Although existing literature suggests that teachers perceive, mobilize, and leverage resources to support ambitious instruction, less is known about how teachers and students jointly take up resources for co-constructing scientific knowledge. This study examines how teachers and students utilize aspects of practice-oriented curriculum materials…

Project work and work placements can help prepare tertiary food science students for the workplace. Programs in the curriculum should support the development of transferable skills such as communication, problem-solving, and planning. This paper describes a case study of a new capstone project for Masters of Food Science students based on a work…

Suggests gardening to help middle school students improve their problem solving and mental abilities. Focuses on the benefits of having a school nutrition garden, and indicates that students can learn about the importance of a healthy diet and share their peers' cultural heritage by growing ethnic foods. Recommends an animal garden to observe…

Investigates science teachers' views about their use of science instructional techniques in general, and the problem-solving teaching approach in particular. Focuses on difficulties faced by science teachers in implementing the problem solving teaching approach in the science classroom. Indicates teachers' concerns about covering the science…

Research on group learning has focused almost exclusively on interactions among individuals within groups; there has been little research on phenomena occurring between groups of learners in classrooms. This exploratory study identifies, describes, and categorizes events occurring between members of different learning groups in three ninth-grade…

Describes a module in which students seek to gain an understanding of factors that interact in the ecological system of their school. Presents sample questions for use in reinforcing concepts and evaluating student learning, directions for four task activities, and topics for some of the remaining task activities. (RT)

The Applications in Biology/Chemistry (ABC) curriculum is a real-world approach designed for the middle 50% of secondary students who may not learn in a predominantly abstract way. Stressing contextual and cooperative learning, ABC features 10 laboratory exercises and other hands-on, problem-solving activities involving visits to job sites and…

Reports on a study intended to determine the science education research interests of elementary teachers and to examine the data according to certain demographic variables. Results indicate that hands-on experience, science content, cognitive development and learning styles, problem solving, and teaching strategies were the top five research…

Describes a new biochemistry laboratory course offered at the University of Scranton (Pennsylvania) which is designed to promote scientific curiosity and creativity. Uses a problems-oriented approach which provides students with independent learning experiences. Provides a listing of some of the course's laboratory exercises. (TW)

A concept/process-based science education program is any science education program in which curriculum instruction, learning, activities, and evaluation are organized by an identified set of fundamental concepts and processes to be developed by students. This differs from science education programs that are topically based. Although topical…

As students observe plant growth, the questions that naturally arise can provide opportunities for student exploration and discovery. This guide presents a collection of activities for students in grades K-8 that turn students' questions into life sciences learning experiences. The guide contains four chapters, each with background information and…

This document addresses some of the factors involved in teaching critical thinking skills in the science classroom. It contains sections that deal with: (1) pair problem solving--creating a Socratic learning environment (emphasizes the role of the teacher); (2) writing to learn science (the thought-process protocol); (3) integrating science…

Major efforts are underway to identify and define a science of science education which will reverse the relationship between research and program development. This trend is toward using research on how learners grow and develop prior to program development and the organization of instructional techniques. Clear scientific explanations of how…

This document describes a programs designed to help students attain the scientific awareness needed to function as effective members of society. The Senior High Science Programs (Alberta, Canada) will focus on students learning the big interconnecting ideas and principles of science; place an increased emphasis on developing methods of inquiry…

An integrated program is presented that focuses on helping students understand the scientific principles behind the natural events they experience and the technologies they use daily in their lives. Students' abilities are developed to ask questions, investigate and experiment, gather, analyze and assess scientific laws and principles and their…