When asked what would make learning science more interesting to them, students participating in a national online survey on science education and technology responded that “field trips to science museums, labs, zoos, etc.,” meeting with scientists, learning about science careers, and solving real-life problems would motivate them. But the survey revealed that more than half of their teachers are still using mainly traditional methods to teach science.

Released in May, the report, Our Voices, Our Future: Student and Teacher Views on Science, Technology, and Education, was produced by NetDay, the national education technology nonprofit group, which merged last fall with Project Tomorrow, a regional nonprofit in Orange County, California, that works to adopt and promote innovative approaches to science education. As a new organization, Project Tomorrow-NetDay focuses on promoting science, math, and technology as key levers for developing 21st-century skills. Our Voices, Our Future summarizes national data collected in Fall 2005 from 185,000 student surveys and 15,000 teacher surveys.

Students surveyed also expressed interest in using technology such as multimedia and interactive simulations, conducting research on the internet, and using traditional classroom tools like microscopes and viewing films.

More than 50% of teachers surveyed said they present science material in lecture format, conduct demonstration lessons, or guide students in investigations or experiments. When asked how they increase student interest in learning science, 64% said they encourage students to initiate investigations; 56% said they use the internet for research projects, and 49% said they have students solve real-life problems. “It’s not clear from the teachers’ responses if their approaches are meeting their students’ expectations,” noted Our Voices, Our Future.

The researchers asked middle and high school students to say what they think their schools need to help them learn science. “Again their responses show a desire for more experiential learning, specifically classes with special topics such as forensics. We also see requests for updated equipment and the use of technology,” stated the report.

Students in grades 3–6 and 6–12 and participating teachers were asked how they use technology to help them learn about science. The researchers found that about a third of students in both age groups used online search engines and science-specific websites, such as NASA’s and the National Weather Service’s sites. Most of the teachers (65%) said they used these tools to teach science. But 27% of the students in grades 3–6 and 35% of those in grades 6–12 said they are not using any technology to learn science. “This doesn’t quite match up with the less than 10% of teachers who reported not using technology for teaching science,” said the report.

Asked to name the number-one thing that would help them teach science more effectively, the teachers said “more instruction time” (25%). Their second and third choices were “improved lab environment” (18%) and “professional development” (14%). Other responses included “updated books and lab materials” (11%), “integration with other content areas” (11%), and “updated technology, software, etc.” (10%).

Teachers gave open-ended responses to the question “What should your school do to make sure your students have the knowledge and skills to be successful?” A technology coordinator replied that “the science and technology needs to be hands-on…[students] need to be working on and solving problems in the community.” “We need to be less concerned with ‘how it’s been done in the past’ and more concerned with preparing [students] for the future,” observed a high-school teacher.

When questioned about what her school should do to help her succeed in learning science, a third grader seemed to sum up the needs of students nationwide: “My school should make sure that the science teachers are good and the computers are always working.”

The section on teaching and learning science was only one part of Our Voices, Our Future, which examined various other aspects of online learning and the use of technology in schools across the country. To read the complete report, visit www.netday.org.