Discipline-based education research (DBER) conducted by faculty within geoscience departments can address identified needs in undergraduate geoscience education. This study explores the evolution of undergraduate geoscience education research (GER) from 1985 to 2016, primarily in terms of the types of published research and secondarily in terms of…

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Examines research in developmental psychology and science education that has attempted to assess the validity of Piaget's theory of formal thought and its relation to educational practice. Position papers (with little or no empirical support) are not included. (Author/JN)

Reports a study analyzing the inquiry level of science activities within junior high science textbooks and their accompanying supplemental activity guides. (PR)

Describes an exploratory study to identify determinants of elementary student's intentions to perform laboratory and nonlaboratory science activities. Fishbein and Ajzen's theory of reasoned action was used as the basis for the study. (PR)

Reports a study examining the effects of cooperative learning and self-instructional packets--"Group Educational Modules" (GEM)--on the achievement of biology students. Significant differences in achievement (as compared to control groups) were found for students using GEM materials and students in cooperative learning situations. (PR)

Reports a study investigating the utility of 52 items, selected from a readily available item pool developed for instructional purposes, when the items are used to measure critical thinking abilities of biology students. The items had reasonably good internal consistency reliability and good concurrent validity. (PR)

Review of literature concerning problem solving in genetics and Piagetian stage theory. Authors conclude the research suggests that formal-operational thought is not strictly required for the solution of the majority of classical genetics problems; however, some genetic concepts are difficult for concrete operational students to understand.…

Reports a study examining the relationship between affect and achievement for grade eight students in Australia (n=390). It was found that affect is related more strongly to previous than subsequent achievement and that much of the common variance can be attributed to students' perceptions of their competence in science. (PR)

Reports a study that analyzes the importance of individual difference variables in explaining subject performance in formal reasoning in 72 first-year college students. (PR)

Reports a naturalistic study to develop and validate a "Science and Reading Questionnaire" to assess secondary science teachers' attitudes toward science reading and their belief or informed opinions about science reading. The items for this instrument are presented. (PR)

Reports a study that examined the generalizability of selective-attention and academic-studying hypotheses to a modified science chart medium. The adjunct questions used in this study were designed to selectively focus students' attention on specific columns in a modified science chart, with the goal of improving student achievement on a test…

This study reports on a survey in Minnesota designed to provide a picture of the instructional styles that are used by seventh- and eighth-grade science teachers (n=139). Although relationships exist, it appears that seventh- and eighth-grade teachers are individualistic and diverse in their reported teaching technique preferences. (PR)

Responses of 322 university sophomores (education majors) on an evolution problem "How could the bat have evolved wings?" are analyzed and classified. Concludes that misunderstandings are logical. (PR)

Research work in science education is a special area of scholarship within the scientific enterprise. The scientific enterprise ranks with the arts and religion as one of the major areas of human endeavor. Science education can be classified within science, albeit it stands as a poor cousin when compared with physics, biology and other fields. The…