SAO PAULO—An international group of chemistry educators has recommended greater contact between working scientists and educators as part of an effort to improve public understanding of science.

Delegates to the Ninth International Conference on Chemistry Education held here this summer suggested that scientists involve themselves in communicating news about their work to audiences beyond their professional groups. A conference resolution declared that national scientific bodies should establish impartial media resource services to help improve science reporting in the news media. Science teachers and students should also be exposed to current research through nationally organized programs of regular visits by working scientists to school classrooms and by school groups to research labs and chemical plants, suggested the delegates, who came from 42 nations to attend the week-long conference at the University of SAO Paulo.

The conferees also recom- mended that early chemistry edu- cation at the secondary level focus more on...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!