Jennifer Schmidt and Lee Shumow: Enhancing Adolescents’ Motivation for Science: Research-Based Strategies for Teaching Male and Female Students

Abstract

Enhancing Adolescents’ Motivation for Science: ResearchBased Strategies for Teaching Male and Female Students, by Lee Shumow and Jennifer A. Schmidt, attempts to help teachers facilitate the rebirth of science in the American school system. Science is no longer emphasized in schools today, especially in high school. The authors lay out many different options that teachers can use to increase students’ interest in science. They conducted an experiment known as the Science-In-The-Moment (SciMo) Project over multiple years to understand how students feel about science ‘‘right in the moment’’ when they are sitting in class. From this study, they were able to gather data, and generate a plan to increase interest in science. The authors present ten very important topics, laid out over ten chapters, to implement this plan. They claim that using even one of their methods will almost certainly increase adolescents’ interest in the field of science. Using the ideas in combination with one another would make for an ideal classroom experience. Although the book has important limitations, the book is, overall, likely helpful for teachers who seek to increase their students’ motivations for science. The first chapter of this book lays the groundwork by describing what motivation is and why it is important to study science. The main topic discussed is how teachers spend their time teaching in science classrooms. It was found that most teachers spend the majority of class time lecturing to the entire class. This is more than likely not the most effective way of teaching science, and the authors agree, and this is discussed in more detail later in the book. The major finding of the chapter, though, was that teachers tend to have a biased view towards the male gender in science classes. The SciMo Project found that males enjoy science class more, and also find it to be less challenging, than their female counterparts. The authors examine the argument that females do not have the ability, nor do they want the ability, to succeed in science. They fail to provide compelling evidence of this claim. Females have succeeded just as often as males have in the realm of science, especially in recent years. While there may be no difference in ability, a bias in science may still exist. The end of the chapter stresses the need for equality in science, and it begins with teachers. The second chapter delves into why it is important for adolescents to value science, and how to create an environment where students develop this appreciation. This chapter introduces two very important types of interest: situational and individual. Situational value is when someone or something sparks a temporary interest in an idea (i.e., race cars). On the other hand, individual interest tends to develop from situational interests and tends to become self-driven and long lasting. In order to increase the value of science to students, the authors charge teachers and parents to create an individual interest towards science in students. This is obviously not an easy task. Science has value for students for the obvious reasons already known: the opportunity to discover the mysteries of the universe, to find out how our body works, and more. Science helps foster problem solving skills and has many applications that are relevant to everyday life. When attempting to create an interest in students, teachers must be able to not only show why science is relevant but also show genuine enthusiasm. The authors cite that many teachers show a lack of enthusiasm when teaching. It has been determined that relevance, though, is the key to generating interest in the realm of science. Students are not very likely to study something that has no personal or worldly relevance to N. Daily (&) Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA e-mail: njdaily@indiana.edu