Chapter 17
Education: What Have We Learned? And Where Might We Be Going?
In: Long-term Research and Development in Science EducationSearch for other papers by Alan Schoenfeld in
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Abstract
This chapter traces the evolution of the field’s goals for science education, as exemplified by the Weizmann Institute’s cutting-edge research over the past 50 years. It then problematizes the current state, asking: what next? Some of the issues that the field needs to address over the years to come include: the formation of student beliefs regarding science, their often counterproductive nature, and how to address them; issues of equity, and how to support the increasingly diverse student populations that enter our classrooms; and, reimagining science education to develop a much greater focus on having students become sense makers and problematizes themselves, so they can use what they have learned in the service of making informed decisions about issues of central importance. The chapter concludes with a description of essential goals for science education, and a discussion of the challenges we face in supporting teachers to achieve those goals.
