National Science Teachers Association
Encyclopedia
The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), founded in 1944 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, is an association of science
teacher
s in the United States
and is the largest organization of science teachers worldwide. NSTA's current membership of more than 57,000 includes science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in and committed to science education
. The organization's mission is to "to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all."
The Association publishes a professional journal for each level of science teaching; a newspaper, NSTA Reports; and many other educational books and professional publications. Each year NSTA conducts a national conference and a series of area conferences. These events attract over 30,000 attendees annually. The Association serves as an advocate for science educators by keeping its members and the general public informed about national issues and trends in science education.
and Science Instruction, The Teaching of Evolution
, Environmental education
, Responsible Use of Live Animals and Dissection
in the Science Classroom, Gender Equity in Science Education, and Use of the Metric System
.
Books:
NSTA's publishing arm, NSTA Press, publishes 20–25 new titles per year. The NSTA Science Store offers selected publications from other publishers in addition to NSTA Press books.
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and is the largest organization of science teachers worldwide. NSTA's current membership of more than 57,000 includes science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in and committed to science education
Science education
Science education is the field concerned with sharing science content and process with individuals not traditionally considered part of the scientific community. The target individuals may be children, college students, or adults within the general public. The field of science education comprises...
. The organization's mission is to "to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all."
The Association publishes a professional journal for each level of science teaching; a newspaper, NSTA Reports; and many other educational books and professional publications. Each year NSTA conducts a national conference and a series of area conferences. These events attract over 30,000 attendees annually. The Association serves as an advocate for science educators by keeping its members and the general public informed about national issues and trends in science education.
Position statements
NSTA is engaged in an ongoing effort to "identify the qualities and standards of good science education," publishing its findings in the form of position statements. These position statements are developed by science educators, scientists, and other national experts in science education, and the input of NSTA's membership is solicited before final approval by the board of directors. Over 35 topics are covered, including The Nature of Science, SafetySafety
Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be...
and Science Instruction, The Teaching of Evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
, Environmental education
Environmental education
Environmental education refers to organized efforts to teach about how natural environments function and, particularly, how human beings can manage their behavior and ecosystems in order to live sustainably. The term is often used to imply education within the school system, from primary to...
, Responsible Use of Live Animals and Dissection
Dissection
Dissection is usually the process of disassembling and observing something to determine its internal structure and as an aid to discerning the functions and relationships of its components....
in the Science Classroom, Gender Equity in Science Education, and Use of the Metric System
Metric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
.
Science Matters
Science Matters is a major public awareness and engagement campaign designed to rekindle a national sense of urgency and action among schools and families about the importance of science education and science literacy. Science Matters builds on the success of the Building a Presence for Science program, first launched in 1997 as an e-networking initiative to assist teachers of science with professional development opportunities. The Building a Presence for Science network—now the Science Matters network—reaches readers in 34 states and the District of Columbia.Publications
Peer-reviewed journals:- Science and Children, elementary level
- Science Teacher, middle level
- The Science Teacher, high school
- Journal of College Science Teaching
Books:
NSTA's publishing arm, NSTA Press, publishes 20–25 new titles per year. The NSTA Science Store offers selected publications from other publishers in addition to NSTA Press books.
NSTA student chapters
In addition to state/province chapters and associated groups, NSTA has over 100 student chapters. NSTA and the student chapters are separate but interdependent organizations that have elected to ally themselves to encourage professional development and networking of preservice teachers of science from across the United States and Canada.External links
- National Science Teachers Association - official website
- NSTA Blog - official blogs
- Facebook - NSTA on Facebook
- Twitter - NSTA on Twitter