The push for STEM has raised the visibility of engineering as a discipline that all students should learn. With the release of the "Framework for K-12 Science Education" and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), engineering now has an official place in the science curriculum. In both the "Framework" and the NGSS,…

Uses narrative methodology in a qualitative study to understand what becoming a scientist or engineer entails for women stereotyped as model minorities. Narratives revealed that Confucian cultural scripts shaped gender expectations even in families several generations in America. (Author/MM)

Investigated differences between middle school and junior high instructional strategies and the effects on adolescent attitude toward science in school and science achievement (n=570) and evaluated variations within grade level, gender, race, general ability, and socioeconomic group. Discusses results in terms of effectively implementing changes…

"Women in Science Scale," a 27-item instrument for measuring adolescents' attitudes toward women in science careers, was determined to be reliable by estimates of internal consistency (alpha = 0.92) and stability over time (r = 0.82). The instrument also clearly distinguishes between scores of males and females regardless of sex. (JN)

Examines gender differences in fifth- and sixth-grade students' self-reports of confidence, motivation goals, and learning strategies in whole-class and small-group sessions. Overall, results reveal few gender differences and indicate that students report greater confidence and mastery motivation in small-group lessons. Contains 55 references.…

Explores a possible model for the prediction of students' science achievement in China and the United States based on the ninth-grade database from Phase II of the Second IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Science Achievement) Science Study (SISS). Compares the structure of latent factors and model complexity between the two…

Uses design effect and hierarchical linear modeling to explore whether there were significant gender differences in science achievements in Australian schools (grades 5-12). Results indicate that school level differences were more significant in explaining student differences (9-19%) when compared with gender (3%). (ZWH)

Investigated gender patterns with respect to entry rate, project topic, and project type in a state-level science competition. Reports that for the past 20 years the participation rate has been greater for girls than for boys. Boys are more likely than girls to prepare physical, earth, math/computer, and experimental research-based projects. (45…

Proposes a theoretical model of cognitive development and applies this model to the secondary analysis of two large-scale studies which focus on the acquisition of formal operational schemata by adolescents in the United States and Israel. Results support the "unity" hypothesis of cognitive development that the various schemata of formal…

The National Association of Biology Teachers surveyed 1051 members to describe roles, salaries, assignments, professional activities, and evidence of discrimination within its ranks. The responses of male and female biology educators completing/returning the survey (N=509, a 48 percent response rate) are presented and discussed. Implications for…

Examines results of Piagetian spatial research studies while focusing on the existence of gender differences in Piagetian spatial assessments. Results indicate that a majority of performance assessments did not demonstrate a significant difference between males and females. Concludes that the clinical interview results provide evidence of the…

Assesses patterns of enrollment in science, science achievement, and attitudes of students in grades 3-12 representing the 4 major ethnic groups in Hawaii. Results indicate that more differences were accounted for by ethnicity and even grade than by gender and there was little interaction between ethnicity and gender. Contains 78 references.…

Compares the worldview of Native American students of the traditional Kickapoo Band with the worldview encountered in the science classroom. Investigates by conducting periodic observation in two classrooms over an 18-month period of time. Contains 41 references. (DDR)

This study focuses on the conceptions of trainee, primary, and subject teachers about three phenomena: the motion of objects, seasonal changes, and aggregate changes of matter. A total of 198 participants completed a questionnaire concerning two types of tasks. First, teachers evaluated the adequacy of a given explanation as compared to their…

Provides details of the Gender and Ethnic Equity in Science Education (GEESE) program that gives preservice science teachers the opportunity to use clinical observations and reflection as vehicles for discovering the disparate school experiences of the diverse students in their science classrooms. Contains 71 references. (DDR)