Science Education, Center for

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Interim Coordinator: Dr. Elizabeth M. Brown
Center Office: Science Building, room 191
Web site: http://www.indstate.edu/scied
E-mail: scienceteach@indstate.edu

The Center for Science Education coordinates the Science Education Program and provides the required professional science education courses in science teaching methodology. These courses are designed for students preparing to become teachers in elementary, junior high/middle school, and high school settings. The center also provides elective courses in the teaching of science for upper-division undergraduate and graduate students. These courses derive their content from several of the science disciplines for students on teacher education curricula as well as other academic programs.

The majority of courses offered by the Center for Science Education are directed toward people interested in the teaching of science. However, because most of these offerings will develop perspectives on and an understanding of basic science and current science teaching strategies, the offerings are valuable to students pursuing science-related careers or with specific science interests.

These curricular patterns enable students to develop broad, interdisciplinary backgrounds in science and utilize the existing courses and the faculties of the various science departments to meet the state standards.

GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES

A listing of courses in the Center for Science Education currently approved for General Education credit appears in the General Education section of this Catalog. An updated listing is available from the Office of the Coordinator of General Education.

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION COURSES

Students enrolled in the Elementary Education Program are required to take Science Education 393 and 393L to fulfill a portion of the licensure requirements in science education. Students enrolled in the science education major, which leads to licensure in the junior high/middle school and high school settings, take Science Education 396L and 398L prior to student teaching. Science education majors who have mathematics as a major must take two methods courses, one from the mathematics discipline and one from the science education discipline. Further, one course must be from the middle school/junior high level, Mathematics 388 or Science Education 396L, and one must be from the high school level, Mathematics 391 or Science Education 398L. Science education majors or minors also must take Science Education 402 as part of their professional education (student teaching) semester.

TEACHING CURRICULA

Students should be thoroughly familiar with the requirements for admission to the Teacher Education Program found in the College of Education section of this Catalog. Students enrolled in the science teaching major, grades five-12, should refer to the curriculum for Science Education Major (Dual Field). When added to the Senior High-Junior High/Middle School or All Grade Instructional License in a discipline other than science, a science content minor, a science methods course, and a Praxis II enables students to be licensed to teach that specific science subject, grades five-12. All of the science patterns include the general requirements described on the curriculum pages.

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