Table of Contents

• Graduate Programs
• Personnel
• Learning Cycle Curriculum
• Back to Edmund A. Marek's Homepage

Graduate Programs

• Purposes and Special Features
• Master of Science Education
• Master of Natural Science
• Doctoral Degree
• Admission Criteria

Personnel

• Edmund A. Marek, Professor and Director of the Science Education Center
• Jon E. Pedersen, Professor
• Timothy A. Laubach, Instructor

PURPOSES

• Prepare science-supervisory personnel for kindergarten through the twelfth grade for individual school systems, as well as county and state educational systems

• Prepare persons for college teaching responsibilities in undergraduate courses in science as well as graduate and undergraduate work in science education

• Provide an opportunity for classroom teachers of secondary and elementary school science to devote study time to a purposeful program while increasing their understandings in science and education

• Faculty members in teacher education whose major interest and preparation are science education and strong backgrounds in the natural sciences

• A long history of interdepartmental activities in science education involving the College of Education and science departments in the College of Arts and Sciences

• Faculty and research facilities making possible the conferring of degrees in all the basic sciences and in education

• Excellent library facilities in science and in education plus the world-famous De Golyer Collection in the History of Science and Technology

• Continuing research and curriculum development projects with the Norman, Oklahoma public schools

The program is based on a minimum of 36 semester hours of graduate work beyond the bachelor's degree completed in science, science education, education and research which includes the thesis. Persons whose backgrounds in the areas of science, mathematics and/or education are deficient may have to complete more than 36 semester hours of work before receiving a degree. Eight hours may be transferred for the master's degree but may not be substituted for specific requirements in science education. A faculty advisory committee will be assigned to each student from the sciences and/or science education and education. The thesis will be done in the area of the teaching of one particular science or on a problem common to the teaching of all sciences. The educational level at which the research will be done shall be determined by student's interest. The degree must be completed within six years of initial matriculation. The advisory committee will determine the course pattern for the student. A typical requirement distribution follows:
 

	Minimum Credit Hours
SCIENCE EDUCATION	9
EDSC 5513 Teaching Science in Secondary Schools (3)  Electives (6)
SCIENCE	11-14
Electives from the Natural Sciences (11-14)
CORE	11-12
EDSC 5523 Developmental Theory: Piaget (3)  EDSC 6532 Paradigms for Scientific Investigations (2)  Research Electives (4)  Studies in Cultural Diversity  (2-3)
THESIS	2-3
TOTAL HOURS	36

Back to Graduate Programs

To be admitted to the MNS degree program, the applicant must hold a valid, standard secondary school science teaching credential. In addition, the applicant must have completed 50 semester hours of science or hold a degree in science. Two specific curricula are available. One curriculum emphasizes academic work in science and science education and research in the later field. The second curriculum emphasizes academic work in the sciences and is non-thesis. The distribution of academic credit in the two curricula follows:
 

Curriculum One - MNS in Science Education	Minimum Credit Hours
Science	17
History of Science	3
EDSC 5513 Teaching Science in the Secondary School	3
EDSC 5523 Developmental Theory	3
EDSC 5980 Master's Thesis	4
TOTAL (Minimum)	30

Curriculum Two - MNS Emphasizing Science	Minimum Credit Hours
Major Science	15
Minor Science	8
History of Science	3
EDSC 5513 Teaching Science in the Secondary School	3
EDSC 5523 Developmental Theory	3
TOTAL (Minimum)	32

Each MNS student will be assigned a committee to assist in planning and directing the program. Each committee will have a chair from the student's major area and two additional members. The major area will be one of the sciences or science education. At least one committee member will be a science education faculty in the Department of Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum.

The MNS degree requires a comprehensive examination. When the degree is granted in science education (Curriculum One), the oral defense of the thesis fulfills that examination requirement. When the student follows Curriculum Two, the examination may be written or oral. All examinations are conducted by the student's committee.

