Every 10 or 12 years, since 1977, the National Science Foundation (most certainly not a right wing partisan group) has sponsored a study of who is teaching math and science to our kids. A couple of months ago, Horizon Research, Inc. published the results of the most current study, the "2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education."
The findings suggest why America's students are having such great difficulty in learning their math and science, and why they score so dismally on international assessments in these two crucial areas. Today, I write about math.
For example, let's take a look at the percentage of middle school math teachers who responded that "they considered themselves very well prepared" to accomplish the following teaching tasks:
1.monitor student understanding during this unit........ 62%
2.encourage participation of females in mathematics... 56%
3.encourage participation of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds in mathematics................................................................ . 53%
4.anticipate difficulties that students will have with particular mathematical ideas and procedures in this unit.................................... 54%
These tasks are not esoteric; they're the types of things that we expect every teacher to do if their students are to learn math. To be an effective teacher, one must have two primary qualities: know your subject matter very well and relate to/care about students.
Yet, only somewhat more than half of middle school math teachers feel well prepared to fulfill these critical responsibilities.
One likely explanation for these disappointing statistics is found in the report: only 33% of teachers instructing middle school mathematics have a degree in mathematics or in math education, barely one in three. How can we expect people who are not well educated in the subject they teach to be prepared to teach that subject? Teachers must possess a deep understanding of their subject if they are to explain it to kids, especially the reluctant or struggling learner.
If this situation sounds desperate, just wait-it will only get worse now that almost every state has agreed to implement something called the "common core standards" in mathematics (and language arts). This effort to upgrade the rigor and complexity of what is taught and learned by America's children is absolutely necessary if individual Americans and the nation itself are to be successful and to compete in the 21st century global economy, especially given the increasing income inequality that challenges the very foundation of our society.
Thus, the million dollar question: how can teachers who are not sufficiently prepared to teach yesterday's math teach tomorrow's math that focuses on providing explanations and critical thinking, not the memorization of the times tables?
I'm interested in hearing your answers; I'll give you some of my thoughts in my next blog. And, then on to science education.