Making Science Make Sense

Bayer Facts of Science Education Survey

The Bayer Facts of Science Education III

• Nearly 90 percent of all students say that science lets them be creative, brings out their curiosity, is part of their everyday life and not just school and that the best way to learn science is through observation and experimentation
  
  
• Nearly 90 percent of all students say that science is as much for girls as for boys
  
  
• More than 90 percent of all students disagree with the statement, "Science is for nerds"
  
  
• 50 percent of all students say science is at the top or near the top of their list of favorite subjects - despite the fact that only 20 percent say they get the best grades in it
  
  
• Of all subjects, students ranked science the "coolest" - science (36 percent), math (21 percent), social studies (21 percent), English (15 percent)
  
  
• Of all subjects, students say science the class they get to participate in most - science (31 percent), math (21 percent), English (20 percent), social studies (19 percent)
  
  
• Of all subjects, students say science is the subject they are most curious about - science (42 percent), social studies (33 percent), math (13 percent), English (7 percent)
  
  
• 60 percent of all students believe science will be even more important to the next generation of students than it is now
  
  
• 86 percent of students believe that their parents consider science a very important or pretty important subject for them to be learning
  
  
• 89 percent of all students say the best way to learn science is to observe things and do experiments themselves
  
  
• 68 percent of students say using a computer to go online and communicate with scientists and other students; 64 percent say doing more hands-on experiments in class themselves; and, 45 percent say working on a project where they get to discuss and explore science ideas with other classmates would make them more "psyched" about science