February 7, 2012

APS Applauds PCAST Report Calling for Improving Science Education

Document outlines critical next steps to increase needed workforce with skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

COLLEGE PARK, MD - The American Physical Society today applauds the report from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), "Engage to Excel: Producing One Million Additional College Graduates with Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics," that advocates for improving science education to address the workforce needs of the United States in the 21st Century.

“This report identifies the critical juncture where we lose many talented students who intend to study science as undergraduates – the introductory courses – and also points out that recent and well-documented advances in education research have provided clear paths to improving this situation,” said APS Director of Education and Diversity, Theodore Hodapp.

The physics education research community has long been involved in foundational research that has led to a wide variety of methods that increase access to, engage all students in, and improve the outcomes of our introductory courses.

APS is mentioned particularly for its role in helping to transform physics education through the New Faculty Workshops, which are operated jointly with the American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Astronomical Society.

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