Science Education

Administration

Degrees and Certificate Offered

  • BS, MAT, EdM, CAGS in Science Education
  • EdD in Curriculum & Teaching

The Science Education Program focuses on the academic content of the sciences and their pedagogy. The program fosters the development of motivated and versatile science educators, while continuing to promote strong roots in necessary science content. The emphasis is on how students can become effective science teachers and curriculum developers. Collaborating with various experts and our own SED Green sustainability group, we are particularly interested in teacher preparation that promotes building a healthier planet.

The Science Education Program also contributes to the licensure program of elementary teachers as identified in the Elementary Education Program. The program leading to licensure for middle, junior, and senior high school science teaching involves concentrated study in one or more fields of science with additional work in mathematics and computers. The Science Education Program culminates in a one-semester student-teaching program that includes on-campus components of methods and materials for science teaching.

Only for those accepted into licensure program:

  • SED CT 575 General Methods of Instruction: 5–12
  • SED SC 509 Student-Teaching Practicum: Science, 5–8
  • SED SC 510 Student-Teaching Practicum: Science, 8–12
  • SED SC 511 Selection, Curation, and Use of Biological Materials
  • SED SC 571 Science Materials: Principles, Design, and Construction
  • SED SC 572 Curriculum and Special Methods for Science Education: 8–12

The Science Education Program focuses on developing versatile, motivating science teachers who can truly make a difference in our schools. Students work on the development of innovative curricula and methods of teaching science. The science education specialization prepares graduates to teach and supervise science programs in a variety of settings, including schools, museums, and other educational organizations. Emphases are on: 1) preparing teachers who will be well-equipped in key ecological themes such as climate change and alternative energy, and 2) having emerging teachers be knowledgeable about the nature of science.

The MAT program in science education is designed for the student who has earned a liberal arts degree in a scientific field and who desires professional education courses to prepare for initial teaching licensure. For further details, see “Master of Arts in Teaching” in this section.

The doctoral program emphasizes the development of research skills and prepares individuals for postsecondary positions in community or technical colleges and in teacher training colleges and universities. For further information, please refer to the description of the EdD Program in Curriculum & Teaching on this site.

A strong undergraduate program prepares students to teach science at the middle and high school levels. Special courses have been developed in a collaborative effort between the School of Education and the College of Arts & Sciences that combine pedagogy with in-depth exposure to contemporary science. Individuals interested in undergraduate work may contact Admissions, Boston University, 121 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215.

Related Programs

Healthy Futures Education Initiative

Through this focus, those students in science education studying to become science teachers receive timely training on environmental themes. This exposure revolves around our current development of a demonstration exhibit in science education which features solar, wind, and human power generation displays. The science behind global warming concerns and the need for alternative energy must be integrated into the core of young peoples’ learning. This initiative, woven into the methods classes in science education and within many content courses offered, will help prepare youth for a future where human beings can act more compatibly with our home—the earth. sedGreen is a unique group of students, faculty, and staff who meet regularly and devote time to making SED and the University overall more sustainable and energy-efficient.

Exploring Quantum Concepts in General Chemistry

This project focuses on introducing undergraduate students to quantum concepts. The goal is to reform undergraduate education and produce a curriculum more in keeping with modern science. The project is an outgrowth of earlier research on how high school students learn quantum ideas, and how teachers can effectively support this learning. The project emphasizes how computer visualization tools can provide students with a descriptive introduction to quantum phenomena in atoms and molecules. For further information, contact Peter Garik, 617-353-4735, garik@bu.edu.