Lesley University’s science teacher education programs provide innovative approaches to science inquiry and learning. The Master of Education Degree in Science in Education addresses the need to prepare classroom teachers in ways that inspire and motivate children to learn science, through hands-on investigations and integration of technology. Designed for elementary and middle school classroom teachers, curriculum specialists, and instructional resource persons responsible for K-8 science education, this graduate science teacher education program aligns with National Science Education Standards that call for inquiry-based learning and innovative teaching paradigms.
Participants in all of Lesley's science programs build an understanding of core science concepts while engaging in the same learning structures of inquiry-based science that they will bring to their classrooms. The programs encourage teachers to be deliberative, reflective learners and skilled assessors of both their own and their students' science knowledge, skills, and thinking.
Degree programs for New Teachers
M.Ed. in Middle School General Science (5-8)
M.Ed. in High School Biology (8-12)
M.Ed. in High School Chemistry (8-12)
M.Ed. in High School Earth Science (8-12)
M.Ed. in High School Physics (8-12)
Degree programs for Current Teachers
M.Ed. in Science in Education: Online Program
M.S. in Ecological Teaching and Learning
Advanced Professional Certificate
(May Lead to Endorsement/Second License in Elementary and/or Middle Grades Science in Multiple States)
Science in Education
Certificates and professional development offerings
See all Teacher Professional Development offerings
Read Dr. Nicole Weber's article on science literature:
Eco-Literacy in the Classroom: Engaging Students in Science Through Books
Become a Science Teacher and Inspire Exploration
Some policy-makers, educators, and others believe that children in United States schools are falling behind their counterparts in other nations in performance related to science. The seminal report, A Nation at Risk (1983), warned that our schools were losing ground, and that theme is reappearing today. Nonetheless, the evidence is not clear, and results of students’ performance on international tests that provide comparison data¹ are subject to interpretation.
For example, in 2006, the US scored statistically below international averages for industrialized countries in 4th and 8th grade math and science in the Program for International Student Assessment. However, in 2007, the US scored above international averages in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. In the former, the test measures skills as they are applied to the real-world, while TIMSS measures mastery of curriculum.² While PISA is thought to be most relevant, experts agree that we need to move our students to higher levels of performance as measured against competitive nations.
Solutions lie in the ability of teachers to inspire interest in science and to encourage innovation by investigating problems that exist in the context of the real world. Teachers need to gain the confidence and knowledge to support inquiry-based discussions of scientific questions that may not have a clear answer. Teaching students appropriate science content and principles of scientific inquiry while supporting their natural inquisitiveness will result in an excitement about science and the significant opportunities in related fields.
¹TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study); PISA (Program for International Student Assessment, which tests math, science, and reading; and PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study)
²Education Week. International Exams Yield Less-than-Clear Lessons, April 21, 2009. p.2
