I was compelled at the advent of writing this paper to present to you a working model of the theories I propose. Unfortunately, there is no way a working body of what I intend to do could have been synthesized in such a short time. And, upon realization of that - this paper took its form. Not as an end result of surveying and research, but as a beginning, almost like a proposal, of what I intend to do in the future. I want this paper to accurately portray the student's perspective of why fewer adolescents are becoming active scientists, not even as a career path, but simply as a way of thinking in their everyday lives.

This paper attempts to extend the fascination and curiosity a young child has with science into his adolescent life. By more clearly understanding what science is - not just a "subject" in school - it will become easier to identify what specific actions are needed to switch students onto science.

I am no professor, nor am I schooled in the sciences or educational theory. I am an 18 year old Chemistry major. Realizing this, I am not trying to get tangled in educational theories or advanced methods of teaching specific scientific topics. I am just communicating to you, the educated observer, what I see and have seen. I am a student in the group this conference addresses. And it is this novel perspective I wish to maintain, without convoluting the ideas presented in professional language. It is in this way I think I can contribute best to the ardent efforts being taken to make science interesting to all.

Science stands apart from most other academic fields in that almost all students are initially interested in it. Young children are fascinated by the plethora of "magic tricks" that can be performed using the basic principles of science. For example, the color changes of a solution of varying pH containing an indicator boggle the mind until the "mystery" of acids and bases is dispelled. Using magnets to make objects move across a table without any visible signs of contact make any small child's eyes open wide.

Science is interesting to the young child because the young child is curious. Still trying to understand the physical world, in not only academic, but social and spiritual contexts as well, children are constantly trying to figure out why things are the way they are. Why does that "water" change color? Why does that paper clip slide across the desk by itself? Science is inherently interesting to the young child because it provides the means to answer these questions.

But then something happens. The student no longer has the patience for science. The student gets lost in a realm of uncertainty and confusion. For these teenagers, the barrage of formulas, equations, and numbers generates a fog that removes the initial enchantment from sight. What was once intriguing and fascinating is now dull and seemingly unavailing. And most often, when this initial break occurs, when science seems to lose them, the student sees his relationship with science come to an abrupt end - like he just missed a train, and now there is no way he will ever catch up to it.

So how do we put this student back on track? Or even better, how do we present science so the student never gets lost, so the student grows with science, and becomes an asset to the scientific community?

For this to occur, science must be presented in three distinct categories. First, science must be academically interesting. The majority of a student's relationship with science is in the academic setting. If within the classroom the student loses interest with science, there is no hope for that student to maintain a positive relationship with this field. Second, science must have a purpose. What is taught in the classroom must mean something. The knowledge acquired must be applicable in the real world. The student must see the transition from theory to practice until there is no longer a distinction. Finally, science must be shown as a way of life. The student should be made aware of careers in science, as well as the benefit of growing into a scientific minded person - who, in the most basic sense, is an individual who never stops asking "why?"

The key is not just to attain a student's interest in science (that's the easy part), but more importantly to maintain that interest. In doing so, the student will no longer see himself missing that train, but will be in the conductor's seat, guiding that train through uncharted lands.

Science is the result of the attempt to connect imagination and reality; to bring what is inside the mind out into the physical world. At the source of this attempting juncture is the familiar question - "why?" This question governs the world of science. This simple question begins to interpret the connection between imagination and reality. And as facts are uncovered, and knowledge is acquired, subsequent questions like "how?" and "when?" come forth, until enough is known to begin applying the knowledge, possibly using it to benefit society. Science will always exist because there will always be uncertainties that warrant explanations. Curiosity is the core of science. It is what is behind every discovery ever made in the history of man and beyond. Science is where curiosity finds a home, where interrogation is encouraged for hopes of a better understanding. This integral aspect of science is what sparks young childrens' minds as well as every "adult" member of the scientific community. This is what, or more accurately how, science must be taught.

