Credit: © ISTOCKPHOTO / BO1982

How do you create an inquisitive mind? Simply accumulating knowledge isn't good enough, suggest Lei Bao and colleagues (Am. J. Phys. 77, 1118–1123; 2009). Specifically, the teaching and learning of 'content knowledge' in physics at middle- and high-school level seems to have little effect on the students' developing ability for scientific reasoning. The findings are based on data collected from more than 3,000 incoming first-year science and engineering university students in China and the USA, all of whom had enrolled in introductory physics courses.

The students' knowledge and their scientific-reasoning ability was assessed via three standardized tests: the 'force concept inventory', used to measure basic knowledge of mechanics, and the 'brief electricity and magnetism assessment', to evaluate content knowledge; and a protocol known as Lawson's classroom test of scientific reasoning, to assess their reasoning skills. The results of these tests might be surprising: the Chinese students had a clear edge when it came to solving physics problems, but this did not translate into better scientific-reasoning ability — here their scores matched those of US students.

Bao et al. presented some key results in an earlier publication (Science 323, 586–587; 2009), but now they offer more detail and context, serving not least to highlight the differences in physics education between the USA and China. The curriculum in the USA is fairly flexible and can vary substantially based on individual choice, whereas education in China comprises five years of physics courses for every secondary-school student.

But there are also differences when it comes to those who teach. In many US states there is a lack of well-qualified science teachers, and they often teach several science courses. In contrast, in China there are hundreds of 'normal universities' dedicated to producing qualified secondary-school teachers. Teachers in China also tend to specialize more: “Except in schools in some under-developed areas, it is not common for a chemistry teacher to teach a physics course or vice versa”, say Bao et al.

It seems, then, that knowing facts does not, in itself, lead to good reasoning skills. As both are needed for success in research, aspects of science teaching might need to be reconsidered. Bao et al. judge that their data support the developing trend in education towards building up knowledge and skills from experience, rather than from bare facts alone.