Attracting Science and Mathematics Ph.D.s to Secondary School Education (2000) / Chapter Skim
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3 Perspectives on Ph.D.s in Secondary School Science and Mathematics Education
3 Perspectives on Ph.D.s in Secondary School Science and Mathematics Education
Pages 45-52
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From page 45... ...
The object of the interviews was to understand the perspectives of educators on the contributions Ph.D.s might be able to make in secondary school education and the conditions that might influence their success. We also interviewed five graduate deans to explore how graduate students might be better prepared for secondary school careers and to learn about opportunities for restructuring programs to support those who might seek this career option.
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From page 46... ...
Several believed that Ph.D.s would encounter difficulties with certain aspects of the secondary school teaching environment, like having to cleat with bureaucracy, receiving little respect, having to discipline students, and working with students who say "why do ~ need to learn this? " High school and magnet school principals saw several acictitional drawbacks to science Ph.D.s in secondary school classrooms.
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From page 47... ...
Ph.D. teachers offered the opinion that other Ph.D.s interested in secondary school teaching should volunteer in secondary schools both to help science teachers in inquiry-based learning and to obtain classroom experience.
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From page 48... ...
They saw little value in education courses, large costs in wages foregone in taking them, and the entire process as taking too much time. Science and mathematics Ph.D.s teaching in secondary schools offered what we believe are insights and suggestions about preparing Ph.D.s for teaching that may bridge the divide between the requirements of school systems on the one hand and the perceptions of graduate students and recent Ph.D.s on the other.
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From page 49... ...
institute. It is really hard to change careers the first time, but after that it is no big deal." One respondent noted there was a group of graduate students at a major research university who felt that they were failures in the eyes of their peers.
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From page 50... ...
teachers did not meet the level of resistance from school administrators that is commonly perceived to exist. Only about one-third of Ph.D.s said they had a difficult time in the job interviews convincing school administrators that they were serious about their desire to teach, and this was a real obstacle for them.
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From page 51... ...
We noted in our interviews with science Ph.D.s that many pursue other professional activities besides research perhaps more often than research. For example, while some did maintain research interests during the summer, others were engaged in producing teacher workshops, adapting computer programs to the high school setting, writing textbooks, reviewing grant applications for NSF and other foundation programs, or consulting.
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From page 52... ...
These workshops would concentrate on the substantive material and more on networking and discussion of ways to approach the material and develop effective communication with students. A state school official said that a program to bring science Ph.D.s to secondary school education and to support them in that environment should not just develop them as teachers, but also provide them an opportunity to become leaders in secondary school science and mathematics education in their states.
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