2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education

2012年全国科学和数学教育调查(NSSME)由Horizon Research，Inc.在Westat的协助下进行，这是自1977年以来一系列全国科学和数学教育调查的第五次。事实证明，这些调查对科学和数学教育工作者、研究人员和政策制定者具有极高的价值，它们探索了多年来科学和数学教育的趋势和当前问题。NSSME的研究问题包括：1.科学和数学教学和正在进行的评估在多大程度上反映了人们对学习的当前理解？2.最常用的教科书/程序是什么，它们是如何使用的？3.什么因素，包括不让一个孩子掉队(NCLB)立法中的政策，影响了教师？关于内容和教学方法的决定？4.数学/科学教师有什么正式和非正式的机会来持续发展他们的知识和技能？5.数学和科学教育的资源，包括准备充分的教师和课程，在不同类型社区和不同社会经济水平的学校之间是如何分配的？这项研究从美国各地的小学、初中和高中随机抽样，依靠基于网络的数据收集。其中一份问卷针对的是学校一级的领导，他们被要求回答有关学校STEM项目性质的问题。另一份问卷正在向抽样学校的课堂教师发放，询问课堂实践、使用的课程材料和评估做法。它还询问教师有关他们的执照和进入该职业的途径。这项研究提供了关于STEM教师队伍的人口统计特征的观点，以及关于场外教学任务和学校技术使用等问题的信息。这项研究还派遣观察员进入STEM教室，提供美国学校当前STEM教育的第一手资料。分析将使用加权数据，并计算学校、教师和班级的权重，以反映样本设计选择的概率。一个在研究设计/分析、科学和数学教育、政策和传播方面具有专门知识的咨询委员会正在提供监督和评价。这项研究很重要，因为它是纵向的，可以比较一段时间内STEM教育的情况。这也是非常及时的，因为自《NCLB》通过以来，还没有进行过关于STEM教育的全面和重点的调查研究。数据分析计划提供了国家对趋势的估计以及按社区类型和学校社会经济地位分列的结果。此外，NSSME的数据库旨在供其他研究人员使用，他们可以以独特的方式挖掘数据，进一步促进这项工作的影响。

The 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education (NSSME), being conducted by Horizon Research, Inc. with assistance from Westat, is the fifth in a series of national surveys of science and mathematics education since 1977. These surveys have proven highly valuable to science and mathematics educators, researchers, and policy makers, exploring both trends in science and mathematics education over the years, and current issues. NSSME's research questions include: 1. To what extent do science and mathematics instruction and on-going assessment mirror current understanding of learning?2. What are the most commonly-used textbooks/programs, and how are they used?3. What factors, including policies such as those in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, influence teachers? decisions about content and pedagogy?4. What formal and informal opportunities do mathematics/science teachers have for on-going development of their knowledge and skills?5. How are resources for mathematics and science education, including well-prepared teachers and course offerings, distributed among schools in different types of communities and different socioeconomic levels?The study involves a random sample of elementary, middle, and high schools across the U.S., relying on web-based data collection. One questionnaire is directed at school-level leaders, who are being asked to respond to questions about the nature of STEM programs in their schools. Another questionnaire is being administered to classroom teachers within sampled schools, inquiring about classroom practices, curriculum materials used, and assessment practices. It also asks teachers about their licensure and their entry routes to the profession. This study provides a view of the demographic characteristics of the STEM teacher workforce, and information about such issues as out-of-field teaching assignments, and the use of technology in schools. The study also sends observers into STEM classrooms to provide first-hand accounts of current STEM education in U.S. schools. Analyses will use weighted data, with school, teacher, and class weights calculated to reflect the sample design selection probabilities. An Advisory Board with expertise in research design/analysis; science and mathematics education; policy; and dissemination is providing oversight and evaluation. This study is important because of its longitudinal nature, allowing comparisons of STEM education over time. It is also extremely timely because no survey research as comprehensive and focused on STEM education has been done since the passage of NCLB. The data analysis plan provides both national estimates of trends as well as results disaggregated by type of community and by school socio-economic status. In addition, NSSME's database is designed to be used by other researchers who can mine the data in unique ways, further contributing to the impact of this work.