But not everything is in plain English. In fact, neither English nor any other language could even begin explaining what "science" is - except math. Mathematics is the language of science. Facts, data, even questions are all represented in terms of numbers, variables, and formulas. Unknowns are neatly packaged in x's and y's, providing a method of better understanding the substance and principles of the world we know. But math is not very well received among the student population. In fact, of all the subjects taught to adolescents, math is probably the hardest to grasp - because it must be conceptualized. Abstract and intangible, math becomes difficult for the student to understand, especially for adolescents who begin working with unknowns.

Early in a student's scientific education, math and science are separate entities. A student who has difficulties with math can still appreciate and enjoy the world of science. But when science and math formally meet in the classroom, science immediately becomes more difficult to understand than mathematics itself. The introduction of high school Chemistry is when this union takes place. Chemistry is the first class where students realize what science is "about." Everything is represented by formulas which are necessary in understanding how science works and how scientists communicate. By abruptly integrating science and math, high school Chemistry becomes a tremendous turnoff to the adolescent student.

The role of mathematics within science must be clearly defined to the student, and it must be gradually introduced. While scientific theory takes shape in math, the theory itself must be the primary focus for instruction. Math must be viewed as a tool to the scientist. This can be achieved by shifting from a quantitative approach to a qualitative one, emphasizing concepts over calculations.

In order to make this work, however, scientific theory must itself be taught in an interesting way. Everything taught in science is based on discovery. Whether something was synthesized or invented, or a greater understanding of the physical world was achieved, all scientific discovery stems from curiosity, and this curiosity must be unveiled.

Science is generally taught as a history class. A new concept is introduced, and then picked apart until the student is shown how it relates to what they already know and understand. But this manner is like taking a jigsaw puzzle that has already been assembled, and taking it apart piece by piece. This method completely ignores the ingenuity and genius involved in making a discovery or formulating a theory. Teaching in this manner is rather destructive to the essence of science.

To go from destructive to constructive, you need not look far beyond the name itself. Constructivism, in the educational context, is a relatively new theory that forms an interesting method for instruction. Constructivism redefines the role of the teacher and the student - generating a learning environment that emphasizes making connections and building bridges between ideas to sculpt a unique and individual education for each student. Combing this theory with the necessary qualitative aspect, qualitative constructvism becomes the means to achieve a student interest in academic science.

Qualitative constructivism in science education means enabling each student to rediscover every theory that he learns. By providing him with the same information originally used to make that discovery, the student actually goes through the same creative process that resulted in a scientific breakthrough. For example, instead of telling a student that DNA is in the shape of a double helix, the teacher would present the students first with the same information Watson & Crick used to decipher the structure of our genetic material. Using theories on complementary base pairing, X-ray diffraction data, as well as other key elements in Watson & Crick's discovery, the student sees how Watson & Crick developed their model, all in a largely qualitative and conceptual environment.

Qualitative constructivism focuses on the student's own perspectives of the world and his interactions with this world. It enables students to individualize knowledge, to "construct" a series of understandings and the bridges that connect them. In this way, the student plays an active role in his education, basing all knowledge he acquires on his unique relationship with the world. This shift of focus redefines the role of the teacher, or educator, to that of a facilitator - someone who can coordinate the act of discovery in a classroom setting. The teacher now, instead of disassembling the jigsaw puzzle, provides the students with the pieces to the puzzle, and enables them to construct the puzzle themselves, guiding them along the way. In this way, every piece of the finished puzzle is placed by the student himself, every connection and relationship between the pieces is made by the student. In this way, each student walks in the footsteps of the discoverer, asking questions and interpreting data, ultimately rediscovering, for himself, scientific advancements. By being pushed to make his own connections, the student's curiosity takes the front seat, and he is introduced to quantitative analysis and mathematics only as a means to assist his curiosity.

The goal of qualitative constructivism is not to water down or dilute a curriculum. It is not to remove mathematics because it might be too difficult or confusing. It is to teach science the way it should be taught. Teaching science in a manner that centers on the beauty of a discovery, the thoughtfulness and creativity that went behind a breakthrough, the manipulation of common knowledge to solve seemingly unsolvable problems. This is what fascinates young children, this is what fascinates professional scientists, this is what should be the focus to fascinate and grab the attention of adolescents.

