Science Education in the United States by

AStudyofK–12MathematicsandScienceEducationintheUnitedStatesMay2003HorizonResearch,Inc.IrisR.Weiss326CloisterCourtJoanD.PasleyChapelHill,NC27514P.SeanSmithEricR.Banilower–12MathematicsandScienceEducationintheUnitedStatesbyIrisR.WeissJoanD.PasleyP.SeanSmithEricR.BanilowerDanielJ.HeckMay2003HorizonResearch,Inc.326CloisterCourtChapelHill,NC27514:AStudyofK–12MathematicsandScienceEducationintheUnitedStates,waspreparedwithsupportfromtheNationalScienceFoundationundergrantnumberREC-9910967.ThesewritingsdonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsoftheNationalScienceFoundation.iiTableofContentsPageListofTables.................................................................................................................................vListofFigures................................................................................................................................viAcknowledgements......................................................................................................................viiiExecutiveSummary.......................................................................................................................ixChapterOne:Background...............................................................................................................1Introduction.........................................................................................................................1PurposeoftheStudy...........................................................................................................2ChapterTwo:DataCollectionandAnalysis..................................................................................5Introduction.........................................................................................................................5SampleSelection.................................................................................................................5DistributionofObservedSites............................................................................................7CharacteristicsofObservedTeachers.................................................................................9DistributionofObservedClasses......................................................................................11InstrumentationforObservationsandInterviews.............................................................13ResearcherTraining..........................................................................................................15DataCollection.................................................................................................................16DataAnalysis....................................................................................................................17RepresentativenessoftheClassroomData.......................................................................18ChapterThree:CharacteristicsofMathematicsandScienceLessons..........................................21Introduction.......................................................................................................................21ContentAreasAddressed..................................................................................................21PercentageofTimeSpentonInstruction..........................................................................23HowStudentsAreGroupedforInstruction......................................................................24ChapterFour:RatingsofLessonQuality.....................................................................................25Introduction.......................................................................................................................25OverallRatingsofLessonQuality....................................................................................26RatingsofLessonComponents........................................................................................29ChapterFive:StrengthsandWeaknessesofMathematicsandScienceLessons.........................39Introduction.......................................................................................................................39EngagingStudentswithMathematics/ScienceContent...................................................40CreatinganEnvironmentConducivetoLearning............................................................54EnsuringAccessforAllStudents.....................................................................................59HelpingStudentsMakeSenseoftheMathematics/ScienceContent...............................65iiiChapterSix:InfluencesonLessons..............................................................................................75Introduction.......................................................................................................................75InfluencesonSelectionofMathematics/ScienceContent.......