Reviews biology education from 1950 to the present and highlights major assessments of past efforts and current needs (emphasizing "critical elements" in biology curriculum/instruction noted in "Project Synthesis"). The historical perspective and data provided by the assessments are used to seek solutions for the remaining…

Provides evidence indicating that activity-based science programs substantially improve performance in science process/creativity; modestly increase performance on tests of logic, perception, language development, science content, and mathematics; modestly improve attitude toward science and science class; and have pronounced benefits for…

Describes Project COLD (Climate, Ocean, Land, Discovery) a scientific study of the Polar Regions, a collection of 35 modules used within the framework of existing subjects: oceanography, biology, geology, meterology, geography, social science. Includes a partial list of topics and one activity (geodesic dome) from a module. (Author/SK)

Outlines the stages of a research-development cycle based on experiences with a Dutch physics curriculum development project (PLON). Discusses two topics: the legitimation of specific contents of the curricula and the attention to lay ideas on scientific concepts. (Author/YP)

In this paper, we take up and advance the project of rethinking "scientific literacy" by Eisenhart, Finkel, and Marion (American Educational Research Journal, 1996, 33, 261-295). As part of a project of rethinking science education, we advance three propositions. First, because society is built on division of labor, not everybody needs to know the…

In the summer of 2003, members of Purdue University's School of Technology decided to produce 90 hours of HDTV-quality instructional video as part of a distance-learning initiative. To fully exploit the power of the video medium and the added resolution of high-definition television, the team used virtual-set and advanced computer-graphics…

Driving innovation and continuous improvement with regard to ecological, environmental and human sustainability is essential for win-win globalization. That calls for research on strategic and monitoring planning to manage globalization and technological and scientific change. This paper describes a new basic function of the university institution…

The major focus of this document is to report the current status of the Iowa-ASSIST program, a statewide education improvement model aimed at helping students, teachers, administrators, and citizens to improve science teaching and science offerings in their communities and schools. Described are procedures for establishing 15 regional service…

Overviews the "Nuffield Coordinated Sciences" program. Discusses the aim, coordination of content, presentation, and the writing timetable. (YP)

Reports on effectiveness of an elementary school science program comparing attitudes toward science of Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) students and teachers with those of students and teachers in non-SCIS classes. Students (N=456) indicate preference for SCIS process-approach science, and SCIS teachers (N=109) spend more time teaching…

The background of teaching science in secondary schools in Papua New Guinea is described in order to familiarize readers with the situation at Goroka Teachers' College (GTC) in the early 1980s where it was necessary to attempt to increase educational standards in science. Goroka Teachers' College was the main source of science teachers for…

Summarizes the results from a questionnaire developed to reflect both local concerns and those of national studies in elementary science education in Kansas. The questionnaire included items concerning methods of science instruction, class time spent on science, teacher preparation, approach to metric system, science textual material, and…

Summarizes the philosophy of team teaching and the use of this method in teaching CHEM Study. Includes discussions of scheduling, class time for study, and the role of this course in the school's total chemistry program. (JN)

Comparing the secondary physics courses developed by West Germany's Institute for Science Education (IPN) with similar British curriculum projects, the author argues that the differences in style, content, and reception of these curriculums are related to the social locations of the British teachers and the German academics who devised them.…

Describes various tools, materials, and experiences used to facilitate critical reflection in teaching prospective science teachers. Tools discussed include portfolios, journals, learning maps, the use of metaphors, and proverbs. Such tool use may provide support to generate science-education reform. (AIM)