We often hear the stereotype that good researchers are not good teachers and vice versa. I think this is vastly overstated, and in actuality many people who seek to excel at research also are driven to be effective instructors. Nevertheless, there is a habit of teaching the way we ourselves were taught, even if this is not the most efficient approach. This is where being a researcher who puts considerable weight on data can make one a better educator. As Bruce Alberts, former president of the NAS and now editor of Science, once noted,
Research has taught us a great deal about effective teaching and learning in recent years, and scientists should be no more willing to fly blind in their teaching than they are in scientific research.To that end, I thought it could be useful to compile a list of journals and other sources that discuss the teaching of science in general or biology in particular.
Journals:
- American Biology Teacher
- Educational Studies
- Evolution: Education and Outreach
- International Journal of Science Education
- Journal of Biological Education
- Journal of College Science Teaching
- Journal of Research in Science Teaching
- Research in Science Education
- Science Education
- Science & Education
Special issues on evolution:
- Integrative and Comparative Biology (2008 Vol 48, Num 2)
- McGill Journal of Education (2007 Vol 42, Num 2)
From the National Academy of Sciences:
- Science Teaching Reconsidered: A Handbook
- Science, Evolution, and Creationism
- Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science
- Evolution in Hawaii: A Supplement to Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science
We often hear the stereotype that good researchers are not good teachers and vice versa.
I’ve heard and experienced that too, although I’ve also had researchers who were excellent and inspiring instructors (or I wouldn’t be commenting on NN). I had no idea there were so many journals devoted to science education, but it’s comforting to know that there is.
Nevertheless, there is a habit of teaching the way we ourselves were taught, even if this is not the most efficient approach.
I went to a workshop for TAs and instructors addressing the issue of sort of flying blind in teaching. They emphasized on the importance of training and reading up on teaching every so often. One researcher said, well, we’ve been taught science for 20 years, surely we’d know how teach it without needing any training. His head of dept retorted that “I’ve had sex for 20 years, that doesn’t make me a qualified gynaecologist”.
Excellent line — I will have to cross post it at my other blog!