The Supervision and Mentoring of Science teachers: Building Capacity in the Absence of Expertise in Classroom Science Supervisors

Abstract

The teaching of science to each new generation of children is critical to our society; and the quality and level of teaching and “science supervision” are too.  We as a society and school system must move to prepare and support both the teachers of science – and the critical leaders who supervise and evaluate these teachers.  This paper examines the problems and futures of quality of the following: (a) science teaching and teachers; (b) the importance of high-quality instruction and supervision in the sciences; and (c) what need to be done NOW to maintain and improve both the teaching of sciences in K-12 education, and (d) how to do it all now.   It’s now or never!