Newswise — Amid growing concern that too few American students are pursuing science careers and the nation is losing its dominance in this area, Robert H. Tai, assistant professor of science education at U.Va.'s Curry School of Education is using a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to gather and analyze data on what steps or experiences make up the critical transition period on young people taking the path toward the science professions. The study, called "Project Crossover," could lead to improvements in the teaching of science at earlier grades, as well as in the research training of scientists at the doctoral level.
A former high school physics teacher, Tai joined the Curry School faculty in 2001, and has also researched the connections between high school science teaching and students' later success in college science courses.
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