Making Science Make Sense

Bayer Facts of Science Education Survey

The Bayer Facts of Science Education II

• More than 60 percent of executives say students lack the skills needed for entry level jobs
  
  
• Only 33 percent of executives thought the schools were doing a satisfactory job teaching such skills as experimentation, real world problem solving and critical thinking
  
  
• 75 percent of the executives, and nearly 50 percent of principals, predicted that the level of skills will decline in ten years
  
  
• 90 percent of executives and 98 percent of principals agreed that science literacy is important today for entry level jobs
  
  
• 84 percent of executives and nearly 100 percent of principals agreed that science literacy will become a job requirement in ten years
  
  
• 90 percent of principals said science should be taught as a fundamental subject in school, along with reading, writing, and arithmetic. 70 percent said science should receive the same emphasis as English and math
  
  
• 70 percent of principals said, if given the choice, they would put more funding into science than English or math programs. 44 percent said they'd put the money into fortifying science teaching staffs.
  
  
• 99 percent of executives and 94 percent of principals agree that hands-on science teaching is the most effective
  
  
• 78 percent of executives believe inquiry-based learning will "best serve future employees." Other skills cited: hands-on experimentation (80 percent), real world problem solving (78 percent) and critical thinking (75 percent)