Proposal to Develop and Implement a Model Integrated Introductory Science Course

今天的科学教育面临着许多问题：将科学分成离散的学科；将专业与非专业混修同一课程；营造敌对、竞争的氛围，排斥少数族裔、女性和学习障碍学生；忽视对基础教育专业学生进行特殊科学准备的必要性不能直接教授科学技能和过程；和被动的讲座/示范教学，没有学生体验到很多“真正的”科学。自然世界：科学探索——这是一门为非科学和基础教育专业学生开设的介绍性综合科学课程，以实验室为基础，以实验为导向。它围绕着物质与能量、变化与恒定、多样性与秩序以及与以下目标的相互作用四个主要概念进行设计：提供广泛的综合科学知识培养有效的科学过程学习技能培养未来的小学教师培养对科学的持续兴趣方法包括广泛的写作，概念图，引导发现实验室经验，阅读科学史和流行期刊，合作团队，图书馆/互联网研究，量化，计算机建模，问题解决和批判性思维技能。合作包括物理、化学和生物教员和一位写作专家，与大学科学教育教员共同创建课程，用于项目评估。该综合课程可作为同类小型院校和教师培训机构科学导论课程的示范。研究人员计划撰写文章，进行演示，并合作制作用于出版的引导发现材料。

Science education faces a number of problems today: separating science into discrete disciplines; mixing majors and non-majors in the same courses; creating an adversarial, competitive climate which repels minority, female, and learning disabled students; ignoring the need for special science preparation for elementary education majors; failing to teach science skills and processes directly; and passive lecture/demonstration teaching without students experiencing much "real" science. The Natural World: Explorations in Science--an introductory, integrated science course for non-science and elementary education majors is laboratory-based and experientaly driven. It is designed around four major concepts matter and energy, change and constancy, diversity and order, and interactions with the following goals: To provide broad, integrated science knowledge To foster the development of effective process learning skills in science To prepare future elementary teachers * To create a continuing interest in science Methods include extensive writing, concept mapping, guided discovery laboratory experiences, reading in the history of science and popular journals, collaborative teams, library/Internet research, quantifying, computer modeling, problem solving, and critical thinking skills. Collaborations include teaming physics, chemistry, and biology faculty and a writing specialist to create the course with university science education faculty for project evaluation. The integrated course may serve as a model for introductory science courses at similar small colleges and teacher preparation institutions. Researchers plan to write articles, make presentations, and collaborate on producing the guided discovery materials for publication.