Overview
Western Michigan University Offers Excellence in Science Education at the Mallinson Institute for Science Education
The Mallinson Institute for Science Education (MISE), a degree granting institute within the College of Arts and Sciences at Western Michigan University, is known for excellence in the areas of graduate education and graduate research in science education. The Institute is currently ranked as one of the best graduate, research programs in science education in the United States. This excellence is built upon its having one of the largest cadres of science education research professors, its excellent facilities for learning and research, and its numerous research projects funded by agencies such as the National Foundation for Science.
The Master of Arts in Science Education is designed both for graduate students who are secondary science teachers wishing to augment their teaching abilities and for those graduate students who have the goal of beginning work toward a Doctor of Philosophy in science education. Elementary school teachers with strong science backgrounds may also be qualified for admission to the program.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Science Education prepares those students who have a background in science or science education for careers as college or university science teachers, science education researchers, science teacher educators, curriculum specialists, and high school department chairs. The Ph.D. program is also for students who wish to serve as professionals in government agencies or school districts. Because Western Michigan University's MISE is dedicated to excellence in science education, its graduate students attend courses that encourage them to think critically about how their own future students will understand science.
Faculty Members of the Science-Focused Institute Teach in WMU Science Departments
The Mallinson Institute is science-focused. This concentrated focus on science prepares students for college teaching of science in science departments and for science teacher education in teacher preparation units. The institute operates within the College of Arts and Sciences of Western Michigan University (WMU). It works closely with the WMU science departments. All faculty members at the institute hold joint appointments in science departments.
Science-focused education involves practical techniques and fundamental knowledge about the nature of science and way people learn. The institute's philosophy is to view science education as an interdisciplinary academic discipline found at the intersection of science, education, and cognitive psychology, augmented by science's own history, philosophy, and sociology. In this light, the institute's programs are designed to help prepare students to think critically about why people should become scientifically literate, what science is most important to know, and how their students learn.
The M.A. program is directed toward secondary school science teachers (or elementary school teachers with an adequate science background) who want to improve their skills as learning facilitators. The program is also appropriate for students wanting to begin their Ph.D. preparations.
The Ph.D. program offers three tracks that share a common core while providing some specialization. One track prepares students for college science teaching at community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and teaching-focused universities. A second Ph.D. track carries a discipline-specific research focus as it prepares students to teach and perform research as faculty members in a university science department or teacher education unit. Students study and research the teaching and learning of science while concentrating on specific disciplines, i.e., biology, chemistry, earth science, geography, or physics. The third track, in curriculum and instruction, offers a specific focus on the teaching and learning of science at the K¿12 level, preparing professionals for careers as science teacher educators, school science department chairs, science education researchers, and science curriculum specialists.
Unique Opportunities Are Available to Students and Professionals, Including a Concurrent Master's/Ph.D. Program
The Mallinson Institute for Science Education offers several unique opportunities for graduate students. First, in preparing graduate students to teach college science, the institute has a distinctive focus that involves mentored and supervised college teaching experiences. Also, the institute's programs offer unique opportunities that emphasize the study of the teaching and learning of science learning while concentrating on specific disciplines, like biology, chemistry, or earth sciences. The institute's precise focus on science education also provides the unique potential for preparation as an educator of science teachers. The Mallinson Institute also is distinguished by the amount of funding offered for graduate students, resulting in the institute's having one of the largest groups of full-time, science education graduate students in the U.S. For some students, the concurrent enrollment program offered by the institute is the most unique opportunity of all. This one-of-a-kind program allows student to gain a master's degree at one of the WMU science departments while enrolled in the institute's doctoral program.
