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What's The Research On...?

Science Education

WCER research into science education emphasizes the importance of improving student achievement regardless of culture, gender, and race. All students are capable of understanding and doing science, yet widespread differences continue to exist in students' access, retention, and achievement, depending on demographic factors. WCER research also emphasizes the concept ‘teaching for understanding.’ To understand science means being able to relate different aspects of science knowledge to one another, and to knowledge of nonscientific topics.

Reform science education emphasizes the use of scientific models and the importance of developing model-based reasoning because the broad goal of science is to conceptualize models of natural processes. Model-based reasoning is the most promising route toward learning in the themes outlined in national science standards. It’s important to give students opportunities to experience, first hand, the practices through which scientific theories and explanations are constructed. For example, a high school genetics course presents the classroom as an opportunity for students to experience "science in the making."