Science Educators Gather at Bradley

By Maddie Gehling ‘18

Bradley University hosted the North Central meeting for the Association for Science Teacher Education. The event brought together college faculty for a weekend of professional development.

Faculty from 12 states shared research, networked and talked education policy. Faculty also visited the Peoria Riverfront Museum’s River Science Laboratory to participate activities related to water testing and to work with stream tables.

Dr. Kevin Finson, director of Bradley’s Center for STEM Education, said the conference helped faculty improve science education and policy with an eye on making long-term impacts at the state and national levels.

Finson said NCASTE’s main focus is learning how to better university-level science education practice and policy, and that the things discussed at the meeting can directly impact the attendees’ home institutions.

“In a longer-term sense, the policy matters we discuss are issues we try to communicate to decision makers in state agencies and Congress,” he said.