How to make science more interesting to students?

[immortal]

I think many of the students are not passionate about the real joy of learning science, they more want to learn science just for the sake of completing the homework or just for the sake of getting good grades in exams and are not interested in the research process of science.

 

If you were part of an advisory committee to advice your government or the education minister how would you make students to get more attracted to science?

[Iggy]

I had a really cool science department in high school. In chemistry my sophomore year each class created and performed a chemistry based presentation -- like a magic show. Whichever class had the best presentation, judged by the assistant principle, won a field trip to play laser tag. Even though my class lost (we completely botched a MacGyver parody ) it was some of the work I enjoyed most in high school and got me very interested in chemistry.

 

I think people put a lot of work into competitions, like science fair projects. Group competitions even more, and they teach social skills.

 

Of course, funding for lab work is essential. An introduction to physics I would hope is mostly not taught at a desk.

[ecoli]

pretty much all lecture-based science classes is beyond useless (unless its background for a lab, or something). Memorizing facts is not doing science. But neither is the way labs are structured: 1) pour this liquid into that liquid 2) put the tube into a machine 3) take a reading 4) write a report. People just aren't learning what science is or how to do it. When you're spoonfed a lab project it doesn't promote creativity or critical thinking. IMO, its not really science if the teacher knows the answer before hand and grades on whether or not the results conform. Students should be developing experiments on how to test and challenge concepts they learn in the classroom!

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

I think many of the students are not passionate about the real joy of learning science, they more want to learn science just for the sake of completing the homework or just for the sake of getting good grades in exams and are not interested in the research process of science.

 

If you were part of an advisory committee to advice your government or the education minister how would you make students to get more attracted to science?

I'd have teachers shut up and listen to the students.

 

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[ecoli]

I'd have teachers shut up and listen to the students.

 

(Shameless blog plug)

 

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[immortal]

I'd have teachers shut up and listen to the students.

 

(Shameless blog plug)

 

Great post, the point is that students need to pre-read before the class and should have a small grip of the concepts beforehand, the only class where I used to follow such an approach was the biology classes because I had a great interest in biology, my interaction with the teachers and my preparation before the class did indeed helped me a lot to understand the concepts better and that showed up in my grades too and expanded my interests in other subjects.

 

But how can we make students to come prepared for the class if they have no interests in the subject whatsoever? What new tricks and models that we might have to come up with?