Open any newspaper, and you will surely see debate on a myriad of important education-related issues. When you consider those specific to science, we have our fair share to address. As visible and central figures in science education, science teachers are frequently asked to respond to and inform others about these issues and to advocate for quality science education. NSTA position statements offer direction to educators seeking information that can not only shape their teaching, but also educate others—school leadership, parents, community members, and policy makers—about the best practices and characteristics of quality science education. These documents inform stake-holders about critical issues and provide guidance for action at local, state, and national levels.
Most recently, NSTA updated its position statement on International Science Education. NSTA is making a significant commitment to international science education and has initiated activities on many fronts to support it. Led by its International Advisory Board, NSTA released the report Developing a World View for Science Education: In North America and Across the Globe. It recommended ways for the association to involve more American science educators in international opportunities to help them become better teachers in their own classrooms and more successfully impart the global dimensions of science to their students.
The new position statement, adopted by the NSTA Board of Directors in May, affirms the association “encourages and promotes international science education because it has the ability to improve the teaching and learning of science, as well as to ‘empower people, improve their quality of life, and increase their capacity to participate in the decision-making processes leading to social, cultural, and economic policies…’” It includes recommendations for science teachers, science teacher educators, school leadership, policy makers, and science-related organizations to embrace and support international science education.
“Our world continues to get ‘smaller,’ significantly increasing the interrelationships [among] different cultures, individuals, societies, and countries,” says Norm Lederman, chair of the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Department of Mathematics and Science Education, a member of NSTA’s International Advisory Board, and chair of the 10-member position statement panel. “NSTA’s position statement on international science education elaborates on the importance of these interrelationships and points to the clear similarities and challenges that exist, regardless of location. We benefit by recognizing and understanding both the differences and the similarities, which can improve the teaching and learning of science.”
Read and download a copy of the statement at www.nsta.org/about/positions/international.aspx.
Involving Parents
The Parental Involvement in Science Learning statement, also recently revised, highlights the important role of parents and other caregivers in their children’s science learning.
“Research increasingly points to the essential role that parents and other caregivers play in their child’s education,” said David Heil, chair of the position statement panel and president of David Heil & Associates, Inc. “This position statement recognizes the importance of active engagement in science learning—at home, in school, and throughout the community—and provides valuable guidance for parents and teachers as partners in this endeavor.”
The new position statement recommends ways for parents and other caregivers to create a positive and safe environment at home for exploration and discovery, actively engage in children’s education throughout the school-age years, and encourage children to consider and pursue a science- or technology-related career. The statement is available at www.nsta.org/about/positions/parents.aspx.
NSTA is continually developing new statements and updating existing ones, and NSTA members are always an integral part of the process. Members serving on position statement panels develop the statements, and the greater NSTA membership is encouraged to comment on statements during the review stage. This fall, NSTA members will have an opportunity to review and comment on a new position statement addressing science learning for English-language learners (ELL). Statistics indicate more than 5.5 million, or 11%, of public school students are now categorized as ELL, and schools, districts, and states are struggling to deliver high-quality instruction to these students. NSTA’s new statement will make recommendations to support high-quality science instruction for all ELL students.
Also in the works are updates to two statements—Research and Science/Technology/Society—and a new statement focusing on poverty. Current NSTA position statements can be found at www.nsta.org/position.