Seattlest: UW Profs Write Open Letter About Students' Math Skills (or Lack Thereof)

Yarek

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:32:09 -0800

I think the problem actually goes back a little farther, in the steady decline of American students majoring in math and science. Here's the first item citing some statistics about math/sci/engineering majors in the US (from the Des Moines Register): The report Science and Engineering Indicators 2004 found that the number of Americans ages 18 to 24 who receive science degrees has fallen to 24th in the world, from third three decades earlier. Of 2.8 million science and engineering degrees conferred around the world that year, 1.2 million were earned by Asian students in Asian universities, 830,000 were granted in Europe and only 400,000 in the United States. The proportion of American university graduates who earn engineering degrees is 5 percent, as compared to 25 percent in Russia and 46 percent in China, as reported in 2004 by Trilogy Publications. So how do you convince more college students to major in "hard" subjects?

bigyaz

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:30:48 -0800

The biggest problem is at the high schools, which I can tell you would LOVE to hire qualified math (and science) teachers but have a hell of a time finding them. The ones who know the subject matter well are often terrible at explaining it; and the others may be good teachers but don't have a real in-depth understanding of the subject matter. We need to somehow do more to attract the smart math majors into teaching. Not an easy job.

markball

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:16:26 -0800

You might want to look at the state requirements, bradford. The education degree is for certification, but to get a "secondary endorsement" one has to major in the appropriate field.

bradford

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:17:25 -0800

I'd like to see the state start hiring math and science majors as public school teachers, instead of 'education' majors.