8th-graders don't know much science -- and they don't care
- Joanne Jacobs
- Sep 10
- 2 min read
Don't expect U.S. eighth-graders to be "the scientists of tomorrow," writes Linda Jacobson on The 74. Only 29 percent are proficient in science, down from 33 percent in 2019, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Fewer said they enjoy science activities or are interested in what they learn in science class.
"Performance fell across all three categories — physical, life, and earth and space sciences," she reports. "Less than half of students can identify the major component of living cells, compared to 55% in 2019, and the percentage of students who can identify a characteristic of mammals declined from 72% to 68%."
Compared to 2019, before the pandemic disrupted schooling, fewer students said they conduct experiments, discuss scientific ideas or design research questions. When schools were closed, some teachers asked families to do "kitchen chemistry." Most students did very little.
Many students don't read well enough to understand science texts, says Autumn Rivera, a sixth-grade science teacher in Colorado. “I’m having to take a step back and really focus on basic reading."
Poor basic math skills are also hindering students’ progress in science, said Christine Cunningham, who designs STEM curriculum materials and serves on the National Assessment Governing Board. “Teachers are spending more time making sure that the kids are prepared to do some of the things that in the past they may have assumed kids would come equipped to do,” she said. “Could they make a table? Could they make a graph?”
On all NAEP's survey questions, motivation is down. Fewer students think it's important to do well on science assignments or that making an effort in class is worthwhile or that understanding science is helpful.
I think the key points are buried in the middle paragraphs. The kids can't read, and they can't do basic arithmetic, so the textbooks and the science inside them are going to be like Sanskrit.
Once upon a time, teachers tried to be experts in the subject(s) they taught. They prided themselves on their knowledge (such as it was) and wanted to pass it on to the next generation, as it had been passed down to them.
These days, somehow, the people employed in schools think they're experts on life itself, or on certain aspects thereof: all things sexual; making people "tolerant" of and "cooperative" with their chosen mascots (no bullying!); setting society up for "change." There's been a lot of talk of teachers and students being "change agents." In the meantime, the culture is getting lost ...
I wonder if part of the reason about poor science interest is that the teachers don't know or are afraid of sciences. It's pretty hard to teach something you don't know.
And if they took only general chemistry, they might not want to teach it. I once tutored a student who was having a very hard time with community college general chemistry. I had to review a lot before hand because I hadn't thought of how electrons fill the various orbitals. (and I have an MS in chemistry and just recently retired from working as a chemist for my whole career). The choice of subjects could cause a lot of people to be turned off of chemistry.
Back in the 50s, I attended a 1-12 school (no k or preschool in town) in a small, poor town. My 1-4 teachers were Normal School grads (1 year post HS), but they knew their academics; the school’s clear purpose. They taught phonics, spell8ng, reading, grammar, composition, government, history, geography, science, art/music hx/appreciation every single week as did the 5-8 and HS tea hers. In first-second grades, most was taught orally and through hands-on materials.
In first grade, we did plants and birds; in second, we did fish, reptiles, and mammals. In third and fourth, we did weather/earthquakes/volcanos and the solar system. Everyth8ng was continued in the follow8ng grades.
Resources were minimal and there were no aides or specialty…