| Abstract: | Five groups of science educators representing faculty at graduate institutions, graduate students, teachers, supervisors, and leadership conferees were surveyed concerning their perceptions of current problems facing science education. A total of 144 participants provided an average of 4.7 responses. The responses were tabulated using an emergent set of categories that resulted in six major groupings, i.e. conceptual, organizational, teacher; related, student-related, university, and societal. The category with the most problems identified was in the area of conceptual problems. University related problems and organizational problems were the next two most frequently mentioned categories for problems. Specific problems in all categories most often cited include the following: - 1 confusion and uncertainty in goals and objectives;
- 2 lack of vision and leadership in schools and universities;
- 3 absence of a theoretical base for science education;
- 4 poor quality teacher education programs;
- 5 inappropriate avenues for continuing education of teachers;
- 6 limited dialogue between researchers and practitioners;
- 7 declining enrollments;
- 8 poor quality teaching and counseling;
- 9 insufficient programs in science for the wide spectrum of students; and
- 10 public and parental apathy towards science.
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