Book Reviews/Comptes Rendus 131 Australia, they lead sometimes to a careful re-crafting of curricula. But, will the A Q U A take into account what Gallagher terms " s o m e unresolved issues" (p. 47) — most notably " academic workloads rising as pressures to publish, teach, undertake new administrative tasks and raise funds all reduce time for quality thinking" ( i.e., thinking which is often the benefit derived by the lone researcher and a couple of students); and the fact that diverse demands for specific flexibly-arranged course content m o d u l e s m a y u n d e r m i n e curriculum coherence. For opinions on these and other unresolved issues one needs to turn back to the criticisms of the Senate report mentioned earlier in this review. But Gallagher has produced a valuable report for the scholar interested in comparative education and modes of educational change. Perhaps its most valuable feature, whether or nor intended, lies in the message that postsecondary sectors with decades of heavy reliance on public f u n d i n g do not shift easily into entrepreneurial mode; and some institutions may derive few benefits from trying to do so. Taylor, Peter C., Gilmer, Penny J., & Tobin, Kenneth, (Eds). (2002). Transforming Undergraduate Science Teaching: Social Constructivist Perspectives. N e w York, NY: Peter L a n g . Pages: xxiv, 4 8 1 . Price: $32.95 U S D (paper). Reviewed by Janice Dodd, The University of Manitoba T h e c u r r e n t r e f o r m m o v e m e n t in s c i e n c e e d u c a t i o n w a s u n d e r taken, at least in part, in the hope of improving (American) standings in international measures of math and science proficiency, technological and c o m p u t e r literacy, and economic competitiveness. This capitalist a g e n d a to increase the scientific w o r k f o r c e has had the positive e f f e c t of increased f u n d i n g f o r research into s c i e n c e e d u c a t i o n and classroom r e f o r m . In m a n y K - 1 2 schools, c h a n g e s have been introduced that r e p l a c e m e m o r i z a t i o n of s c i e n c e f a c t s with learner-centered scientific inquiry. H o w e v e r , similar r e f o r m s h a v e not filtered The Canadian Journal of Higher Education Volume XXXII, No. 3, 2002 132 Book Reviews/Comptes Rendus into t h e u n d e r g r a d u a t e s c i e n c e c l a s s r o o m s t h a t ( r e ) p r o d u c e t h e f u t u r e science teachers (and scientists). T h i s n e w v o l u m e in t h e C o u n t e r p o i n t s s e r i e s is a c o l l e c t i o n o f reports of research p r o j e c t s that a d d r e s s e d u c a t i o n a l r e f o r m in the u n d e r g r a d u a t e science c l a s s r o o m . T h e researchers are primarily s c i e n c e e d u cators but notably include a n u m b e r o f scientists w h o identify p e d a g o g y as a critical part of their p r o f e s s i o n a l responsibilities as c o l l e g e and university p r o f e s s o r s o f m a t h , physics, c h e m i s t r y or biology. Several of the p r o j e c t s r e p o r t e d in t h i s c o l l e c t i o n w e r e f u n d e d t h r o u g h t h e N a t i o n a l S c i e n c e F o u n d a t i o n to i m p r o v e college and university science t e a c h i n g , p a r t i c u l a r l y in c o u r s e s t a r g e t e d to p r o s p e c t i v e s c i e n c e s c h o o l t e a c h e r s . A s indicated by the editors, a l t h o u g h the d i s c o u r s e c o m m u n i t y is s c i e n c e e d u c a t o r s , the target a u d i e n c e is p r o f e s s o r s o f u n d e r g r a d u a t e science. T h e contributors share the epistemological standpoint of social constructivism. This position claims that science is a social construction and that learners m u s t b e c o m e part of t h e d i s c o u r s e c o m m u n i t y in