A history of ideas in science education: implications for practice

TLDR

Science education in the United States has evolved since the mid‑19th century, with early struggles to secure a curricular place and ongoing debates shaping its content, many modern ideas tracing back to a century‑old literature. The book targets teachers and science‑education leaders, offering a historical justification for contemporary goals and strategies. Readers—including researchers and those curious about national curriculum decisions—will find the book engaging and informative.

Abstract

By allowing key scientists, researchers, professors, and classroom teachers of science to speak for themselves through their published writings about what is best and needed for the field, Dr DeBoer presents a fascinating account of the history of science education in the United States from the middle of the 19th century to the present. The book relates how science first struggled to find a place in the school curriculum and recounts the many debates over the years about what that curriculum should be. In fact, many of what we consider modern ideas in science education are not new at all but can be traced to writings on education of one hundred years ago. The book is aimed at all those interested in science education: classroom teachers and science education leaders concerned about the historical justification of the goals and strategies proposed for the field. The book should be enjoyed not only by the researcher but also by anyone curious about just how curriculum is decided upon and implemented on a national scale.