Here is an example of qualitative constructivism:

Mr. Fortini walks into the classroom and scribbles the following on the board: d=m/v. Mr. Fortini then says that d stands for density, m for mass, and v for volume. "Density," he says, "is the word used to describe the relationship between an object's mass and its volume." Mr. Fortini then asks that if he has one object that weighs 45.9kg with a volume of 15cm³ and another one that weighs 66.8kg with a volume of 20cm³, which object is more dense?. Two students raise their hands to answer, the rest are still staring at d=m/v.

Mr. Winnick walks into the classroom and greets the students, asking them how their evening was. Mr. Winnick then asks John (who isn't the greatest student) how the hockey team did last night. John responds with some excitement "We won 6-2. I scored two goals." Mr. Winnick lays out a tennis ball, a baseball, a football, a basketball, a volleyball, and an inflated balloon on his desk. He then asks Christine to come up to his desk and arrange the objects in order of increasing density. ( Mr. Winnick never mentioned the word density before, so he receives a lot of confused faces.) Then Mr. Winnick waits, a full minute, and asks Christine again to arrange them in order of increasing density. Christine then asks him "What is density?" Mr. Winnick asks the class if anybody knows what density is - no response. Mr. Winnick then says that the basketball is more dense than the balloon. Ralph raises his hand "So density is like mass, right? The basketball weighs more than the balloon so it is more dense?" Mr. Winnick responds, "Well, kind of, you're on the right track. But a baseball is more dense than a basketball." Mike then responds "So it has to do with the size of the object, right" The smaller it is the more dense it is?" Mr. Winnick answers "Well, size, or more accurately, volume has something to do with it, but so does mass." Christine then says that she thinks that the hockey puck is more dense than the tennis ball. Mr. Winnick nods his head in agreement. He then asks Christine to arrange them in order of increasing density. Christine says she still can't because she does not know the masses and volumes of each object. Mr. Winnick agrees, and begins to write down the masses and volumes of each of the objects on his desk. He then says to the class: "We know that more mass could make something more dense, that a baseball is more dense than a tennis ball even if they are roughly the same size. Right?" The class agrees. Mr. Winnick also says "Smaller objects should be more dense than bigger objects if they both have the same mass. So for something to be more dense it pays to have a smaller volume." He then writes down four equations on the board:

He then asks the students which one correctly expresses density. They all agree that the second one is the right expression. Christine then takes her calculator and within a few minutes she arranges the balls in order of increasing density.

In this example, Situation B applies qualitative constructivism perfectly. First, Mr. Winnick involves the students, getting participation even if it's regarding sports. Next, he doesn't lecture. Unlike Mr. Fortini who starts off saying d=m/v, Mr. Winnick makes the students ask "What is density?" Mr. Winnick involves their curiosity, puts them in a mode to answer and more importantly ask questions. After giving some hints on what density is, the students begin to see, in their minds, what is meant by the term density. And at this point, the student Christine, realizes she needs the masses and volumes of the objects in order to complete the task asked of her, and asks for them. Finally a formula is introduced, the students have no problem applying it to the task at hand. In this manner, questions are asked, math was identified as a tool to the understanding and assessment of density, and a formula was introduced only after each student formed some kind of correct idea of what density was in their own minds.

Obviously, it is a lot easier to demonstrate the use of qualitative constructivism in this example than explaining something like the Arrhenius equation, but the principles remain the same.

1. encourage the students to ask and answer questions. Arouse their curiosity, make them think about the topic freely before applying restraints.
2. concentrate on the idea behind the topic, straying from the direct implementation of quantitative examples.
3. If possible, make the student identify the necessity for numbers and values, as a more accurate means of reaching an answer.
4. finally, introduce the formula, relationship, or equation as an end result of the joint efforts of you and the students. In this way, the student builds the relationships himself, understands the concepts and ideas of what is being learned before implementing them. Once the concept is generally understood, applications of that concept can then be introduced rather easily.