order t o gain mastery over the content. Students are not e m p t y vessels but j o i n their post-secondary education with values, beliefs, experiences, and language. T h e challenge in science education is to recognize each student's location, and to structure opportunities f o r them to b e c o m e co-participants with the p r o f e s s o r and each other in the d e v e l o p m e n t of a discourse c o m m u n i t y . T h e seventeen chapters in this collection include projects that illustrate the current p r o b l e m s in u n d e r g r a d u a t e science c l a s s r o o m s , and that present e x a m p l e s of effective t r a n s f o r m a t i o n s that facilitate co-participation and l e a r n i n g b y s t u d e n t s . A u s e f u l a d d i t i o n t o t h e P r e f a c e is a c h a r t (pp. x i i - x v ) that allows the b r o w s i n g reader to identify chapters by author and content including: research m e t h o d (interpretive ethnography, action research, critical a u t o b i o g r a p h y , participant o b s e r v a t i o n ) ; c o u r s e ( m a t h , physics, chemistry, biochemistry, business c o m p u t i n g , science education); issues addressed ( p o w e r in the classroom, technical language, m e t a p h o r s , feminist pedagogy, a s s e s s m e n t s of learning, problem-based learning, team teaching, border crossings); and student population (prospective science t e a c h e r s , e l e m e n t a r y and high s c h o o l s c i e n c e t e a c h e r s , liberal arts students, science m a j o r s , c o m m u n i t y college professors). The Canadian Journal of Higher Volume XXXI1, No. 3, 2002 Education Book Reviews/Comptes Rendus The editors have placed the chapters into sections 133 entitled: (I) I d e n t i f y i n g Barriers; (II) P u s h i n g the E n v e l o p e ; (III) P o t e n t i a l i t i e s . . . ; ( I V ) . . . B e i n g Realized. T h e s e g r o u p i n g s s e e m f o r c e d and are not h e l p f u l in i d e n t i f y i n g t h e c o n t e n t . B e c a u s e e a c h c h a p t e r r e p o r t s a s e p a r a t e research project, the barriers, strategies and r e f l e c t i o n s are part o f each c o n t r i b u t i o n . A n i m p o r t a n t addition is the M e t a l o g u e by the editors at the end o f each chapter. It is in t h e s e c o n v e r s a t i o n a l r e s p o n s e s to the proj e c t s that issues of r e s e a r c h ethics, m e t h o d o l o g y , and validity a r e disc u s s e d , a n d t h e o r y d e v e l o p e d . In t h e p r o c e s s , t h e e d i t o r s m o d e l t h e f u n c t i o n i n g of a d i s c o u r s e c o m m u n i t y . A n e x a m p l e is the discussion of t e a c h i n g certification of university p r o f e s s o r s that f o l l o w s C h a p t e r 8 (pp. 2 2 4 - 2 2 5 ) . T h i s s e e m i n g l y sensible idea m e e t s with resistance at a l m o s t e v e r y turn. T h e introduction of student e v a l u a t i o n s o f t e a c h i n g in m a n y p o s t s e c o n d a r y institutions has s p a w n e d the f o r m a t i o n o f t e a c h i n g service p r o g r a m s to h e l p p r o f e s s o r s gain or polish t h e i r c l a s s r o o m skills. N o n e t h e l e s s , in m a n y s c i e n c e a n d p r o f e s s i o n a l f a c u l t i e s at r e s e a r c h i n t e n s i v e u n i v e r s i t i e s , t h e p r o c e s s o f h i r i n g n e w f a c u l t y f o c u s e s on research productivity and p a y s little attention to t e a c h i n g e f f e c t i v e n e s s . Indeed, in m a n y s c i e n c e disciplines, the o p p o r t u n i t y to learn to teach is not part of the either f o r m a l doctoral or post-doctoral training. T h e b o o k d o e s contain e x a m p l e s o f neat c l a s s r o o m tricks for teaching science, but its real v a l u