Planning Conference: Strengthening the Research Base for Science Education

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Science education requires a solid research base if long-term gains in educational quality are to be achieved and consolidated. This research base must take account of the content and structure of subject matter disciplines, the contexts in which science teaching occurs, and the principles of teaching, learning, and reasoning in scientific domains that are emerging in research. This project will convene a planning conference on research for science education that will bring together forty leading professionals who are experts in (1) subject matter disciplines of science, mathematics and computer science; (2) the study of classroom teaching and curriculum development; and (3) the study of cognitive processes of learning, reasoning and problem solving. Conference participants will assess the current state of knowledge, examine the prospects for advances based on currently available resources, and identify activities likely to significantly increase this knowledge and lead to changes in educational practices in science education. Project participants will develop plans for further collaboration and follow-up activities. In addition, the participants will draw up a specific set of recommendations and priorities for mathematics, science and technological education, including suggestions concerning the relative merits of various research methodologies. Conference proceedings will be published and distributed to 3,000 members of professional educational research societies, universities, research centers, funding agencies and other interested parties. Results of the conference will be discussed in organized symposia and will be presented at appropriate professional meetings in 1986.