Most California middle schoolers are not regularly exposed to “high quality” science learning experiences, concludes a study, which says the core problem is that conditions to support such learning are rarely in place.
“Across the state, middle school teachers confront large class sizes, limited access to equipment and necessary materials for science experiences, and students who all too frequently have lost interest in science,” says the report, published by WestEd, a San Francisco-based education research group.
The report, which involved surveys of teachers, principals, and district administrators, adds that “precious hours are lost to remediating students that could be better spent deepening their understanding of and engagement in science.” The report also notes that only about 25 percent of the middle school science teachers surveyed had a background in the field, such as having majored in the subject in college.
