Synapse India asked:


Science and technology education are co-related with each other and cannot be separated to gain the real meaning and essence of science education. From last many years, science education has seen numerous changes and transformations to pass on the true value of scientific theories and strategies.

It is very true that the science is nothing without the study of technology. In other words, it is not wrong to say that the combination is just like soul without the body. Interestingly, major accomplishments in science are always accompanied by right usage and applications of technology. As a result, for getting a complete science education, a person needs to be committed towards gaining the right knowledge, content and processes of the subject.

Generally, science education involves teaching of the scientific body of knowledge, the processes and activities of scientific work. Therefore, for imparting the right knowledge and educations, science teachers must be clear about the concept. Also, they need to be influenced by several teaching techniques including the learning capabilities of students while interacting with physical materials.

An expert science tutor is the one who keeps a close eye on the digital development and the growing scientific nuances. He or she should have a formal education, training and qualification in formal science teaching and its techniques. These experts should have analytical ability and possess evaluation powers on developing information technology in the science curriculum.

Find a Science Tutor:

In this growing competitive world, science education has become really necessary. The subject has emerged as the backbone of the overall growth of a person and in order to earn a leading edge. Finding a good science tutor is not difficult at all. You can browse through the internet and find many tutors of different subjects. Try to know your child’s difficulty and problems while finding the most appropriate help for him or her.

Alisha Dhamani asked:


Political leaders, tech executives, and academics often claim that the U.S. is falling behind in math and science education. They cite poor test results, declining international rankings, and decreasing enrollment in the hard sciences. They urge us to improve our education system and to graduate more engineers and scientists to keep pace with countries such as India and China.

Yet a new report by the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, tells a different story. The report disproves many confident pronouncements about the alleged weaknesses and failures of the U.S. education system. This data will certainly be examined by both sides in the debate over highly skilled workers and immigration. The argument by Microsoft, Google, Intel, and others is that there are not enough tech workers in the U.S.

The authors of the report, the Urban Institute’s Hal Salzman and Georgetown University professor Lindsay Lowell, show that math, science, and reading test scores at the primary and secondary level have increased over the past two decades, and U.S. students are now close to the top of international rankings. Perhaps just as surprising, the report finds that our education system actually produces more science and engineering graduates than the market demands.

These findings go against what has been the dominant position about our education system and our science and engineering workforce. Consider reports on national competitiveness that policymakers often turn to, such reports as the 2005 “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” by the National Academy of Sciences. This report says the U.S. is in dire straits because of poor math and science preparation.

The report points to declining test scores, fewer students taking math and science courses, and low-quality curriculums and teacher preparation in K-12 education compared to other countries.

The call has been taken up by some of the most prominent people in business and politics. Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, said at an education summit in 2005, “In the international competition to have the biggest and best supply of knowledge workers, America is falling behind.” President George W. Bush addressed the issue in his 2006 State of the Union address. “We need to encourage children to take more math and science, and to make sure those courses are rigorous enough to compete with other nations,” he said.

Salzman and Lowell found the reverse was true. Their report shows U.S. student performance has steadily improved over time in math, science, and reading. It also found enrollment in math and science courses is actually up. For example, in 1982 high school graduates earned 2.6 math credits and 2.2 science credits on average.

By 1998, the average number of credits increased to 3.5 math and 3.2 science credits. The percent of students taking chemistry increased from 45% in 1990 to 55% in 1996 and 60% in 2004. Scores in national tests such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the SAT, and the ACT have also shown increases in math scores over the past two decades.

And the new report again went against the grain when it compared the U.S. to other countries. It found that over the past decade the U.S. has ranked a consistent second place in science. It also was far ahead of other nations in reading and literacy and other academic areas. In fact, the report found that the U.S. is one of only a few nations that has consistently shown improvement over time.

Why the sharp discrepancy? Salzman says that reports citing low U.S. international rankings often misinterpret the data. Review of the international rankings, which he says are all based on one of two tests, the Trends in International Mathematics & Science Study (TIMMS) or the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), show the U.S. is in a second-ranked group, not trailing the leading economies of the world as is commonly reported.

In fact, the few countries that place higher than the U.S. are generally small nations, and few of these rank consistently high across all grades, subjects, and years tested. Moreover, he says, serious methodological flaws, such as different test populations, and other limitations preclude drawing any meaningful comparison of school systems between countries.

As far as our workforce is concerned, the new report showed that from 1985 to 2000 about 435,000 U.S. citizens and permanent residents a year graduated with bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in science and engineering. Over the same period, there were about 150,000 jobs added annually to the science and engineering workforce.

