NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCILCenter for Education

Committee on Science and Mathematics Teacher Preparation

Herbert Brunkhorst California State University San Bernardino, CA

Overview of: Educating Teachers of Science,

Mathematics, and Technology: New Practices for the New Millennium

General Recommendations

1. Teacher education in science, mathematics, and technology be viewed as a continuum of programs and professional experiences that enables individuals to move seamlessly from college preparation for teaching to careers in teaching these subject areas;

2. Teacher education be viewed as a career-long process that allows teachers of science, mathematics, and technology to acquire and regularly update the content knowledge and pedagogical tools needed to teach in ways that enhance student learning and achievement in these subjects; and

3. Teacher education also be structured in ways that allow teachers to grow individually in their profession and to contribute to the further enhancement of both teaching and their disciplines.

Recommendations for Higher Education

1. Science, mathematics, and engineering departments at two- and four-year colleges and universities should assume greater responsibility for offering college-level courses that provide teachers with strong exposure to appropriate content and that model the kinds of pedagogical approaches appropriate for teaching that content.

2. Two- and four-year colleges and universities should reexamine and redesign introductory college-level courses in science and mathematics to better accommodate the needs of practicing and future teachers.

Recommendations for Higher Education

3. Following a period of collaborative planning and preparation, two- and four-year colleges and universities in a partnership for teacher education should assume primary responsibility for providing professional development opportunities to experienced teachers of science, mathematics, and technology. Such programs would involve faculty from science, mathematics, and engineering disciplines and from schools of education.

Recommendations for Professional and Disciplinary

Organizations

1. Organizations that represent institutions of higher education should assist their members in establishing programs to help new teachers. For example, databases of information about new teachers would be developed and shared among member institutions so that colleges and universities could be notified when a newly certified teacher was moving to their area to teach.

Recommendations for Professional and Disciplinary

Organizations2. Professional disciplinary societies in science, mathematics,

and engineering, higher education organizations, governments at all levels, and business and industry should become more engaged partners (as opposed to advisors or overseers) in efforts to improve teacher education.

3. Professional disciplinary societies in science, mathematics, and engineering, and higher education organizations also should work together to align their policies and recommendations for improving teacher education in these disciplines.

K-12 Community

1. Assume responsibility for developing and overseeing high quality field experiences, student teaching, and internships of science, mathematics, and technology teacher candidates.

2. Collaborate with two and four year colleges and universities to provide professional development opportunities for experienced science, mathematics and technology teachers