
would make me any better at teaching high school chemistry or physics.
But a Master's Degree in educational pedagogy, curriculum, testing,
statistics, Educational Research, grant writing, etc. certainly would.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
There is a recent and relevent article in the New York Times which
addresses Michael's question by debating what teachers should be taught
at teacher college. The article's main position disagrees with Michael
and suggests that those theoretical topics he mentions do not properly
prepare teachers and in turn lead to the high attritition rate of new
teachers.
Frank Noschese
John Jay High School
Cross River, NY
Jane Jackson, Co-Director, Modeling Instruction Program
Box 871504, Dept.of Physics & Astronomy,ASU,Tempe,AZ 85287
480-965-8438/fax:965-7331 <http://modeling.asu.edu>
For 15 years, the Modeling Instruction Program has been
helping teachers attain knowledge and skills needed
to benefit their students. Modeling Instruction is the
only high school science program recognized as Exemplary
by the U.S. Department of Education.