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Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2011 10:07:38 -0700
From: Richard Hake <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Cc: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]
Subject: [Net-Gold] The Failure of Higher Education to Properly Educate
Elementary School Teachers
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ABSTRACT: In his PhysLrnR post William Robertson asked (paraphrasing)
"Is the fact that there's such a small percentage of elementary
school teachers who can operate at Piaget's formal level due in large
part to how we have conducted science education at all levels?
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In my opinion the answer is "YES! But the primary culprit is Higher Education."
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Physicist Don Langenberg <http://bit.ly/gRxINE> put it succinctly:
"Although we in higher education are very skillful at ignoring the
obvious, it is gradually dawning on some of us that we bear a
substantial part of the responsibility for this sad situation [the
state of K-12 education]."
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William Robertson (2011), in his PhysLrnR post "Re: WOW! - Piaget" wrote:
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"And the question is: Is the reason for that percentage. . . .[[of
elementary school teachers who can operate at Piaget's formal
level]]. . . . being very small due in large part to how we have
conducted science education at all levels?"
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In my opinion, the answer is "YES! But the primary culprit is Higher
Education."
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An essay "The General Population's Ignorance of Science Related
Societal Issues: A Challenge for the University" [Hake (2000)] is
based on an earlier libretto with the leitmotiv: "The road to U.S.
science literacy begins with effective university science courses for
pre-college teachers." The opera dramatizes the fact that the
failure of universities *throughout the universe* to properly educate
pre-college teachers is responsible for our failure to observe any
signs of either terrestrial or extraterrestrial intelligence.
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Consistent with the above, in "Changing the Culture of Science
Education at Research Universities #2" [Hake (2011)] I wrote
[bracketed by lines "HHHHHH. . . . .":
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HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
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". . . .according to a report in "Inside Higher Ed" by Stephanie Lee
(2009), Vartan Gregorian, president of the Carnegie Corporation,
said: "The quality of math and science learning at colleges and
universities ultimately begins with solid instruction at the K-12
level. While higher education remains strong, it is clear it cannot
continue without a strong foundation."
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"Steve" in his comment "Higher Education Responsibility" at
<http://bit.ly/eeQUAU> wrote:
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"From experience I know that the quality of math and science learning
at colleges and universities ultimately DOES NOT begin with solid
instruction at the K-12 level, it begins with the quality of math and
science learning at colleges and universities. For far too long
higher education has 'passed the buck' by not producing qualified
teachers."
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RIGHT ON, STEVE! The NSF's (1996) report "Shaping the Future" put it
this way [my insert at ". . . . [[insert].] . . ."]:
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"Many faculty in SME&T. . . .[[Science, Mathematics, Engineering, &
Technology]]. . . at the postsecondary level continue to blame the
schools for sending underprepared students to them. But,
increasingly. . . .[[but not conspicuously]]. . . .the higher
education community has come to recognize the fact that teachers and
principals in the K-12 system are all people who have been educated
at the undergraduate level, mostly in situations in which SME&T
programs have not taken seriously enough their vital part of the
responsibility for the quality of America's teachers."
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In consonance with the above, physicist Don Langenberg (2001, p. 23)
<http://bit.ly/gRxINE>, (at the time) Chancellor of the University of
Maryland System, put it more succinctly:
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"Although we in higher education are very skillful at ignoring the
obvious, it is gradually dawning on some of us that we bear a
substantial part of the responsibility for this sad situation [the
state of K-12 education]."
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Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University
Honorary Member, Curmudgeon Lodge of Deventer, The Netherlands
President, PEdants for Definitive Academic References which Recognize the
Invention of the Internet (PEDARRII)
<[log in to unmask]>
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake>
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~sdi>
<http://HakesEdStuff.blogspot.com>
<http://iub.academia.edu/RichardHake>
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". . . I know from both experience and research that the teacher is
at the heart of student learning and school improvement by virtue of
being the classroom authority and gatekeeper for change. Thus the
preparation, induction, and career development of teachers remain the
Archimedean lever for both short- and long-term improvement of public
schools."
Larry Cuban (2003) in "Why Is It So Hard To Get Good Schools?" (page 1)
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REFERENCES [All URL's accessed on 01 April 2011; some shortened by
<http://bit.ly/>.]
BHEF. 2001. Business - Higher Education Forum (a partnership of the
American Council on Education and the National Alliance of Business),
Winter, "Sharing Responsibility: How Leaders in Business and Higher
Education Can Improve America's Schools" online as a 248 kB pdf at
<http://bit.ly/fgnu5q>
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Cuban, L. 2003. "Why Is It So Hard To Get Good Schools?" Teachers
College Press, publisher's information at <http://bit.ly/gSn3P2>.
Amazon.com information at <http://amzn.to/gvxHIb>. Note the "Look
Inside" feature.
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Hake, R.R. 2000. "The General Population's Ignorance of Science
Related Societal Issues: A Challenge for the University," AAPT
Announcer 30(2): 105; online as a 2.1 MB pdf at
<http://bit.ly/9LxKOL>.
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Hake, R.R. 2011. "Changing the Culture of Science Education at
Research Universities #2," online on the OPEN! AERA-L archives at
<http://bit.ly/gZSf8W>. Post of 6 Mar 2011 15:16:50 -0800 to AERA-L &
Net-Gold. The abstract and link to the complete post were
transmitted to various discussion lists and are also online on my
blog "Hake'sEdStuff" at <http://bit.ly/dYSgww> with a provision for
comments.
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Langenberg, D. 2001. Quoted on page 23 of BHEF (2001) at
<http://bit.ly/fgnu5q>.
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Lee, S. 2009."'Mobilization' for Math and Science Education," Inside
Higher Ed, 11 June; online at <http://bit.ly/g55daF>.
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NSF. 1996. "Shaping the Future: New Expectations for Undergraduate
Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology," A
Report on its Review of Undergraduate Education by the Advisory
Committee to the NSF, chaired by Melvin George, online at
<http://1.usa.gov/fs0cOU>. Also online as a Google book preview at
<http://bit.ly/efLkDE>. This report is one of the few that emphasizes
the crucial role of higher education in determining the quality of
K-12 education.
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Robertson, W. 2011. "Re: WOW! - Piaget," PhysLrnR post of 31 Mar 2011
21:28:22 -0600, online on the PhysLrnR archives at
<http://bit.ly/gPEizx>. To access the archives of PhysLnR one needs
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