Science Teaching Series

Internet Resources

I. Developing Scientific Literacy

II. Developing Scientific Reasoning

III. Developing Scientific Understanding

IV. Developing Scientific Problem Solving

V. Developing Scientific Research Skills

VI. Resources for Teaching Science

Reform Movements in Science Education

Current Reform issues

Recent Reform Initiatives

Curricular Reforms in the Post-Sputnik Era (1957-1980)

The NDEA was influenced by the Soviet launch of the satellite Sputnik on October 4, 1957. The launch shook the American belief that the USA was superior in Math and Science to all other countries. The citizens of the United States feared that schools of the Soviet Union were superior to American schools, and Congress reacted by adding the act to take US schools up to speed. The NDEA provided significant funding for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programs at US colleges and universities. BSCS, PSSC, ISCS, IPS, ESCP and other science curriculum reform initiatives were started by NDEA or related funding.

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