Jennifer Schmidt and Lee Shumow: Enhancing Adolescents’ Motivation for Science: Research-Based Strategies for Teaching Male and Female Students

Enhancing Adolescents’ Motivation for Science: Research-Based Strategies for Teaching Male and Female Students, by Lee Shumow and Jennifer A. Schmidt, attempts to help teachers facilitate the rebirth of science in the American school system. Science is no longer emphasized in schools today, especially in high school. The authors lay out many different options that teachers can use to increase students’ interest in science. They conducted an experiment known as the Science-In-The-Moment (SciMo) Project over multiple years to understand how students feel about science “right in the moment” when they are sitting in class. From this study, they were able to gather data, and generate a plan to increase interest in science. The authors present ten very important topics, laid out over ten chapters, to implement this plan. They claim that using even one of their methods will almost certainly increase adolescents’ interest in the field of science. Using the ideas in combination with one another would make for an ideal classroom experience. Although the book has important limitations, the book is, overall, likely helpful for teachers who seek to increase their students’ motivations for science. …