Preparation of Middle School Science Teachers in Major State Research Universities Paul Germann

Wayne Dumas

Lloyd H. Barrow

University of Missouri-Columbia One of the major school organizational changes attempted during the past 15 years has been the emergence of the middle school concept. Successful middle schools are dependent upon competent teachers uniquely prepared to deal with the leaming needs of early adolescents. Manning (1993) encouraged teacher education institutions to take immediate, direct action to improve the preparation of teachers for middle-level education. Little data is currently available regarding the status of such preparation in the United States. Valentine and Mogar (1992) surveyed state education agency standards and reported, that while 33 states provide middle level certification, very few make any clear separation between middle level certification and either elementary or secondary education certifications. Only a small number of states have taken the step of mandating independent middle level certification by adopting a tri-level certification plan such as elementary (grades 1-5), middle level (grades 5-9), and secondary (grades 9-12). Most of the 33 states which offered middle school certification continued to allow middle school extensions of elementary (grades 1-6) or secondary (grades 7-12) certificates. The National Middle School Association (NMSA) Board of Directors adopted a position paper (1980) which emphasized the importance of preparing teachers specifically to work with middle level students. On two occasions since then, NMSA has approved position papers supporting a tri-level certification approach and providing standards for middle level teacher preparation (1986, 1991). NMSA standards urge an identifiable program for middle school teacher preparation along with two broad and interdisciplinary teaching fields. In addition, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Board of Directors adopted guidelines (1992) for middlelevel scienceteacherpreparation. Theseguidelines specify that each preservice middle school science teacher be prepared in broad-field natural sciences as well as a second field. The broad-field science must include a minimum of 24 semester hours of science content and

include 8-10 semester hours each in biological, earth, and physical science. The courses should be broad, interdisciplinary, and encompass the broad field within each of the disciplines. Overall, the middle schoolscience teacher preparation program should facilitate preservice teachers' attainment of scientific literacy. Purpose and Method The purpose of this survey was to determine the current status of middle level science teacher preparation at major state research universities. Major state research universities were selected to be surveyed because there is specialinterest inthese institutions for reform and renewal by the Holmes Group (1986). Major state research universities are the one or two state-supported institutions in each state which claim a statewide, rather than a regional, mission. In most instances, this was the state's generally accepted primary state institutions and, if different, the state's land grant institution. This resulted in 74 universities in the survey, and all were doctoral degree granting inst'.tutions. Using the Carnegie Foundation's system for classifying research universities (Evangelauf, 1994), 48 of the institutions surveyed were Research I, I5 were Research II, 2 were Doctoral I, and 9 were Doctoral II. This survey attempted to answer five questions: 1. How many of the 74 universities currently offer programs leading to independent certification of middle school science teachers? 2. How do these institutions define middle school in terms of grade levels? 3. To what extent do universities which have such programs require dual teaching fields? 4. How many semester hours of work in the sciences are required for certification? 5. How many semester hours are required for certification in each of the subjects and/or disciplines which generally define science? Data were collected by reviewing undergraduate

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Journal of Science Teacher Education • Summer 1995

Correspondence regarding this article should be sent to:

Volume 6, Number 3, Pages 143-145 ~'--','right © The Association for the Education of Teachers in Science

Dr. Paul Germann, Curriculum & Instruction,212 Townsend Hall,Universityof Missouri,Columbia, Missouri 65211

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catalogs from each of the 74 institutions. In some instances, too little or unclear information was provided by the catalogs, and in these instances, telephone interviews with representatives from those colleges of education provided the necessary information. Results

Thirteen of the 74 institutions offer independent programs leading to certification of middle school science teachers. Twelve of the thirteen offer programs leading to broad field science certification, while the thirteenth offers only certification by science disciplines based on the completion of a bachelor's degree in that discipline prior to earning required credits in professional education during a fifth-year program. Most of these universities are located in the southeast quadrant of the United States. The states in the southeast region of the United States have eliminated the traditional grades 1-6 elementary and grades 7-12 secondary pattem in favor of one which mandates middle school certification with a grades 1-5 elementary, grades 6-8 middle level, and grades 9-12 secondary pattern (NASDTEC, 1994). This gives the impression that colleges of education have moved toward independent middle school certification only when required to do so by state education agency policy. Perhaps this is understandable when programs specifically for middle level teacher preparation would increase budgetary strains by requiring additional courses and staffing at universities. In addition, obtaining certification for middle level only would narrow the range of job opportunities for those persons. To determine if the conditions reported in this survey were dynamic, science education faculty at seven major research universities which did not offer an independent middle school certification program were interviewed by telephone. The results from these interviews suggested that there was little prospect for immediate change at their institutions. In one state, a bill had been introduced in the state legislature requiring middle level certification, but it did not pass. Another state, which had been among the first to mandate middle level certification, recently rescinded the action. This state had received many concems from public school administrators who felt that a middle level certification requirement would result in a substantial loss of flexibility in hiring teachers. This concem was also voiced by the faculty at the other universities who were interviewed.

