Successful Math and Science Teaching

A 2008 report by the National Science Board found that scientific illiteracy in the United States is widespread. Of those surveyed:

54 percent reported they have heard "nothing at all" about nanotechnology.

60 percent "believe they have not eaten genetically modified food, although in fact processed foods commonly contain genetically modified ingredients."

35 percent said they were "not clear at all" about the difference between reproductive and therapeutic cloning.

The survey also found that "more Americans approved than disapproved of instruction about three explanations of the origins of life (evolution, intelligent design, and creationism) in public school science classes. In rankings of news topics "followed very closely" by the public, science ranked behind weather, crime, religion, sports, health, and local, Washington, and international affairs.

Introductory math and science courses have the highest failure rates of any courses in colleges and universities. In part, this is due to poor student preparation, attendance, and note-taking skills. A surprisingly large proportion of students do not attend class regularly, fail to attend help sessions, and do not take advantage of extra-credit opportunities.

But other factors are also at work. These include a failure to develop instructional strategies that will actively engage our students and address their confusions and misconceptions. Effective instruction can raise achievement levels even among students with uneven preparation.

This handout explores some of the pressing issues in math and science education, including math and science anxiety, gender and ethnic inequities, and the challenges of teaching non-majors. It also offers concrete suggestions about how we might improve student achievement in foundational courses in math and science.

1. Don't confuse rigor with a high failure rate.

Lower-level science and math classes make up a disproportionate share of universities' "weed-out" (or "intro to failure") courses. These are courses designed to distinguish those students who should advance in a particular field from those who should not, and also have the side effect of reducing enrollment in upper division classes.

These courses typically have a lecture format, a very fast pace, a high level of abstraction, and little interaction. Many students find them confusing, intimidating, uninteresting, and frustrating. Many had a difficult time learning in these courses and exhibited a low level of engagement. And many "wash-out."

No longer is our goal "survival of the fittest." Rather, our goal is to increase scientific literacy and use innovative techniques to enhance student achievement.

2. Math and science anxiety are real - and need to be dealt with.

Math and science anxiety refers to crippling feelings of panic that some students experience. Its roots are cognitive and emotional. Major contributors to these feelings of anxiety is a mistaken belief that is an aptitude for math or science is innate; that math and science are intrinsically difficult; that students are either good at math and science or at reading and language; that math and science courses are highly competitive; and that math and science are a domain dominated by male geeks.

Here are a few tips about dealing with math and science anxiety:

• Don't rush--make sure the class' pace is appropriate to the students.
  
• Encourage questions, and don't dismiss student questions as dumb or naïve.
  
• Pay close attention to gender equity in calling on students.
  
• Do your best to make a particular topic stimulating.
  
• Adopt an investigative approach: identify a question to answer or a problem to solve.
  
• Don't solve problems for your students; let them solve problems for themselves.

3. Gender and ethnic disparities in the college classroom persist--and can be addressed.

In 2005, then Harvard University President Lawrence H. Summers speculated about the reasons why women occupy a disproportionately small number of high level positions in science and engineering. He advanced three possible explanations: that boys outperformed girls on high school math and science tests; that many women in these fields were unwilling to work 80 hours a week; and that many women did not have the same innate math, engineering, and science abilities as some men.

Summers's remarks provoked a firestorm of criticism. Although there have been sharp gains in the numbers of female, African American, and Latino students majoring in math and science, gender and ethnic disparities still exist. Women, blacks, and Latinos remain underrepresented in math and science. At every significant transition point-between the freshman and the sophomore year, between undergraduate and graduate school, between graduate school and entry into the academy, and between assistant professor and the more senior ranks-the proportion of women, African Americans, and Latinos declines measurably.

How can we redress these inequities? Recognize that classroom dynamics can discourage - or encourage - student achievement.

In classes with high levels of interaction and an emphasis on active learning, problem solving, and conceptual understanding, gender and ethnic gaps are significantly reduced. Monitor classroom dynamics and encourage participation by all your students.

4. New technologies can greatly enrich science classes.

New computer and information technologies can stimulate student learning in a variety of ways. They can: Enhance student access to information

Disseminate the distribution of problem sets and lecture handouts.

Allow instructors to create animated presentations, models, and simulations, including 3-D visualizations, which help bring abstract concepts to life.

Promote collaborative learning.

5. Remember: Students learn most when they are actively engaged.

Active learning entails interaction with the instructor, with their classmates, and with the material itself. Here are a few examples:

Ask provocative "warm-up" questions at the beginning of class.

Examples might include:

• What did you observe?
• What do you think happened?
• How do we know?
• How does this compare to?
• What other factors might be involved?
• How could we find out?
• How could we test this idea?
• What evidence do we have for?
• Does this make sense?

Have students read research based articles in peer review journals, or have them compare studies that address the same research question.

In these ways, students can learn about experimental methods, data sets and their interpretations and explanations, and about scientific controversy and debate.

Convert your lab section from verification into inquiry.

Science labs serve multiple functions: They offer a way to illustrate concepts, teach scientific techniques, and encourage discussion. But they can do more. Rather than simply verifying facts and concepts presented in lecture, laboratories can also provide opportunities for students to ask questions, formulate hypotheses, collect and analyze data, and interpret and present results in a formal (oral or written) manner.

Have students apply knowledge gained in the classroom to real-life societal problems.

Consider teaching with case studies. For example, in a biology class, one might incorporate a discussion of bioethics; in physics, a discussion of nanotechnology; in chemistry, a discussion of biofuels or carbon sequestration. These case studies offer the added advantage of integrating writing and oral presentation skills into the curriculum.

In designing a course,

• Identify your course objectives: Determine which topics and skills are most essential then design your course to achieve those objectives.
  
• Arouse and sustain student interest by posing provocative questions and problems; using inquiry and discovery activities and by challenging student misconceptions.
  
• Adopt a problem solving approach; use "real-world" problems and examples whenever possible.
  
• Integrate active learning into your course.
  
• Identify where you students have difficulties; be empathetic and put yourself in your students' shoes.
  
• Explore topics in multiple ways and incorporate multimedia into your teaching. Use animations, equations, graphs, diagrams, and concept maps. These help students visualize abstract concepts.
  
• Explain, define, demonstrate, illustrate; use demonstrations and simulations to make sure that students develop a conceptual understanding as well as an understanding of basic facts and quantitative problem-solving skills.
  
• Use clickers to collect student responses to questions posed during class
• Have students read, summarize, and analyze science articles from the popular press.
  
• Have students create concept maps, where they identify and define major concepts, arrange the concepts on paper, link and label the connections between concepts; these help students visualize the way scientific knowledge is constructed.

Follow the basic rules of effective class presentation:

• Be enthusiastic and engaging;
  
• Keep eye contact and look away from the blackboard;
  
• Avoid a monotone and vary your pacing and the tone, and pitch of your voice;
  
• Insert well-placed pauses in your presentation;
  
• Make sure your organization is clear and logical;
  
• Keep the number of points to a minimum;
  
• Make transitions explicit and restate your main points;
  
• Use analogies and move between the abstract and the concrete;
  
• Visually reinforce your points.