United States and China: common issues in science educationCreating student scientists, not just science students.

Steven B. Case Ph.D.Center for Science EducationUniversity of Kansas

United States and China: seeking common environmental research strategies

International Research and Education: Planning Visits and Workshops (Program Solicitation NSF 04-035) from the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Science, Office of International Science and Engineering.

United States and China: seeking common environmental research strategies

Two Goals;

1) Establish a collaborative research network between three universities in China: Tianjin University, Zhengzhou University and Sichuan University, and the University of Kansas.

2) Establish a DHN among the universities and local schools that will extend the research and education outreach to form a collaborative research community.

United States and China: seeking common environmental research strategies

Where did we go?Tianjin China

Tianjin UniversityNankai University University High School

Zhengzhou, ChinaZhengzhou University

Kaifeng, ChinaThree High Schools

Chengdu, ChinaSichuan University Sichuan Student Technology AssociationShi Shi Middle and High School

United States National Science Education StandardsDeveloped in 1996, there are seven national

standards that describe what students should know, understand, and be able to do in the natural sciences. These standards are clustered for grade levels K-2, 3-4, 5-8, and 9-12.

1. Science as Inquiry2. Physical Science 3. Life Science4. Earth and Space Science5. Science and Technology6. Science in Personal and Environmental

Perspectives7. History and Nature of Science

Scientific Research = Scientific Inquiry

1) Inquiry Instruction• 5 - E Model for Instruction

• Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, Evaluate

• Learning Cycles• Exploration, Concept Invention and Application

• Discrepant Events• Playful Discovery

2) Scientific Inquiry

The Standards and Scientific Inquiry

Students at all grade levels and in every domain of science should have the opportunity to use scientific inquiry and develop the ability to think and act in way associated with inquiry, including asking question, planning and conducting investigations, using appropriate tools and techniques to gather data, thinking critically and logically about relationships between evidence and explanations, constructing and analyzing alternative explanations, and communicating scientific arguments.

(NSES, 1996)

Science Education: Process or Content

The new vision includes the "processes of science" and requires that students combine processes and scientific knowledge as they use scientific reasoning and critical thinking to develop their understanding of science.

Contextualized Knowledge

To enhance student learning, these investigations will provide fertile ground where their students can transfer their learning to multiple contexts. Learning that only occurs in a single context will become inert except within that context.

To enhance student learning, problem-centered learning allows many experiences and prior knowledge to come into play as students develop new constructs.

For Teachers, the development of a problem-centered approach to learning allows teachers to operate as a mediator, guide, provocateur, friend and co-learner with their students.

Technology in the NCSE

The Central characteristic between science and technology is a difference in goal: The goal of science is to understand the natural world and the goal of technology is to make modifications in the world to meet human needs.

Pattern seeking

Global Warming Research

Stomatal densities as bioindicators of atmospheric carbon dioxide

Pattern seeking in data

Student Research based on Global Warming Creating the Context What is the normal variation in the Stomatal Index found on a species? How much does the Stomatal Index vary between species? Is the age of the tree related to the number of stomata found on the leaf? Does the cardinal direction the leaf comes from on the tree influence the

Stomatal Index? (In North America, the south side of a tree will receive more light and be exposed to more wind.)

Does the direction the terrain slopes (where the tree is) make a difference tree on the number of stomata found on the leaves?

Is there a difference in stomatal index on leaves grown in a carbon dioxide enriched environment to those grown under normal atmospheric conditions?

Is there a variation in the stomatal index along a rainfall gradient? What is the variation in numbers of stomata that occur between plants

growing in similar habitats but using different photosynthetic pathways, C3, C4, and CAM?

Chinese science education

Contact Information

Steven B. Case Ph.D. stcase@ku.edu

Center for Science Education http://www.kuscied.org Center for Research on Learning1122 West Campus Road #702AUniversity of KansasLawrence, Kansas 66045-3101

http://home.everestkc.net/scase001