The dilemma for secondary science teachers: The High Road (National Science Standards) or the Low Road (High Stakes State Tests)

Abstract

The effort to reform science education has a long history and continues today. Most reform plans since 1980, including those developed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Science Teachers Association, and the National Research Council have inquiry learning as a prominent feature. At the same time as these science reform measures were being developed, a political movement calling for increased accountability among teachers, schools, and students was gaining momentum. Most states initiated standardized assessments to ensure that school systems were providing adequate education to their students. The accountability movement has the improvement of the American education system at heart, but it at times undermines the very standards it intends to enforce. The move toward increased accountability we argue, discourages teachers from adopting inquiry-based approaches.