Background: Asking questions is an important scientific practice, and students around the world are expected to learn how to ask their own research questions while performing inquiry. In contrast to authentic scientific inquiry, in most simple inquiry tasks that are carried out in schools, the research questions are given to the students. Here, we…

A quantitative synthesis of research findings on the effects of three major activity-based elementary science programs developed with National Science Foundation support was conducted. Controlled evaluation studies of the Elementary Science Study (ESS), Science-A Process Approach (SAPA), or The Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) were used…

Several research studies that can provide direction for improving elementary school science programs are highlighted. Selected results are summarized and suggestions given to elementary school administrators for translating research into action in their schools, action which can lead to improved teaching and learning in science. Studies are…

Provided are suggestions and recommendations for each item on the checklist, contained in Part A of the handbook, which was designed to help elementary school principals assess and improve science programs in their schools. Suggestions/recommendations, designed to make the checklist more meaningful and useful, are keyed by number and/or letter to…

This checklist is designed to help elementary school principals assess and improve science programs in their schools. The checklist is divided into four major sections, each dealing with an area that has an impact on these programs: (1) administrative aspects, considering the science curriculum plan, provisions for science in the budget,…