Elementary School Science What Local Community Can Do about It

One of the difficulties often experienced by teachers of engineering subjects is poor or improper scientific background acquired by engineering students while still in high or elementary schools. The following discussion outlines some of the reasons for this state of affairs, and presents a description of an attempted solution in the form of an in-service training course in science for elementary school teachers. The difficulties and the unexpected pitfalls of such a program are discussed, and the results, consisting of more failures than successes, are presented. Finally, recommendations based on the experience gained are made, which will hopefully lead to more successful results bringing about a definite upgrading of elementary science education.