Secondary Science Education Library Resources at New England's Teacher Education Programs.

Overview & Synopsis

Secondary science education resources of graduate and undergraduate teacher education institutions in New England were compared. A 72-item survey was mailed to library directors of these institutions. There was a 75 percent response rate from the 56 institutions that prepare secondary science teachers. Of the 42 responding institutions, 19 had graduate education programs. Differences were found between indexes and journals in graduate and undergraduate libraries. Significant differences were found for education indexes, science indexes, science education journals, and non-science education journals. There was no significant difference for science journals. Library resources available for preservice secondary science education were inadequate with the exception of science reference books. The lack of science education and non-science education journals could reflect the priority given to education and/or educational research at these responding institutions. Another concern is the low priority given to education and science indexes at many New England institutions. Consequently, many graduates are unacquainted with the current resources that could be utilized to improve their teaching skills and update their science content information. Science educators should also ascertain the quality of their library's resources for promoting research. If any resources are lacking, they should be requested, thereby facilitating the preparation of future secondary science teachers. (Author/JN)