The Department of Science Education

The Department of Science Education offers training and professional advancement for teachers of science and mathematics. Graduates of this department have gone on to become educational leaders in their fields.

MA programs in the Department: exact science education (mathematics, physics, chemistry and engineering), and life science education (biology), in conjunction with the faculties of the Exact Sciences and Life Sciences. In these programs approximately 12 0 students are enrolled. Up to now, about 70 students have completed their MA studies in Science Education.

Teaching certificate studies: There are currently 115 students specializing in the subjects of biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and computer sciences. Advanced studies program: This program is designed for those who have completed at least an M.Sc. in mathematics or the sciences, or an MA in mathematics or science education.

In the Ph.D. program for Science Education, 31 students have so far completed their doctoral dissertation.

Main areas of research and development: the role of intuition and intuitive rules in science and mathematics education; computers in science and mathematics education; teaching astrophysics; alternative conceptions in mathematics, life sciences, physics and chemistry; interrelations between mathematics and sciences; teaching robotics, and the control and study of complex phenomena.

Faculty members undertake a variety of activities on the national and international level, participate in national and international conferences, serve on the editorial boards of scientific journals, and cooperate with researchers from other countries.

The Department's faculty are involved in a variety of activities within the Israeli education system, e.g., professional committees, the "Tomorrow 98" project, the Science Teaching Center, and other projects, as well as consulting with various institution s.

In 1996, the Department published a collection of abstracts of its students' MA theses, and it is also about to publish a collection of articles written by department faculty members.

The Department conducts a bi-weekly departmental seminar which includes lectures and discussions in the area of science and mathematics education. The seminar is open to anyone interested in this field, and faculty members, department graduates and guest s participate.

During the past two years, the Department has organized a summer seminar in Science and Mathematics Education for Ph.D. students from all academic institutions in Israel.

The following programs are currently under development: an MA program in Teaching Technology, and an MA program for Knowledge Engineers in Education, both in cooperation with the Faculty of Engineering.