The Science of Teaching Science

“Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach” is a well-known phrase taken from a stage play by George Bernard Shaw. But when it comes to science, what happens when those who can — the brilliant minds solving the world’s biggest problems — don’t teach? This talk explores why so many scientists avoid the classroom, the challenges surrounding science education and the consequences of the shortage of science teachers.

We can probably all remember taking science classes in school, but how much of the science do we remember? Were your memories of science mostly about memorizing vocabulary, or using formulas to answer homework problems?

Despite our best intentions, science education is still full of persistent misconceptions, missed connections, and teaching methods that don’t quite reflect how we learn. In this talk, May will share how curiosity and cognitive conflicts, built on real-world phenomena, can be used to help people make sense of science in a way that really clicks.