This paper examines the experiences of three teachers who were engaged in a project designed to enhance student engagement in mathematics through the development of real-world context activities which enabled students to use mathematics as a tool for responsible citizenship and the pursuit of social justice.

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation spawned a plethora of standardized testing services for all the high stakes testing required by the law. We argue that one-size-fits all assessments disadvantage students who are English Language Learners, in the USA, as well as students with limited economic resources, special needs, and not reading on…

Changes in science education are examined and speculations made on what these changes imply for the future. Among the topics included are science subject matter, the learner and learning, curriculum development, science as inquiry, the laboratory, Piaget and science education, evaluation and teacher education. (PB)

A growing body of evidence indicates that activity-based approaches to teaching science are more effective than traditional methods in producing a wide range of desirable student outcomes at all grade levels. The Elementary Science Education Institute (ESEI) was designed to train elementary science teachers in the use of hands-on science…

In recent years educators and educational researchers in the U.S. have begun to introduce engineering design activities in secondary science classrooms for the purpose of scaffolding science learning as well as supporting such general problem-solving skills as decision making and working in teams. However, such curricula risk perpetuating a…

Recent criticisms of science education in the United States led to a unique experience in the Conroe Independent School District in Texas. An evaluation committee of local professional and eminent scientists was established by the local superintendent to review and evaluate the adequacy of (1) the scope and sequence of science courses; (2)…