Sunday, October 18, 2009

Teachers must research

Teachers’ Participation in Research Programs Improves Their Students’ achievements in studies


The Program advocates assert that program participation enhances teachers’ skills in communicating science to students. They measured the impact of New York City public high-school science teachers’ participation in Columbia University’s Summer Research Program on their students’ academic performance in science. In the year before program entry, students of participating and nonparticipating teachers passed a New York State Regents science examination at the same rate. In years three and four after program entry, participating teachers’ students passed Regents science exams at a rate that was 10.1% higher than that of the non-participating teachers’ students. Other program benefits include decreased teacher attrition from classroom teaching and school cost savings.


The above results apply better in case of higher education. That is what experience shows.


Ref: “Teachers’ Participation in Research Programs Improves Their Students’ Achievement in Science”,

Samuel C. Silverstein, Jay Dubner, Jon Miller, Sherry Glied, John D. Loike, Science, 16 October 2009, Vol. 326. No. 5951, pp. 440 – 442,

DOI: 10.1126/science.1177344