e is as a series of r e f l e c t i o n s by c o l l e a g u e s on their o w n e x p e r i e n c e s with i n n o v a t i v e science courses. C r a i g B o w e n ( C h a p t e r 2) d e s c r i b e s the use of a p r o f e s s i o n a l d e v e l o p m e n t f r a m e w o r k to w o r k with s c i e n t i s t s to c h a n g e t h e i r u s e o f s c i e n t i f i c l a n g u a g e and s y m b o l s in teaching. P r o f e s s o r are helped to structure the o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r s t u d e n t s to use the l a n g u a g e and s y m b o l s a p p r o p r i a t e l y w h i c h will e n h a n c e their entry into the d i s c o u r s e c o m m u n i t y . N o e l l e G r i f f i t h s ( C h a p t e r 3) e x a m i n e s the recurring t h e m e o f b o r d e r c r o s s i n g s as points of connection between discourse communities. S h e o u t l i n e s w a y s in w h i c h t e a c h e r s can look for the points of c o n n e c t i o n b e t w e e n the scient i f i c w o r l d and s t u d e n t s ' e x p e r i e n c e s a n d l a n g u a g e . H e d y M o s c o v i c i ( C h a p t e r 4) e x a m i n e s h o w p r o f e s s o r s can r e m a i n the scientific authority w h i l e s h a r i n g the p o w e r in the c l a s s r o o m in o r d e r to e n a b l e students to be c o - p a r t i c i p a n t s in scientific inquiry. K a t h r y n S c a n t l e b u i y ( C h a p t e r 5) The Canadian Journal of Higher Education Volume XXXII, No. 3, 2002 134 Book Reviews/Comptes Rendus t a c k l e s the p l a c e of f e m i n i s t p e d a g o g y in s c i e n c e e d u c a t i o n and a r g u e s f o r g e n d e r - i n c l u s i v e c u r r i c u l u m p r o j e c t s . S h e also a d d r e s s e s the potential for marginalization o f f a c u l t y in t h e role o f science e d u c a t o r s in trad i t i o n a l p h y s i c a l s c i e n c e d e p a r t m e n t s . S e v e r a l c o n t r i b u t o r s detail t h e w o r k required to d e v e l o p i n n o v a t i v e t e a c h i n g strategies and the need f o r recognition o f t h e s e c o n t r i b u t i o n s in p r o m o t i o n and t e n u r e decisions. P o s t s e c o n d a r y i n s t i t u t i o n s o f t e n cite t h e e f f i c i e n c i e s o f p r o f e s s o r centered lectures f o r d e l i v e r y o f c o n t e n t as a reason not to e m b r a c e e d u cational r e f o r m . Harold B . W h i t e III ( C h a p t e r 9) critiques this resistance and d e s c r i b e s his use of p r o b l e m - b a s e d learning, a f o r m a t w i d e l y implem e n t e d in m e d i c a l s c h o o l s but not o f t e n a t t e m p t e d in u n d e r g r a d u a t e scie n c e classes. T h e m a n a g e d frustration w h i c h s t u d e n t s e x p e r i e n c e h e l p s t h e m d e v e l o p skills f o r i n d e p e n d e n t research and c o l l a b o r a t i v e interaction. .Kenneth Tobin ( C h a p t e r 13) d e s c r i b e s his e x p e r i e n c e with d e v e l o p ing internet r e s o u r c e s f o r creating d i s c o u r s e c o m m u n i t i e s f o r a variety of l e a r n e r s o v e r t h e past d e c a d e . H e i d e n t i f i e s t h e e a r l y p r o b l e m s , s o m e corrected by a d v a n c e s in t e c h n o l o g y , o t h e r s by the r e - d e s i g n o f a s s i g n m e n t s . A l t h o u g h o f o b v i o u s utility f o r d i s t a n c e e d u c a t i o n , the a p p r o a c h a l s o w o r k s w i t h o n - c a m p u s c o u r s e s . To T o b i n ' s s u r p r i s e , t h e internet c o m m u n i c a t i o n s did not d u p l i c a t e t h e c l a s s r o o m d i s c u s s i o n s and a diff e r e n t subset of s t u d e n t s w e r e a b l e to e x p r e s s their v i e w s on-line. T h e s e p r o j e c t s h a v e the a d d e d b e n e f