ABSTRACT
The category of people who call themselves science teachers is filled with thoughtful individuals who sincerely want to do a good job in teaching science to students. For many, teaching science also means trying to level the playing field so that students in resource-poor communities have access to the same learning opportunities as those in more well-off places. In some schools, the reasons for learning science are linked to community issues of environmental justice, while in others science is framed as simply one component of a well-rounded education. In many cases, the grades that students earn in science classes become a currency that can be later exchanged for class rank, and future employment. Science embodies a way of thinking about the world that uses empirical evidence as the basis for knowing, yet it is often taught in schools in ways that compel students to rely on the authority of teachers, or at least a “right” answer written down somewhere.
