The Quest for a Coherent School Science Curriculum: The Need for an Organizing Principle |
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| Authors: | WILLIAM H. SCHMIDT |
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| Affiliation: | William H. Schmidt received his undergraduate degree in mathematics from Concordia College in River Forrest, IL, and his PhD from the University of Chicago in psychometrics and applied statistics. He carries the title of University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University and is currently co-director of the Education Policy Center. Previously he served as National Research Coordinator and Executive Director of the US National Center, which oversaw participation of the US in the IEA sponsored Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). He is widely published in numerous journals and has also coauthored several books. |
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| Abstract: | Achievement test results from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) suggest that the performance of US students in science is not strong either in terms of international or national standards. Yet, the US is preceived as a world leader in standards‐based and “hands‐on” science reform. In this article I argue that the major policy issue confronting the science community that addresses this apparent disconnect is the development of an organizing principle that would serve to limit the number of essential topics, subordinating some topics in science standards to others. Furthermore, this organizing principle would weave the reduced set of topics into a sequence that is logical and that leads to an unfolding of a key story or stories in science that are intrinsically interesting to students and that provide the basis for understanding science by future literate citizens and not just the memorization of isolated facts to be forgotten when school finishes. |
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