Editorial - January 2009 - Volume 109 (1)

A Time of Change

Gerald Kulm, Texas A&M University

As a new year and a new volume of this Journal begins, it is difficult not to reflect on the many challenges we face as individuals, educators, and citizens. It truly continues to be a time of change-and whatever the future brings, it is sure to be interesting.

On a somber note, we are saddened by the passing of Dr. Wali Abdi, long-time Book Review Editor for this Journal. Although I never had the personal privilege of meeting Dr. Abdi, his dedication, longevity, and scholarship were rare qualities that we will miss. One can hope that the next generation of science and mathematics educators who will come after him and my fellow seniors will exhibit similar traits.

The Editor and SSMA Publication Committee are considering the future of the Book Review feature. The book reviewers are a dedicated group who were loyal to Dr. Abdi and who have performed a valuable service to the Journal. However, in an age of burgeoning publication of books and the availability of online reviews, one might question the value of traditional book reviews that are less timely. The Editor and Publication Committee are open to suggestions or comments on the possible continuation of the Book Review Section, or some alternative.

On the topic of change, readers should have noted that we recently added Research in the Classroom as a regular feature. One purpose of the section is to appeal to K-12 teachers, as well as teacher educators and professional development leaders. These articles are intended to reflect classroom-based studies and innovations that are grounded in research. Going beyond simple descriptions of successful lessons or teaching ideas, these articles build on and apply previous research in real settings. Outcomes and results are reflected in informal data that include anecdotal examples of effects on students. We invite manuscripts for this feature through the regular online procedure. The Editor identifies and selects manuscripts that fit the purposes and format.

The recruitment and retention of peer reviewers is an ongoing change process for the Journal. In this issue, we have listed those who have reviewed at least one manuscript this year. We express our deep appreciation for their voluntary valuable professional service to the Journal. The authors of manuscripts depend heavily on the expertise, objectivity, and timeliness of peer reviews. One notable change over the past two years has been the increase in the number of international manuscripts. At the same time, the international reviewer pool has also grown. We appreciate the willingness and efforts that our international colleagues have shown in sharing the responsibility of service in this task. As this third year of my Editorship begins, we will be purging, updating, and replenishing the reviewer list. Those reviewers who have not responded to requests to review manuscripts for the past two years will be asked if they wish to remain or be dropped from the list. We hope that the active reviewers will continue their service. As always, we welcome the application of reviewers who wish to join in this effort. A reviewer application form can be found on the web site.

One of the interesting aspects of journal Editorship is the opportunity to view the range of manuscript topics which reflect the current practice of research in science and mathematics education. Although it is difficult to see clear patterns or changes, a few do seem to emerge. As noted earlier, research has begun to look more diverse and international in flavor. In some sense, these international studies follow the trends of U. S. research, sometimes providing a chance for replication of teaching approaches or theories in very different populations. At the very least, they force us to face the idea that we may be provincial or over-confident in the strength of our literature reviews or research frameworks. In the U. S. and abroad, the topic of teacher knowledge and development continues to be a central area of research. Preservice teachers, as a convenient population, are the center of this effort making it more challenging to decide whether new knowledge is developed by the plethora of individual studies at diverse teacher preparation institutions. It does seem to be time for a careful synthesis of this work.

On the national scene, we have yet to discern the focus of the new administration in educational funding for science and mathematics education, including research. There seem to be some indications that an emphasis on teachers and teaching might be important. Certainly, there will be continued concern with the achievement gap here at home and in comparison with international peers, especially in science and mathematics. Recently, larger economic and financial problems have overshadowed the concerns of education. In the long run, however, education is a key to the solution of many of the economic issues that are emerging, including unemployment and the ability of citizens to manage their own finances with intelligence and common sense. Science and mathematics educators will have important roles to play in the coming era of change.