Back to Graduate Programs

The program is based on a minimum of 90 semester hours of graduate work beyond the bachelor's degree, approximately 40 semester hours in science and 50 semester hours in science education and education (including dissertation credit). Persons whose backgrounds in the areas of science, research, mathematics and/or education are deficient may have to complete more than 90 semester hours of work before receiving the degree. At least nine hours of graduate credit in science and/or history of science and nine hours in education must be taken at the University of Oklahoma. The advisory committee assigned to each student will be made up of a chair from science education and faculty members from the appropriate sciences and education. This committee will determine the final course pattern for the student. A typical distribution follows:
 
 

	Minimum Credit Hours
SCIENCE EDUCATION	8-12
EDSC 5513 Teaching Science in Secondary Schools (3)  EDSC 5543 The Elementary School Science Curriculum (3)  Electives (2-6)
SCIENCE AND HISTORY OF SCIENCE	36-40
Natural Sciences (30-34)  History and/or Philosophy of Science (6)
CORE	23-24
ILAC 6013 Proseminar (3)  ILAC 6023 Theoretical Issues (3)  EDSC 5523 Developmental Theory (3)  EDSC 6532 Paradigms for Scientific Investigations (2)  Research Methodology (10)  Studies in Cultural Diversity (2-3)
DISSERTATION	9-14
TOTAL HOURS	90

Back to Graduate Programs

All admissions to the Graduate College require the possession of a Baccalaureate degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university. In the succeeding paragraphs, all references to grade point averages are to averages calculated on a 4.0 scale. References to credit hours are to semester credit hours.

Admissions of all foreign nationals from non-English speaking countries require demonstration of proficiency in English. Minimum evidence of proficiency is a score of 550 on the TOEFL exam. Additional requirements may be specified by individual departments or program units. Refer to the departmental guidelines.

Any student having a "B" average (3.0 GPA) or better over the last 60 hours of undergraduate work may be admitted as a student in full standing. If the last 60 hours cannot be identified from the applicant's transcript, the entire transcript will be evaluated for admission. Any student having received a Master's degree or having competed 12 semester hours of graduate work at an accredited college or university and having a "B" grade point average or better in all graduate work may be admitted to the Graduate College in full standing provided he/she is accepted in full standing by the science education faculty. For those persons possessing less than a 3.0 GPA under the condition stated above, the categories of "Conditional Admission" and "Unclassified Status" can be used. Information regarding those admission categories is found in the Graduate Bulletin of the University of Oklahoma or may be obtained from the Department of Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum, Collings Hall.
 
 

Back to Graduate Programs

• Dr. Marek is in his 20th year as faculty member at the University of Oklahoma where he holds the rank of Full Professor and is Director of the Science Education Center.

 
• He began his teaching career as a secondary school science teacher and, during his first eight years, taught primarily high school biology.

• Following that, he was an Assistant Professor of Biology at Southwest Texas State University (SWT) in San Marcos, Texas for four years and also served as Assistant Director of the Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center at SWT for three years.

 
• Dr. Marek  is the author of over eighty publications including  two college textbooks on elementary school science teaching and has published two teacher's guides for middle school environmental science and two college laboratory manuals for general science.

 
• During his tenure at the University of Oklahoma, he has been Director and Co-Director of numerous National Science Foundation-supported projects on science curricula development and science inservice education totalling over $1.7M.

 
• Dr. Marek has directed many summer programs in energy education and science education funded by grants from the Department of Energy and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, respectively.

• His primary teaching responsibilities are with graduate and undergraduate courses in science education offered to preservice and inservice teachers.

• Dr. Marek has received several awards for teaching and research, and in 1993 was awarded the Henry Rinsland Award for Excellence in Educational Research.

 
• Dr. Marek is active in the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, Association for the Education of Teachers of Science, National Science Teachers Association, and the Oklahoma Science Teachers Association.

You can reach me by email at: eamarek@ou.edu

Back to Personnel

• Jon E. Pedersen began his teaching career as a secondary school science teacher and taught high school chemistry and physics.

• In 1990, he finished his PhD at the University of Nebraska and became an Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Arkasnas, in Fayetteville, AR for five years.

• During his tenure at the University of Arkansas he also served as Co-Director of the Center for Middle Level Education, Research and Development as well as undergraduate and graduate coordinator.

• In 1995, after being tenured and promoted, Dr. Pedersen took a position as an associate professor with tenure at East Carolina Unviersity in Greenville, North Carolina.

