Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education A Research Agenda (1985) / Chapter Skim
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6. Summary of a Research Agenda
6. Summary of a Research Agenda
Pages 51-60
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From page 51... ...
Understanding how to increase the amount of quality time devoted to learning to reason is a primary objective of this research agenda. Quality learning time affects the development of reasoning ability through basic psychological processes occurring within the context of lessons.
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From page 52... ...
A thorough understanding of how children learn or fail to learn to reason will require fundamental research that involves the highest order of both disciplinary and interdisciplinary research skills. It is also clear that each of these research categories includes projects that range from research that is unambiguously basic to research that is equally unambiguously developmental.
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From page 53... ...
This includes attention to the capabilities and motivations of teachers, to alternative modes of instruction and materials, and to the effective assessment of the outcomes of instruction. Specifically, The committee recommends: A research program to develop improved understanding of: the response to various monetary incentives designed to attract able individuals to mathematics and science teaching and keep them in these fields; how to improve the subject-matter education of both pre- and inservice teachers, including optimal volume and pace of subject-matter coverage in different sciences and experiences that develop and enhance abstract reasoning capacity; and the effects of alternative requirements for entering and being certified in the profession, particularly with respect to developing an adequate pool of teachers competent to teach mathematics and science.
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From page 54... ...
Research directed toward effective instructional strategies based on explorations of: the design of pedagogical theories that students can test, evaluate, and modify; the techniques of ingenious teachers who are able to devise such temporary models or pedagogical theories; and the design of intelligent computer-assisted instruction that incorporates interrogation and exploration. · Research targeted at: providing characterizations of the cognitive skills and knowledge needed for understanding of and successful performance in technological systems; based on such characterizations, development of usable school curricula in computer literacy; and investigating the effects of computers on the knowledge structure of mathematics and various sciences and the implied changes for the school curriculum.
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From page 55... ...
· Research on: __ __ __ __ the development of practical tests that reliably assess reasoning ability, perhaps using interactive testing made possible by microcomputers; improving the testing of mathematics and science achievement to reflect important instructional goals and objectives; and techniques for educating teachers to become better writers of test questions, particularly of questions that test for the higher-order intellectual skills and levels of learning. RESEARCH ON SETTINGS Formal instruction takes place in classrooms, but classrooms are not isolated from the rest of society.
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From page 56... ...
Research on how to make student activity groups successful in multiethnic classrooms for a range of mathematics and science tasks, including: improved understanding of the ideological and pragmatic reasons teachers group their students by ability and prefer teacher-led groups to cooperative student-led groups; investigating systemic factors relating to societal and institutional pressures on schools and teachers to arrange their classrooms and instruction so as to produce easily measurable performance results; and developing kinds of teacher training that facilitate widespread adoption of activitycentered curricula when this approach is appropriate. o Research and development: __ __ to explore the relationships among the cultures of various student subpopulations, the culture of the classroom, and the cultures of mathematics, science, and technology and to understand the role of language and culture in the teaching of science and mathematics.
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From page 57... ...
Research on the effects of various nonschool instructors on children's knowledge and perceptions of mathematics, science, and technology, including: the effects of intentionally educational programs provided outside school and unintentional learning or mislearning acquired through science fiction and other entertainment programming through the mass media, especially television, film, and print; Research to determine how the effects of instruction that children receive in the school are influenced by the informal instruction they receive in the larger world.
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From page 58... ...
Characteristics seen as essential to the integrative function include: -- strong interdisciplinary teams to design, develop, and test comprehensive teaching and learning models in science and mathematics;
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From page 59... ...
We also believe it is essential. We think that investment in educational research and development is vital to mathematics, science, and technology education; we think that more is known about education than is currently being utilized effectively, either in research planning or in educational programs; we think that the research community can respond to a coherent, relatively focused research agenda that will make a difference; and we think that the educational community can improve education by more effective integration of research and professional experience.
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