Inside Science Education Reform: A History of Curricular and Policy Change Book

This book centres on developments in science education from the end of World War II to the present day. Oriented toward both practice and policy, the project integrates and compares the views of two of the participants in these developments. Both authors have played a leading part, throughout their careers, in science education, both in their two countries and internationally. Each chapter discusses one of the seven main themes: aims and politics, curriculum development, subject-matter boundaries, pedagogy and learning, assessment, educational research, and the teaching profession. Each theme is introduced in its historical and philosophical context, but in a manner that highlights current issues and is illustrated by drawing on and contrasting the UK and USA contexts, thereby illuminating the changes over the decades. The episodes are then used as a basis for developing insights into the theme, drawing also on broader reflections from the relevant literature and history. The book highlights each of the main issues with compelling examples, and in a fashion that is both accessible and useful for those who would make decisions about the future of science education. It will appeal to leading professionals in science education at university and school levels and in educational management, and to the wider academic and professional audience interested in issues of policy and practice in education, and in comparative and historical studies.Read More