• For the next five years Dr. Pedersen held several leadership positions at ECU including: director of partnership research, Associate Dean, and interim department chair.

• In 2000, Dr. Pedersen moved to the University of Oklahoma as Full Professor, where he is a faculty member in science education in the Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum Department.

• Dr. Pedersen is very active in several national organizations including: the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, Association for the Education of Teachers of Science, and National Science Teachers Association.

• He is currently the Executive Secretary for the Association for the Eudcaiton of Teachers in Science.

• He is the author of over fifty publications on social issues and science teaching; and, has published two books and two teacher manuals for robotics.

• Dr. Pedersen is in his 11th year in higher eduation and in his first year at the University of Oklahoma where he holds the rank of Full Professor.

• His primary teaching responsibilities are with graduate and undergraduate courses in science education offered to preservice and inservice teachers.

• During his tenure in higher education, Dr. Pedersen has been Director and Co-Director of numerous grants and supported projects on science curricula development, science inservice education, middle level education and international education.

• He has directed numerous programs in education and science education in Bolivia, South America and has worked in over a half-a-dozen countries around the world.

• Timothy A. Laubach is pursuing a Ph.D. in Science Education from the University of Oklahoma and anticpating graduation in May 2001. He graduated with a M.Ed. in Science Education from the University of Oklahoma in May 1998.

• He is currently serving as an Instructor, teaching undergraduate elementary science methods courses to preservice teachers.

• Tim has served as a Graduate Research Assistant within the department of Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum for the past three years.  During that time he has assisted with research projects, co-authored science education-related articles, and served as laboratory assistant at the Science Education Center.

• Tim is very active in the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, National Science Teachers Association, and the Oklahoma Science Teachers Association.

• In 1999, Tim was a National Association for Research in Science Teaching, Outstanding Thesis Award National Finalist.

Back to Personnel

• The Learning Cycle. 1997.  Marek, E.A., & Cavallo, A.M.L.  Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann. (800)541-2086

• Investigations for Energy Education. 1996. Marek, E.A., Chiodo, J., & Gerber, B.L. Center for Energy Education and the Close Up Foundation, Washington, D.C.  (405)325-5723

• Middle/Jr. High School Science Programs (Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth  Grade).  Norman Public School and Science Education Center, University of  Oklahoma. Norman, OK. Contact Linda Atkinson at (405)366-5838

• Investigations in Natural Science: Biology (Teacher's Guide). Revised Edition, 1996.  Renner, J.W., Cate, J., Grzybowski, E., Surber, C., Atkinson, L., & Marek, E.A.  Science Education Center, University of Oklahoma and Norman Senior High  School, Norman, OK. (405)325-5723

• Investigations in Natural Science: Biology (Student Investigations and Readings).  Revised Edition, 1996. Renner, J.W., Cate, J., Grzybowski, E., Surber, C.,  Atkinson, L., & Marek, E.A. Science Education Center, University of Oklahoma  and Norman Senior High School, Norman, OK. (405)325-5723

• Investigations in Natural Science: Chemistry (Teachers Guide). Revised Edition, 1996.  Renner, J.W., Fix, W.T., Atkinson, L.C., Renner, M.J., & Abraham, M.R.  Science  Education Center, University of Oklahoma and Norman Senior High School,  Norman, OK. (405)325-5723

• Investigations in Natural Science: Chemistry (Student Investigations and Readings).  Revised Edition, 1996. Renner, J.W., Fix, W.T., Atkinson, L.C., Renner, M.J., &  Abraham, M.R.  Science Education Center, University of Oklahoma and Norman  Senior High School, Norman, OK. (405)325-5723

• Investigations in Natural Science: Physics (Teacher's Guide). 1985. Renner, J.W.,  Nickel, J., Westbrook, S., & Renner, M.J.  Science Education Center, University  of Oklahoma and Norman Senior High School, Norman, OK. (405)325-5723

• Investigations in Natural Science: Physics (Student Investigations and Readings).  1985. Renner, J.W., Nickel, J., Westbrook, S., & Renner, M.J.  Science Education  Center, University of Oklahoma and Norman Senior High School, Norman, OK.  (405)325-5723

Return to Table of Contents

Return to ILAC Home Page