An electronic newsletter for the science education
community
May/June
2005
Science Literacy in a Global Context
Project 2061 shares experiences, resources
with international educators
Guided by such
broad-based goals as economic development, scientific and
technological innovation, preparation for globalization,
and increased awareness of health issues like HIV/AIDS prevention,
countries around the world are asking questions about how
to improve the science literacy of their citizens. What
should science education for the 21st century look like?
Which knowledge and skills do students need to achieve both
personal and societal goals? Which key areas of the education
system can stimulate the most change?
With 20 years of experience working to answer such questions
in the U.S. context, AAAS Project 2061 has learned many
lessons about long-term reform aimed at achieving science
literacy for all. At conferences in China and Trinidad
this past year, Project 2061’s deputy director Dr.
George DeBoer shared some of those lessons with international
educators and policymakers. He also fostered ongoing dialogue
and collaboration that enriches Project 2061’s work
here at home.
China: Building Scientific Literacy
The
International Forum on Scientific Literacy in Beijing
in July 2004 brought together scientists and educators from
many countries to exchange ideas on the theme of “Public
Scientific Literacy: Theory and Practice.” Sponsored
by the China Association
for Science and Technology (CAST)—a
non-profit, non-governmental organization of Chinese
scientific and technological workers—the forum provided
an opportunity for scholars from China, Japan, Korea,
India, Russia, Thailand, France, the United Kingdom, and
the United States to share their experiences and build international
collaborations. Topics included increasing public understanding
of science, science education reform, and the promotion
of scientific literacy through the mass media and science
centers.
As one of several keynote speakers who addressed efforts
to achieve science literacy in their countries, Dr. DeBoer
spoke about Project 2061’s goals-based approach to
science education reform. He described the mission and
history of Project 2061 as well as current efforts to develop
the resources needed so that all students can achieve the
knowledge and skills specified in Science for All Americans.
An article based on his talk was later published in China
Education Daily. During the forum, DeBoer was also
appointed to serve as an international advisor to China’s
National Scientific Literacy Action Plan, an effort to
build science literacy among all Chinese citizens.
Following his talk at the forum in Beijing, Dr. DeBoer
spent three days working in Qingdao with a select group
of 300 science teachers from across China. DeBoer—along
with Dr. James Minstrell, who heads FACET Innovations,
and Dr. Joseph Krajcik, professor of science education at
the University of Michigan—introduced the Chinese
teachers to U.S. perspectives on science teaching. The Chinese
system has historically been highly structured and not as
open as the U.S. system to independent and creative thought
on the part of students. Chinese educators are asking if
the approach taken in the U.S. would lead to greater creativity
and innovation in their society.
Project 2061’s participation in the Beijing forum
continued a long-standing relationship between CAST and
AAAS. CAST has been collaborating with China’s Popular
Science Press to translate Project 2061’s resources
into Chinese. In May, Madam Cheng Donghong, executive
secretary of CAST, presented copies of the Chinese translation
of Designs
for Science Literacy to Project 2061 during a visit
to Washington, DC. The Chinese translation of Atlas
of Science Literacy is expected this summer, and translations
of Science for All Americans, Benchmarks
for Science Literacy, and Blueprints for Reform are
already in print. CAST is currently looking to make resources
from Project 2061’s Web site available online in Chinese.
Trinidad: Improving Science Education
In
February 2005, Dr. DeBoer traveled to Trinidad for the
Science Education Policy Forum sponsored by the UNESCO
Office for the Caribbean and the Ministry
of Education of Trinidad and Tobago. Participants discussed
directions and actions for the development of science and
science education policy in the region. The event also served
to launch a campaign to advance the Caribbean education
sector response to HIV/AIDS.
Dr. DeBoer addressed the issue of science education for
the 21st century, sharing Project 2061’s experience
with helping the U.S. educational community develop science
education programs of the highest possible quality for
all students. He discussed how student assessment, family
and community outreach, and curriculum materials development
can be particularly powerful levers for change in the
educational system. Yet he underscored the importance of
teachers’ and
students’ support to the success of any reform effort.
Without a reform vision that is consistent with teachers’ values
and capabilities and without methods consistent with
the nature of children and adolescents, change is unlikely.
The chief Project 2061 lesson that Dr. DeBoer shares
when speaking with international educators is that changing
a well-established educational system takes great care
and persistence. The challenge is long-term and far-reaching.
The keys to success? Offer a clear and uncomplicated
message of what needs to change and why and engage the education
system at all levels in ongoing, collaborative, and practical
discussions on how to offer the best science education
possible to the greatest number of people.
For Dr. DeBoer, outreach to other countries provides
Project 2061 with an opportunity to share its work and
gain new insights. “Science for All Americans has
much in it that pertains to students around the world,
not just in the United States. We are all interested
in providing our students with the best education in science
that we can, in having them learn about and be curious
about how the natural world works,” says DeBoer. “Working
with other countries also allows us to see how our ideas
are received by others and forces us to answer questions
that others have. It broadens our perspective on our
own work when we can see it through others’ eyes.”
# # #
For more information about Project 2061’s international
activities, please contact:
Deputy Director: Dr.
George DeBoer,
(202) 326-6624
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