Dive Brief:

• The Amgen Foundation and Change the Equation commissioned a recent survey about student opinions on science instruction and the ensuing report, "Students on STEM: More Hands-on, Real World Experiences," finds students are interested in science, but they want better instruction.
• eSchool News reports hands-on learning opportunities, including field trips and experiments, are most likely to get students engaged in biology, while class discussions and teaching from textbooks are least interesting, but more common.
• When it comes to extracurricular activities and access to adults in the science field, most teenagers have not been involved in a science club and slightly less than one-third know an adult in a science-based career, limiting engagement opportunities that can lead to long-term interest in the field.

Dive Insight:

A key finding of the survey is the power teachers have over inspiring student interest in their chosen fields. Among those students who identified biology as a career option, 85% said teachers and 86% said classes were one of the biggest reasons why. Yet while more than three-quarters of students said they were interested in science, only 37% said they liked their science classes “a lot.”

The Next Generation Science Standards encourage more hands-on learning opportunities for students as well as experiences that connect instruction to real-world scientific inquiry. This creates more work for teachers, who have to be more organized and better classroom managers to allow small group work and plan experiments. But the benefits could be substantial when it comes to student learning and engagement.

Recommended Reading

eSchool News: Survey: Students want engaging science instruction