Study Finds Bay Area Schools Lacking in Science Education

Science preparation in Bay Area elementary schools is alarmingly low, according to a study released Thursday by UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science.

In a survey of 923 kindergarten through fifth-grade teachers, about 80 percent reported that they spend less than one hour per week teaching science and 16 percent said they spend no time on science.

The study’s results are consistent with those of recent Bay Area surveys but indicate local students trail their counterparts around the country. A 2000 national survey found elementary school students were spending slightly more than two hours per week on science education.

The UC Berkeley study reported that teachers feel less prepared to teach science than other subjects, causing it to be overshadowed by more familiar material.

“There is a huge difficulty in finding qualified science teachers,” said Karen Hemphill, member of the Berkeley Unified School District school board. “I think the district is working to incorporate science in the curriculum, but there are a lot of barriers.”

More than two-thirds of the survey’s respondents, which also included district administrators, said they have had less than six hours of professional development in science education during the last three years. More than a third said they have received none at all.

School districts participated in the survey with an agreement of confidentiality to their responses, but Rena Dorph, lead researcher of the study, reported that there were “relatively consistent trends across the Bay Area.”

Berkeley school officials said science preparation varies from school to school in the district. To dedicate more time to science, teachers attempt to incorporate it with nutrition and health programs.

“There’s so much content being crammed into our students’ school day, I think it’s very difficult for teachers to teach it all,” Hemphill said.

Underperformance in science has frequently been linked to standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act, a 2001 federal law that measures students’ proficiency in reading and math through state tests.

“The test relies way too heavily on literature and math. It is destroying the schools. It is destroying public education,” said Cathryn Bruno, president of the Berkeley PTA Council.

While the study does not offer any solutions to the lack of preparation, it recognizes several improvement strategies that schools report they are trying to incorporate.

Many schools have begun to integrate science with other subjects, find new funding sources for classroom materials and offer additional professional development opportunities for teachers.

More than half the respondents said they lack the time and resources needed to give more support to science education.

“Time is precious, absolutely precious. We do work hard to fit everything in,” said Gregory John, principal of John Muir Elementary School.

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