National Science Education Initiative Tackles Misinformation Through Collaborative Effort

The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) has joined forces with the National Academies and leading science education organizations across the United States to enhance K-12 science instruction through a significant nationwide collaborative effort.

The initiative, known as the Collaborative for Advancing Science Teaching and Learning in K–12 (CASTL K–12), utilizes the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s infrastructure to unite diverse stakeholders in developing coordinated strategies for science education improvement.

“It is an honor for NCSE to have a role in the CASTL K–12 Action Collaborative and be recognized among national leaders who are working tirelessly to strengthen K–12 education,” said NCSE Executive Director Amanda L. Townley. “Our dedication to helping educators overcome and address misconceptions and disinformation about climate science, evolution, and science as a whole is strengthened through this collaboration.”

The collaborative aims to develop coherent strategies for implementing science standards across states and districts, create a networked community of practice for stakeholders, share evidence-based policies and tools, and advance unified communication strategies for K-12 science and engineering education.

NCSE’s participation focuses specifically on the “Retaining and Sustaining High-Quality Science Educators” working group, which addresses the critical need for well-equipped and supported science teachers. This positioning allows NCSE to collaborate with science leaders from organizations such as OpenSciEd, the Exploratorium, state education departments, and university science teacher educators.

The timing of this collaboration coincides with growing concerns about scientific misinformation in classrooms. At the summer 2023 CASTL K–12 meeting in California, participants discussed the National Academies’ report “Understanding and Addressing Misinformation about Science,” which highlights the urgent need to equip both educators and the public with effective tools for navigating scientific misinformation.

The report examines the scope and impacts of misinformation, considers social contexts that shape information engagement, and provides guidance on interventions and policies. Its findings emphasize the need for proactive solutions to address science misinformation in K–12 settings—a challenge that aligns perfectly with NCSE’s existing work.

NCSE’s contribution to this effort centers on its DataWISE classroom resource, which helps students critically evaluate data-based claims. The tool guides students through a structured approach: determining if a claim is Worthy of attention, Inspecting the data, assessing whether interpretations make Sense, and reflecting on Emotions elicited by evidence presentation.

“Our action plan is to further promote and refine DataWISE as a way to support teachers in confronting misinformation while equipping students with the skills to recognize it,” explained Townley. “We believe that with deliberate and repeated use, students can internalize the guiding questions of DataWISE and apply them broadly when evaluating information and misinformation.”

This initiative represents a significant shift in how science education organizations are approaching the challenge of misinformation. Rather than working in isolation, these coordinated efforts leverage shared expertise and resources to create systemic change in how scientific concepts are taught and understood.

NCSE recently participated in a symposium on “Understanding and Addressing Misinformation about Science” at the National Academies in Washington, DC, further strengthening these connections. Their ongoing engagement with the National Academies and other science leadership groups underscores how NCSE’s mission aligns with broader national initiatives.

As scientific misinformation continues to present challenges to education and public understanding, this collaborative approach offers a promising framework for developing effective, evidence-based responses that can be implemented across diverse educational settings nationwide.