There was a great deal of disagreement as to what school years ought to define middle school or middle level. Five of the universities interviewed defined it as grades 4-8, five defined it as grades 5-8, two defined it as grades 6-9, and one. defined it as grades 4-9. How the interviewee defined middle school or middle level was consistent with the definition put forth by the state education agency of their respective state. Eight of the universities surveyed required all prospective middle level teachers to be prepared in two fields as recommended by NMSA, while five of the universities accepted a major or certification in a single field. Two of those iive have fifth-yearprograms requiring a bachelor's degree in one of the sciences prior to the fifthyear program. Of these two, only one requires work in each of the other major sciences along with the professional courses during the fifth year. Minimum requirements and science discipline requirements at the 12 universities with a preservice middle school teacher preparation program are presented inTable 1. University requirements forprogramsleading to middle level science certification ranged from 20-42 semester hours. Only one university required less than the 24 semester hours recommended by NSTA (1992). Biology is required by all 12 institutions, followed in frequency by earth science or geology and chemistry. Physics is complicated by the fact that three universities required physical sciences which may have included physics. With regard to requirements by discipline, these universities fall well within the recommendations of NSTA's 8-10 hours in biological, physical, and earth sciences, each. In fact, this group of universities require substantially more semesterhours, as well as more diverse programs with more elective opportunities, than suggested by NSTA (1991). Discussion The two most remarkable, and to some extent, unexpected outcomes of this survey were: (a) the lack of independent programs leading to the certification of middle school science teachers and (b) the inconsistency of requirements where such programs are offered. It appeared universities did not offer independent middle level programs unless they were mandated to do so by the state education agency. Both universities and state education agencies seem in a dilemma at this point. Most would probably agree

a

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Table 1

Distribution of Requirements for Middle Level General Science at the 12 Universities That Offer Programs Semester Hours Required Discipline Biology Chemistry Physics Physical Science Earth Science Astronomy Earth/Space Environmental Geography History/Philosophy of Science Concepts/Issues in Science Middle School Science Curriculum Middle School Instructional Strategies Science Electives Total

Frequency

Range

Mean

12 10 8 3 11 3 1 1 3 1 1 1 9

3-12 0-10 0-8 0-8 0-8 0-4 0-6 0-3 0-3 0-3 0-3 0-3 0-13 20-42

7.4 4.5 3.9 1.3 3.7 1.0 .5 .3 .8 .3 .3 .3 6.3 31.8

that there is much to be gained by a unique program of National Association of State Directors of Teacher teacher preparation geared toward early adolescent Education and Certification. (1994). NASDTEC leaming; however, the sacrifices demanded from already manualon certification. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt tight university budgets, reduced job opportunities for Publishing Company. persons holding a middle school certification only, and National Middle School Association. (1980). Preparing reduced teacher applicant pools formiddle school teaching teachers for middle grades: A position paper. positions are compelling counterweights. The Columbus, OH: Author. inconsistenciesbetweenuniversity programs will continue National Middle School Association. (1986, 1991). until competing local and state priorities and relatively Professional certification and preparation for the low institutional pressures for compliance are resolved. middle level: A position paper. Columbus, OH: Author. References National ScienceTeachers Association. (1992). Standards for middle level science teacher preparation. In NSTA Evangelauf, J. (1994, April 6). A new Carnegie Handbook(pp. 193-194). Washington, DC: Author. classificaiton. The Chronicle of Higher Education, Holmes Group. (1986). Tomorrow's teachers: A report pp. A 17-A25. of the Holmes Group. Lansing, MI: Author. Manning, M. L. (1993). Recommendationsforimproving Valentine, J. W., & Mogar, D. C. (1992). Middle level middle level teacher education. Action in Teacher certification: An encouraging evaluation. Middle Education, 15(3), 47-51. School Journal, 24(2), 36-43.

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