It is also important to demonstrate how the rather "abstract" knowledge the student is acquiring can actually "do something" in the physical world. This task can be achieved through laboratory experiments. Labs are the staple to science classes. Science is the only field that has them in schools, and they are meant to be a tool for understanding the concepts that are introduced in the classroom.

However, just because a student is doing a "hands-on" experiment does not mean he is learning. Most labs tend to be rather useless. With the exceptions of the oohs and ahhs of using fire, seeing color changes, and playing with instruments, the labs are no more useful than reading an instruction manual on programming a VCR. While it is very important to learn how to follow instructions, a pre-determined procedure and protocol prohibit the student from using his curiosity and creativity to devise an effective experiment.

Laboratory experiments that involve real life applications are better received by students. Instead of a standard NaOH and HCl titration, a laboratory on determining the concentration of Vitamin C in oranges, orange juice, and vitamin C tablets is much more effective. While the chemical principles are the same, the student sees a reason to test for Vitamin C. In addition, expecting the student to devise a protocol requires him to have an understanding of the chemistry behind the experiment. In this way, the student is not being told to take 10ml of orange juice and titrate with KIO₃ and wait for a deep blue color to appear. Instead, the student is given a list of possible titrants and what their reactions with Vitamin C would be, and any possible color or temperature changes that would take place. The student would have to figure out which titrant would be best to use, and in what concentration.

By understanding that it is useful to know concentrations of Vitamin C in various orange juices and tablets, and being able to develop an original experiment to determine these concentrations, with guidance from the teacher, the student feels what it is like to be a scientist. The student becomes acquainted with interpreting data and asking questions to achieve a desired result. In this way, the actual experiment is not important, it is the devising of an experiment that will yield some kind of useful information that demonstrates true understanding of the topic. When labs employ creativity and curiosity as the key to achieving a desired result, they develop interest and enthusiasm among the students who perform them.

Science, as we all know, does not end in the classroom. There is actually a reason why so many people study chemistry, physics, biology, etc. for many years. However, students are rarely introduced to these career options. The light at the end of the tunnel is never really spoken about. In areas like English or Media, students see journalists, businessmen, and television personalities everyday. But what does a chemist do? Putting students in touch with science based careers is a necessary move that must be made if we want to stimulate them and get them interested.

Efforts to present science as a lifestyle to students must start early. High school classes should regularly have guest speakers from various areas of the scientific community, both research and business related, to discuss ongoing projects and recent discoveries. If students see what it means to do research, become a doctor, a pharmacist, an engineer, when they are young, their relationship with science can evolve and grow. Once a student enters a University, he should be encouraged to work in a laboratory or attain summer positions with science-related companies. This way, while the student is in school, he can assess whether a career in science fits his personal goals. The best way to achieve this is through a Cooperative Learning program; where for two years, students alternate between working in the scientific community and going to school. This program, which is implemented at a number of schools, takes the next step in developing a relationship between theory and practice. Not every student is going to be a scientist, but every student should see what being a scientist is like. At the very least, the qualities of question-asking and creativity will leave an indelible mark on the student's mind - enabling the student to be a scientist in whatever career path he chooses, to be a person that never stops asking "why?"

The key to making science interesting is to concentrate on the essence of science - curiosity and creativity. Qualitative constructivism roots itself in curiosity and creativity, enabling the student to gain a better understanding of scientific concepts and principles. In doing so, the "science" being taught to adolescents can become more interesting, thought-provoking, and fun. Accompanied with the elucidation of science's purpose in everyday life and the introduction to what it means to be a scientist, qualitative constructivism has the potential to maintain and possibly enhance interest in science among adolescents. Hopefully, the childhood fascination in science will only increase as the individual grows, generating contributing members of the scientific community in greater size and substance.

Teaching for Thoughtfullness Second Edition, John Barell, Montclair State University, Longman Publishers USA, 1995

The Young Child as Scientist Second Edition, Christine Chaille & Lory Britain, Longman Publishers USA, 1996