This dissertation addresses the question of how structured out-of-school-time settings, such as afterschool programs and summer camps, are positioned to support children's engagement and learning in science. This study addresses a gap in the research literature that does not fully specify the nature of the out-of-school-time (OST) setting and that…

Piaget's work is seen as a basis for the assessment of a projected course. The stages of a course ought to follow the same order of increasing logical complexity as are present in the pupils' own development. (LS)

Presented is a study of a science program for upper elementary and middle school children encouraging the development of logical thinking skills, describing variables, interpreting and criticizing experiments, and understanding experiment design. To provide a basis for the program, the students suggested projects to be done and developed…

Cognitive preferences of 177 able, science-oriented high school students who participated in a secondary science training program at the University of Iowa in the summer were studied. A Biology Cognitive Preference Test (BCPT) was administered, in which 20 items required ranking and 20 items required rating on a four-point scale. The items were…

Student outcomes were assessed by quantitatively combining results of 57 reported evaluations of three major curriculum programs in elementary school science. Thirty-two percent of the comparisons were statistically significant, favoring activity-based programs; six percent favored control groups. (DH)

Learning in Science Project findings have highlighted the quality of interaction between students and teachers as the key to effective learning. Major aspects of this interaction include focusing attention, linking to children's science, encouraging discussion, guiding investigations, challenging ideas/findings, and helping the restructuring…

These hearings focused on topics and issues related to the status, quality, and improvement of K-12 science and mathematics in the Pittsburgh area. Science and mathematics teachers, school administrators, school board members, industry leaders, and college officials provided a firsthand description of the nature and direction of science and…

Seventeen selected research studies relating student learning with teacher characteristics and personality in grades 7-12 science classrooms are reviewed. Methodology, objectives, and major findings of the 1960 "Teacher Characteristics Study" and short summaries of nine additional studies are considered in the first section dealing with…

Common misconceptions of children that may interfere with their learning science are discussed, including three aspects of science programs: complexity, fragility, and unclear learning outcomes. Special attention is given to the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS). Methods for solving problems dealing with students' misconceptions are then…

This volume is composed of 11 source documents which report activities sponsored by the National Science Board Commission on Precollege Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, deliberations of a subgroup of the National Science Foundation Engineering Advisory Committee, and a paper prepared for the Pfizer Corporation. The first four…