Honors Workshop for Middle School Science Teachers. Final Report

Abstract

The Honors Workshop for Middle School Science Teachers was designed to address teachers' conceptual understanding of basic scientific principles, student misconceptions and how to deal with them, and observation and measurement techniques. For 4 weeks in summer and on 6 Saturdays during 2 academic years, 30 leaders among science teachers from the area worked in a laboratory setting on areas identified by participants in the planning process, including basic measurements and associated errors, simple circuits, optical properties of lenses, importance and use of diffraction gratings, basic chemical experiments, and basic geology of the region. It was found that the level of teacher preparation was poor, and participants lacked basic knowledge of observations and measurements. A positive attitude toward physics and favorable administrative policy toward science are seen to be as essential as mastery of subject matter. It is recommended that: (1) there be a substantial increase in equipment for basic measurements; (2) middle school principals should have a better and different science background; (3) the state should require a year of conceptual physics for middle school teachers; and (4) a survey of teachers in different parts of the country should be undertaken to examine possible differences between male and female science teachers. Twenty statistical figures are appended. (MSE)