The science community needs to change science education to make it effective and relevant for a much larger fraction of the student population than in the past. This need is the result of significant changes in the environment and society over the past several decades. First, society now faces critical global-scale issues that are fundamentally technical in nature—for example, climate change, genetic modification, and energy supply. Only a far more scientifically and technically literate citizenry can make wise decisions on such issues. Second, modern economies are so heavily based on technology that having a better understanding of science and technology and better technical problem-solving skills will enhance a person’s career aspirations almost independent of occupation. Furthermore, a modern economy can thrive only if it has a workforce with high-level technical understanding and skills.
As a community, we must now ask ourselves, “How successfully are we educating all students in science?”...
