Science

Study: Few STEM Educators View Next Generation Science Standards Negatively

By Liana Loewus — May 04, 2015 1 min read
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A recent survey of 5,000 K-12 science, technology, engineering, and math teachers and supervisors found that 80 percent of respondents were familiar with the Next Generation Science Standards, and of those, 60 percent held a favorable view of them.

Just 6 percent of all respondents had a negative impression of the standards. (Others had a neutral impression.)

The 2015 Business Report: National Survey STEM Education, was conducted online in November and December 2014 by Interactive Educational Systems Design, Inc., along with STEM Market Impact, LLC, and MCH Strategic Data. The study asked about schools’ STEM courses and programs, teacher professional development, and the availability of digital materials. (The full results are available for a hefty fee, but journalists were offered a 14-page summary of the 187-page report.)

The survey found that among respondents whose states had recently adopted new science standards—either the Next Generation Science Standards or otherwise—less than 10 percent planned to purchase a new curriculum. Most said they will continue to use their existing curriculum, with some enhancements.

The same subgroup was asked to identify the professional development topics they viewed as most critical for implementing new standards. About 54 percent pointed to professional development on incorporating project-based learning, and 40 percent said professonal development on incorporating engineering practices.

When asked about challenges facing STEM education, respondents were most likely to say they had insufficient technology to support their instruction or that class time was too short to cover their subject.

UPDATE (5/17): Educators can now request a free version of the STEM report here.

A version of this news article first appeared in the Curriculum Matters blog.