i t f o r s o m e m a t u r e learners o f i m p r o v i n g their c o m p u t e r literacy. Most of the contributors have been frank about the problems e n c o u n t e r e d in a t t e m p t i n g to t r a n s f o r m u n d e r g r a d u a t e t e a c h i n g . Several stressed the i m p o r t a n c e o f r e s p e c t f u l a n d trusting c u r r i c u l u m c o m m i t t e e s as part o f this process. T h e availability of f u n d s f o r research in science education has brought together science p r o f e s s o r s and educational r e s e a r c h e r s , in m a n y instances f o r the first t i m e . O u t c o m e s w e r e m o s t positive w h e n d i s c u s s i o n s a b o u t t e a c h i n g p h i l o s o p h i e s and styles w e r e held at the outset. T e n s i o n s w e r e m o s t o b v i o u s w h e n researchers s o u g h t to c h a n g e c l a s s r o o m d y n a m i c s , c u r r i c u l u m c o n t e n t and g r a d i n g w i t h o u t a t h o r o u g h e x a m i n a t i o n of t e a c h i n g v a l u e s held by their scientist c o l l e a g u e s . Sabitra Brush ( C h a p t e r 11) c o n s i d e r s the p r o s a n d c o n s of t e a m teaching, w h i l e Susan M a t t s o n ( C h a p t e r 12) d e s c r i b e s t h e s t r u g g l e The Canadian Journal of Higher Volume XXXII, No. 3, 2002 Education Book Reviews/Comptes Rendus 13 5 to a d j u s t a s s e s s m e n t s of student learning a w a y f r o m c o m p l e t e l y o b j e c tive criteria. E v e r y o n e in s c i e n c e e d u c a t i o n w o u l d a g r e e that too m a n y s t u d e n t s are t u r n e d o f f o f s c i e n c e . If e d u c a t i o n a l t r a n s f o r m a t i o n f r o m a social constructivist p e r s p e c t i v e results in s c h o o l t e a c h e r s w h o d o not f e a r m a t h and science, and w h o h a v e e x p e r i e n c e d a learner-centered c l a s s r o o m , the projects will have succeeded. The question remains however, of the e f f e c t o f t h e s e a p p r o a c h e s on c o u r s e s f o r s c i e n c e m a j o r s a n d t h o s e intending to m a k e their c a r e e r s in s c i e n c e - b a s e d p r o f e s s i o n s ( e n g i n e e r ing, m e d i c i n e , dentistry, p h a r m a c y , a r c h i t e c t u r e ) . If t h e s e t r a n s f o r m a tions w e r e b r o a d l y applied, w o u l d w e get a scientific c o m m u n i t y that is m o r e creative, m o r e c o n n e c t e d to society, and m o r e socially r e s p o n s i b l e ? T h e last f o u r c h a p t e r s p r e s e n t quite radical t r a n s f o r m a t i o n s t h r o u g h under-explored research methodologies including Jungian psychology, d r e a m analysis, spiritual reflection and a u t o b i o g r a p h y . It is c o u r a g e o u s o f the editors to include t h e s e c o n t r i b u t i o n s that use research a p p r o a c h e s outside the d i s c o u r s e m o s t science p r o f e s s o r s w o u l d r e c o g n i z e . A s a f a c ulty m e m b e r in W o m e n ' s Studies, I h a v e reached a level of c o m f o r t with p r o f o u n d l y p e r s o n a l r e f l e c t i o n s as valid s u b j e c t s f o r research; as a m e m ber of the scientific c o m m u n i t y , 1 am a w a r e that such o f f e r i n g s will be v i e w e d with s k e p t i c i s m . O p e n n e s s will be required to a t t e m p t t h e s e bord e r c r o s s i n g s . P e r h a p s t h e k e y lesson f r o m t h e s e last c h a p t e r s is t h e i m p o r t a n c e of personal w e l l - b e i n g and spiritual g r o u n d i n g (in its b r o a d est sense) in f i n d i n g the energy to w o r k f o r and create r e f o r m , to be f u l l y attentive to students, and to teach science with passion The Canadian Journal of Higher Education Volume XXXII, No. 3, 2002