Narrating international and national trends in US science education: An autobiographical approach showcasing Dr. Robert Yager

Abstract

This biographical piece is based on a conversation involving Bob Yager, Geeta Verma, and Lisa Martin-Hansen which took place at the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) conference in March, 2008. The unique aspect of this autobiographical piece is that it highlights Dr. Yager's account about the emergence of the science education field of study and his engagement with the field over a period of more than 50 years. The piece is organized using conversation topics through a biographical narrative format that starts at the beginning of Dr. Yager's career, establishing science education at The University of Iowa, the emergence of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) ideas, existing intersections between STS and Socioscientific Issues (SSI) ideas, his reflections on work with doctoral students, and a consideration of the goals and aims for future directions in the field. © 2009by EURASIA.