REHOVOT, Israel - A novel education program now being tested in Israel appears effective in reducing "science-shyness" among high school students not normally inclined to pursue science studies.

A program called "Geotop for Nonscience Majors" has been developed by education researchers at the Weizmann Institute. Geotop is incorporated into the 11th and 12th grade curriculum. Students choose a project for data collection and analysis. Some subjects chosen to date include "Seasonal Changes of the Beach and their Relation to Cliff Erosion" and "Techniques for Copper Mining at Present and in Ancient Egypt."

The new program has been tested at 15 high schools. A survey of 151 participants, all students who said they would normally avoid science classes, showed promising results. Two-thirds of the students said they felt more involved with their environment, and a similar number reported using the knowledge they had gained in their daily lives. A third of the students viewed the experience so favorably they said they had decided to pursue more advanced scientific studies. Ninety-nine percent of those surveyed said they would recommend the program to other students.

"Geotop gives social science students, many of whom suffered failure and frustration in their former science studies, another -- and maybe last -- opportunity to experience science in a more positive light. Our growing awareness of the needs of scientifically-gifted students does not mean we should abandon this silent majority," said program designer Dr. Nir Orion, Weizmann Institute, Department of Science Teaching.

The Geotop program is described in detail in Dr. Orion's article in the November 1994 issue of the Journal of Research in Science & Technology Education.

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