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Interdisciplinary Research
in Mathematics, Science,
anti Technology Education
Committee on Research in Mathematics, Science.
and Technology Education
Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
National Research Council
NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington D.C. 1987
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COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH IN MATHEMATICS,
SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION
1984- 1986
JAMES G. MARCH (Chair), Stanford University (political
science
ARNOLD B. . ARONS, University of Washington (physics ~
W. O. BAKER, Bell Telephone Laboratories , Inc ., retired
~ chemistry)
MICHAEL COLE, University of California, San Diego
(psychology)
MARGARET B. DAVIS, University of Minnesota (biology)
F REDERICK ERICKSON, Univers ity of Pennsylvania
(anthropology)
ROBERT GlASER, University of Pittsburth (education,
psychology)
ANDREW M. GLEASON, Harvard University (mathematics)
MICHAEL A. GUILLEN, Harvard University (mathematical
physics ~
JILL H. lARKIN, Carnegie-Mellon University (psychology
and educational computing)
CORK B. MARRED, University of Wisconsin (sociology)
SAMUEL J. MESSICK, Educational Testing Service, Inc.,
Princeton, N.J. (psychometrics)
PAUL E. PETERSON, Brookings Institution, Washington, I).C.
(political science)
MARE TAGGERS, University of California, Irvine
~ chemistry)
DAVID E. VILELY, Northwestern University (education)
SENTA A. RAIZEN, Study Director
ROLF K. BlANK, Research Associate
iii
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Preface
The Committee on Research in Mathematics, Science,
and Technology Education was established by the National
Research Council in 1984 to help improve education in
these fields through research and the application of
research results . Subsequently, the National Science
Foundation asked the committee to prepare this report
because of its interest in fostering involvement of
scientists in collal~orati~re research with educators to
address problems in science and mathematics education.
Over the past several years, there have been examples
of successful collaboration hong mathematicians and
natural scientists who are concerned with ache s~cructure
and development of knowledge in their fields,- behavioral
and social scientists who are concerned witch how students
learn, and educators with experience in the classroom.
While these collaborations have proved productive for
mathematics and science education, there has been a
paucity of this kind of work, in part became ache organ-
ization of research along disciplinary lines and current
academic incentive systems do not encourage scientists to
engage in interdisciplinary research, particularly in an
applied area like education. A forthcoming report by ache
Committee on Basic Research in the Behavioral and Social
Sciences (1987) makes the point more generally: promis-
ing opportunities for in~cerdisciplinary collaboration
exist is many basic and applied research fields but will
demand creative innovations in modes of research-suppore
and operation of academic institutions.
In this report the committee attempts deco answer
several practical questions with regard to increas ing
interdisciplinary research in science and mathematics
education: What kinds of problems in science and
mathematics education need an interdisciplinary research
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approach? What can be learned about incentives and
strategies for in~cerdisciplinary research from previous
interdisciplinary projects in science and-mathematics
education and from interdisciplinary research in other
fields? What specific programmatic ini~cia~cives by a
federal agency are likely deco increase the interest and
activity of scientists ~ education researchers, and edu-
cators in interdisciplinary research?
This is the second report of the committee. In its
initial report 9 Mathematics. Scienge. and Technology
Education: A Resaarcts,~Age~da (1985~9 the committee
recommended directions for research that would address
critical problems in the teaching asked learning of science
and mathematics in schools: developing student skills in
reasoning and problem-solving, improving the quality of
the curricula and teaching in science and mathematics,
restructuring the classroom to allow for more hands-on
learning expert ences, and applying information technology
to mathematics and science education. Many of the re-
search priorities identified in the committee'. first
report in face call for tr~terdisciplinary work of the
kind discussed in this report.
The committee is grateful to marry people for their
assistance in preparing this report. The scientists and
ma~ematiciar~s who were leaders of the curiculum projects
in the 1960s made a major contribu~cio~a by providing us
with information and insight floor thee r experience ~ We
also Want to than the National Science Formation for
support of the committee for this project; special
appreciation is extended deco Raymond Hannapel of ache
Foundation's Science and Engineering Education Direc-
tc~rate g who encouraged the committee deco pursue a study on
this topic. Appreciation is due also deco the National
Research Council staff9 who made our work possibleO
Seneca Raizen, study director, made major contributions deco
the substance and organization of this report, as did
Rolf Blank, research associate. Eugenia Grohman,
associate director for reports of the Commission on
Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, added to
the clarity of the report and managed its production.
JAMES G O MARCH 9 Chair
Committee on Research in
Mathema~cics, Science, and
Technology Educa~cion
Hi
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Contents
THE ROLE OF INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
The Need for Change, 1
The Need for Collaboration, 4
Barriers to Collaboration, 5
Overcoming the Barriers to Collaboration, 9
2 RESEARCH NEEDS IN SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
EDUCATION
The Mathematics and Science Curriculum, 13
The Knowledge and Skills of Teachers, 22
Settings for Learning, 25
Change in Schools, 30
EXPERIENCE WITH INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
The Curriculum Pro] ects of the 1960s, 34
Examples of Interdisciplinary Research
in Other Fields, 46
Some Theoretical Considerations, 49
What Has Been Learned, S3
1
13
34
4 RESEARCH PROGRAM ALTERNATIVES 57
Program Dimensions, 57
Program Options, S9
Long-Range Planning, 71
APPENDIX: LETTER OF INQUIRY
REFERENCES
vii
73
79
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