Science Education, Center for

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Director: Dr. Eulsun Seung
Center Office: Science Building, room 191
Web site: http://www.indstate.edu/scied
E-mail: eulsun.seung@indstate.edu

The Center for Science Education coordinates the Science Education Program and provides the required 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 Science Education Program for secondary teaching leads to a double major in either biology, chemistry, or physics and science education.  An option for a major in science education with a concentration in teaching the earth and space sciences is also available.  These programs qualify candidates to gain Indiana State teaching certification for teaching science in grades six-12.  The Science Education Program is comprised of science classes, professional education classes offered in the Bayh College of Education, and professional science education teaching courses. The Center for Science Education also participates in a number of research and outreach projects that provide undergraduates with unique opportunities for experiential and academic learning.

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.

FOUNDATIONAL STUDIES COURSES

A listing of Foundational Studies courses currently approved for the science education major appear in the Foundational Studies section of this Catalog. An updated listing is available from the Office of the Coordinator of Foundational Studies or on the Foundational Studies Web site. The following notes about the most appropriate Foundational Studies for this major should also guide the student:

Junior Composition: English 305T (Technical Writing) is recommended.

Mathematics: Mathematics 131 (Calculus I) is the required mathematics course; it also fulfills the quantitative literacy requirement and a core science core requirement.

Social and Behavioral Sciences: Educational Psychology 202 (Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence) is required. Educational Psychology 341 (Education in a Multicultural Society) is required.

Integrative and Upper Division Electives: Earth and Environmental Systems 360 (General Astronomy) and Earth and Environmental Systems 460 (Conservation and Sustainability of Natural Resources) are recommended and also fulfill a required course for the Earth/Space Science Concentration.

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 Bayh College of Education section of this Catalog. Students enrolled in one of the programs for secondary teaching, grades six through 12, or the science teaching major, grades five-12, should refer to the curriculum for Science Education Major.  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 developmental (pedagogy) assessments, content assessments required for Indiana licensure areas enable students to be licensed to teach that specific science subject in grades five-12. All of the science patterns include the general requirements described on the curriculum pages. Students also need to be aware of the requirements to pass CASA (Core Academic Skills Assessment),Developmental (Pedagogy) Assessments, and Content Assessments prior to certification.

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