Science education in the united states: a view from pre-college classrooms

A glimpse of pre-college science education in the United States, based on results selected from the National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education (NSSME), having implications for elementary and secondary science education and materials science education, is presented in this paper. Based on selected NSSME results reviewed, the condition of science, in pre-college classrooms in the United States is evidently mixed. The disparity in the median amount of dollars spent per pupil between the highest quartile and the lowest quartile of students eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch (FRPL) raises equity concerns. However, an increase in the proportion of students eligible for FRPL taught by teachers historically under-represented in science is encouraging; Over 50% of classes in the highest quartile with a high proportion of FRPL students are less likely to be taught by teachers with a substantial science background, such as a degree or at least three advanced science courses compared to classes in the lowest quartile. Implications for Materials Science education are discussed.