Science Education Journal

Professional Science Master’s degrees help provide advanced training to students who might become leaders in different STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. They’ve been around since 1997, when grant money helped 14 research universities to establish them, according to an article in a journal entitled Nature. Since that time, some 100 institutions of higher education have awarded Professional Science Master’s degrees in different subjects, the Nature article noted. These Master’s degrees are offered in fields such as:

Biotechnology. The biotech industry has been growing by leaps and bounds. Scientists within this industry work at the molecular and cellular level to create products and materials that might help solve problems in areas such as medicine or the environment. With a Professional Science Master’s degree in biotechnology, graduates might gain a better understanding of what’s involved with running a biotechnology company as a business enterprise.

Bioinformatics. People who work in bioinformatics combine math, computer science, biology and engineering to analyze DNA, the RNA proteins that work with DNA to allow cells to reproduce, and more. With a growth in bioinformatics, there is a growth in databases that contain the information – and an increased need for people who with a balanced education in these fields might understand the information more wholly, according to at least one institution.

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In their first few years of teaching, some teachers may find they still do not have answers to many unsettling classroom learning issues and situations which can cause great stress and ultimately, burn-out. One way to take control of the situation is for teachers to keep a reflective learning log, which can help them vent and at the same time, help them become better teachers.

By taking more responsibility to become involved in their own learning process, reflective journals can guide teachers’ evaluation of the effectiveness of the quality of their teaching and assessment. Reflective learning is at the center of the inquiry process.

Using a Reflective Journal

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