Science: Be Intentional 'For All'

Sharon Delesbore, PhD, Innovation Collaborative Board member 

The following commentary on the importance of science and how STEAM can enhance it is from a Collaborative Board member, Sharon Delesbore, PhD. Dr. Delesbore is a campus administrator at Stephen F. Austin High School in the Fort Bend Independent School District in Sugar Land, TX.  She also serves as President of the Association for Multicultural Science Education (AMSE) and Chair of the Alliance of Affiliates (AoA) of the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA). She has been a science teacher, a science department chair, and a science instructional specialist, and teacher mentor.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and soul of its people.”  This quote resonates resoundingly today as we all work diligently to make our academic institutions stimulating learning environments where students embrace the sciences to become critical thinkers and ecologically productive citizens.  More and more, employers are recognizing that their partnership with education is essential in setting the criteria to help produce qualified employees to be productive in the workforce of the future. However, there are several steps the education system needs to take to help this new cadre of students become scientifically literate. Scientific literacy, according to the National Science Teaching Association, “means understanding how science is done, what is science versus non-science, and how to evaluate claims we are exposed to on a daily basis.”  

It is my view that school district leaders and campus administrators must realize that science instruction is essential to the sustainability of humankind.  Because science understanding is not measured and assessed as frequently as math and reading, it is often underfunded. Thus, the science disciplines’ loss of importance is impacting our workforce, which is suffering from the lack of qualified science-based candidates.  Even more dismal is that the science-based candidates from underrepresented populations are a rarity in the global schema. This is not just about ethnicity or low socioeconomic status but now, even more so, access. 

What I do see is that teachers who truly appreciate the art of teaching and learning and want to reach all students regardless of race are seeking professional development from organizations to help with their pedagogy. What I do not see is the same influx of campus administrators seeking opportunities to develop their capacity in science education that supports these educators. 

As educators and humans in general, we tend to focus and assist in areas where we are strong, confident, and have achieved success. When math or science are discussed, the common comments are, “I was not good at that,” or “Those subjects scare me”. Unfortunately, many adults believe science and math to be difficult subjects and transfer those thoughts to their children at an early age. This then fosters students’ avoidance of science in their school careers. When you couple the negative mental reinforcers with little to poor experiences of science engagement, you are creating a formula for science evasion.

It is time for “Administrators of Advocacy” to step forth in their schools to lead the charge of science for all through STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math).  This initiative can only happen with a change in mindset regarding STEAM implementation, integration, and involvement.  STEAM is not just about exposing students to the STEAM disciplines.  STEAM enhances important skills in our students when these disciplines are practiced in an integrated manner. These include:
S: Critical thinking in science
T: Engagement offered by experiences with technology
E: Application of what they have learned through engineering practices
A: Integration of arts content and processes to deepen and enrich critical and creative thinking processes in mandated content areas
M: Calculating and processing information in math

These include attributes that are important for every teacher to strive to help their students to acquire.  Is this attainable?  I believe the answer is yes if campus administrators refrain from hiding from their fears of science education because of their experiences, thoughts, or lack of content knowledge. In truth, good instruction will always prevail.
Specifically, our “Administrators of Advocacy” can do the following: 

1. Support teachers with funding for materials and providing appropriate class space for a safe environment to conduct activities.
2. Take interest in the science classroom. The constant emphasis on math and reading relays a feeling of insignificance for science and that does not promote a positive school culture.  Science is the one discipline that can enhance all the learning skills that administrators are looking for teachers to develop. With emphasis on nonfiction reading, writing, problem solving, and critical thinking with the use of technology to engage students, a focus on science can increase student achievement.
3. Empower teachers to take risks in the classroom. This is vital because opportunities “for all” come with exposure.  A science-competent mindset is necessary if we want all students to experience science education. There are no boundaries to learning regarding ethnicity, socio-economic status, or gender. All children are curious, and it is up to administrators and teachers to keep the inquiry in their spirits alive.
4. Allow teachers to take risks with the curriculum. It is okay if a lesson may not go as planned. Allow for organic exploration that fosters curiosity and creativity.
5. Monitor for the expectation of good science instruction.  We inspect what we expect and if teachers see that administrators are not looking for hands-on activities or opportunities for inquiry, then they will not present all students with a rigorous curriculum of fundamental science understanding that will help our students excel holistically in academia and in the workforce.

As George Washington Carver stated, “How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these.” So, let us maximize our commitment to our educational system so that the overseers of the funding begin to establish opportunities for students to excel in science education, once and “for all.”