Initial Publication Date: November 25, 2020

Sample major in Integrated Science and Engineering, specifically aimed at 9-12 Educators

Information for this profile was provided by Horacio Ferriz. Information is also available on the program website.

Statement of the need for a new major

In the traditional preparation for 9-12 science teachers, the model in California is (a) get a B.Sc. in the traditional disciplines of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology, and Mathematics, followed by (b) teacher training for 3 to 4 semesters (including student teaching), followed by (c) credential authorization for teaching Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geosciences, or Mathematics.

This "traditional" model has been challenged by the nation-wide acceptance of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which emphasize the integrated and inter-disciplinary nature of science and engineering (and ethical responsibility, group work, and the core curriculum in language arts and social sciences). High schools across the nation are choosing a program of three integrated courses under the names of Physics and Planetary Science (including fundamentals of astronomy, the Solar System, and Earth's internal processes such as earthquakes and volcanism), Chemistry and Earth's External Processes (e.g., atmospheric science, physical oceanography, hydrology), Biology and the Living Earth (including the study of the fossil record, geologic time, and the parallel evolution of the atmosphere and plant life, oceanography and marine life, and evolution of the continents and plant and animal life).

A first major challenge to the implementation of NGSS is that our science teachers are educated in silos, say Physics, and do not have neither the breadth of knowledge to teach the new courses, not the respect for other science, math, and engineering disciplines. The pitfall is that unprepared teachers will fall back on the practice of handing out worksheets without truly guiding their students through the process of scientific discovery or engineering design.

A second major challenge is posed by the Teacher Credentialing Commissions, which have so far not responded to the 2014 unveiling of the Next Generation Science Standards. School districts, faced with credentialing laws, choose the first word in the name of the course, say Chemistry and Earth's External Processes, to decide to accept a Chemistry authorization as the only valid credential to teach such a course. In order to prepare the teachers of the future, the National Science Foundation and the National Academies of Science and Engineering need to call for change in Federal and State laws to support the future of STEM education.Back to overview of the Integrated
Science and Engineering Major »

Program Design & Assessment

Overview

We propose an Integrated Science major, which we believe can be implemented by most universities by leveraging their General Education course offerings, and selected courses from their Science, Math, and Engineering departments. Undoubtedly a few new courses will have to be developed, but the key is to get buy in from the faculty, so they participate wholeheartedly in an Integrated Science curriculum. The courses described are based on courses available (or soon to be available) at California State University Stanislaus. Unfortunately this small regional university does not have a School of Engineering.

Description of the Integrated Science and Engineering Major (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 27kB Oct8 20)

Design Philosophy

Perhaps the greatest challenge to the proposed project is to provide the students with enough opportunities to integrate the humanistic and meta-knowledge aspirations of the team to a core of foundational and teaching knowledge that is necessarily vast, because of our aspiration of providing enough inter-disciplinary connections.

Regarding fundamental values/anchors for meta-knowledge, (i.e., problem solving and critical thinking, communication and collaboration, creativity and innovation), we would like to figure out a way to leverage the General Education program for our purposes. We imagine that students could take linked Lower Division courses in Humanities (e.g., Composition in Modern English), Critical Thinking (e.g., American Government Policies), and Communication (e.g., Team Discussion Processes). This would be complemented by courses in Environmental Science and Engineering, Field Limnology, or Planetary Science and Engineering, which are electives to the proposed program.

Regarding fundamental values/anchors for humanistic knowledge (i.e., life skills, job skills, and leadership; cultural competence;ethical and emotional awareness), we would like to figure out a way to leverage the General Education program for our purposes. We imagine that students could take linked Upper Division courses in Humanities (e.g., The Immigrant Experience), Ethics (e.g., Ethics in Education), and Social Science (e.g., The 21st Century Learner). This would be complemented by courses in Environmental Science and Engineering, and Development and Management of Water Resources, which are electives to the proposed program.

Courses and Sequencing

Entry into the degree: Nowadays, many of our 9-12 teachers-to-be land on the idea of teaching "by default", after figuring out that life as a professional Biologist or Geologist is too demanding. We would rather like to see us prepare some of our brightest to be the science and engineering teachers of the future from the very start. We felt the need to craft a major for these bright minds that emphasizes integrated (i.e., not in silos) science and engineering, humanistic ethics, and thoughtful reflection of what the goal of being "a teacher" is all about. We need the power of our group thinking to tear down the silo walls that teacher credentialing agencies insist on preserving, in the form of authorizations to teach only Physics, or Chemistry, or Biology, or Earth Science.

The following list of courses probably exist at a great number of American Universities (also available in this  Excel document (Excel 2007 (.xlsx) 12kB Oct6 20)):

  • General Education (up to 51 semester units)
  • General science preparation (23 semester units)
  • General teacher preparation (15 semester units)
  • Integrated Sciences concentration (34 semester units)
  • Electives (at least 8 units required)

Back to overview of the Integrated 
Science and Engineering Major »