These numbers don’t include those retiring or leaving a profession but do indicate the size of the available talent pool. It seems that nearly two-thirds of bachelor’s graduates and about a third of master’s graduates take jobs in fields other than science and engineering.

Michael Teitelbaum, vice-president of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which, among other things, works to improve science education, says this research highlights the troubling weaknesses in many conventional policy prescriptions.

Proposals to increase the supply of scientists and engineers rapidly, without any objective evidence of comparably rapid growth in attractive career opportunities for such professionals, might actually be doing harm.

In previous columns, I have written about research my team at Duke University completed that shattered common myths about India and China graduating 12 times as many engineers as the U.S. We found that the U.S. graduated comparable numbers and was far ahead in quality. Our research also showed there were no engineer shortages in the U.S., and companies weren’t going offshore because of any deficiencies in U.S. workers.

So, there isn’t a lack of interest in science and engineering in the U.S., or a deficiency in the supply of engineers. However, there may sometimes be short-term shortages of engineers with specific technical skills in certain industry segments or in various parts of the country.

The National Science Foundation data show that of the students who graduated from 1993 to 2001, 20% of the bachelor’s holders went on to complete master’s degrees in fields other than science and engineering and an additional 45% were working in other fields. Of those who completed master’s degrees, 7% continued their education and 31% were working in fields other than science and engineering.

There isn’t a problem with the capability of U.S. children. Even if there were a deficiency in math and science education, there are so many graduates today that there would be enough who are above average and fully qualified for the relatively small number of science and engineering jobs. Science and engineering graduates just don’t see enough opportunity in these professions to continue further study or to take employment.

With U.S. competitiveness at stake, we need to get our priorities straight. Education is really important, and a well-educated workforce is what will help the U.S. keep its global edge. But emphasizing math and science education over humanities and social sciences may not be the best prescription for the U.S. We need our children to receive a balanced and broad education.

Perhaps we should focus on creating demand for the many scientists and engineers we graduate. There are many problems, from global warming to the development of alternative fuels to cures for infectious diseases, that need to be solved. Rather than blaming our schools, let’s create exciting national programs that motivate our children to help solve these problems.

Elva O’sullivan asked:

Early exposure to science is critical because science knowledge is cumulative. Learning science requires a solid foundation of knowledge that can be built upon through further study and exploration. Children should be introduced to science at home as early as possible. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your child learns all the science they need to know at school. The truth is science education in school is limited and the subject is not usually a high priority for educators. As parents, it is important that we share our knowledge with our children. Every day activities such as growing plants, cooking and caring for animals involve science. Take a look around and you will see that science is everywhere. Parents can choose to engage in scientific activities with their children when they are not in school to build scientific comprehension, encourage scientific exploration and foster a love for science and the pursuit of knowledge.

There are aspects of science that are intellectually demanding, but often simple experiences produce insightful learning. To engage your children in science you need to introduce them to stimulating environments that provide opportunities for observing and discussing science. Zoos, nature centers, oceans, parks, yards and even kitchens are perfect educational environments. Children naturally learn through playful exploration. Educational DVDs, and toys provoke thought and develop skills. When children ask questions to satisfy their natural curiosity, it is an open opportunity to be seized by the parent.

For instance, if a child is fascinated by a light switch and wants to know how it turns the light on and off, inquire into the subject with your child. Find out why and how the switch works. Why does yeast make bread rise? How does a spider spin a web? Why do leaves fall? Why do the birds disappear in the winter?

Identify your child’s interests and encourage them. If a child develops an interest in rocks, study rocks, gems, mining and fossils and build on that curiosity moving on to fossil fuels, heat generation and environmental effects. You will find that one inquiry leads to another.

Fuel their natural curiosity. These activities should be challenging without being frustrating. Don’t force them to do things they are not interested in; rather, engage them in motivating activities that build desire for further exploration. Share your own science related interests and you will be amazed by the impact of genuine enthusiasm. Remember that discussion is a key component to developing scientific knowledge and uncovering additional areas of interest. Encourage your child to talk about their experiences, observations and interests. This discussion will help children to construct thoughts, to form concepts and to examine different relationships that are intermingled in their ideas.

Some simple activities that foster knowledge of and interest in science include: “Finding out how and why things work”, “Sharing ideas and knowledge”, “Making observations and writing or drawing those observations down”, “Making predictions and seeking answers”, “Starting collections -such as rocks or bugs- and observing similarities and differences”, “Figuring out what causes things to change”, “Having science parties with family and friends”, “Enrolling your child in classes or extra-curricular activities involving science”.

Your home, your environment and your surroundings are filled with opportunities to share science with your children. Through engaging their interests and encouraging their search for knowledge, you can ensure success in science!