Example Career: Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Career Description

Teach courses in biological sciences. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

What Job Titles Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary Might Have

• Biological Sciences Professor
• Biology Instructor
• Biology Professor
• Professor

What Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary Do

• Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as molecular biology, marine biology, and botany.
• Prepare materials for laboratory activities and course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
• Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
• Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
• Supervise students' laboratory work.
• Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
• Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
• Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
• Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
• Assist students who need extra help with their coursework outside of class.
• Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
• Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction.
• Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
• Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
• Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
• Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
• Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks and laboratory equipment.
• Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
• Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
• Provide students course-related experiences, such as field trips, outside the classroom.
• Review papers for publication in journals.
• Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.

What Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary Should Be Good At

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

What Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary Should Be Interested In

• Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

What Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary Need to Learn

• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.