Studying nature from the atomic and molecular perspective gives students access to modern scientific paradigms and could improve achievement and motivation towards science learning. A visual and tactile approach to chemistry can form the foundation for a child-friendly but high-level chemistry curriculum and could be a powerful tool to invigorate…

Active learning can engage high school students to learn science, yet there is limited understanding if active learning can help students learn challenging science concepts such as genetics and biotechnology. This quasi-experimental study explored the effects of active learning compared to passive learning regarding high school students'…

The principles of course redesign that were applied to a gateway Cell Biology course at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee are applicable to courses large and small, and to institutions of any size. The challenge was to design a content-rich science course that kept pace with present and future content and at the same time use principles of…

This paper describes a novel science education initiative developed for 8-to 12-year-old children by the Biomedical Diagnostics Institute at Dublin City University, Ireland. "Me and My Body" (MAMBO) is an interactive, multi-faceted programme that enables children to explore and understand the dynamic physiological parameters of the human…

We report on an outcomes assessment of the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Using follow-up survey data and academic transcripts, we gauge SURE's impact on levels of interest in, preparedness for, and actual pursuit of graduate study and professional careers in the sciences for the…

Describes the science program offered at Forest View High School, Arlington Heights, Illinois. A wide variety of science courses have been included in the program in response to a survey of student opinion regarding the science topics that they wished to study. (JR)

Advocates the use of an integrated science-and-literature program to improve the negative image of science that many students now have. (JR)

Web-based computer-aided instruction (CAI) has become increasingly important to medical curricula. This multi-year study investigated the effectiveness of CAI and the factors affecting level of individual use. Three CAI were tested that differed in specificity of applicability to the curriculum and in the level of student interaction with the CAI.…

This report describes a project to develop and test a number of individualized vocational physics modules designed to be laboratory-oriented, written at the lowest reading level, and supplemented with audiovisual materials. The report includes descriptions of the procedures used to develop, pilot test, and disseminate the materials. Each of the…

A project developed, delivered, and evaluated a science inservice program for K-8 teachers of hearing impaired children. Twenty-five participants were selected for this project from a pool of 200 licensed hearing impaired teachers in the State of Indiana. The inservice program included a 5-day summer session and two follow-up workshops during the…

Described is the relationship between a middle school and a medical school. Discussed are the background; selection, recruitment and enrollment of students; fostering teacher commitment and cooperation; curriculum design and implementation; student and parent involvement; and applicability to other settings. (KR)

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…

Recent years have seen a growth not only in biological knowledge but also, and more significantly for teacher education, in the types of knowledge manifested in biology. No longer, therefore, is it adequate for teachers to retain a Mertonian or a Popperian conception of science. Today's teachers of science need also to be able to help their…

This keynote address reported on the current state of science education in three areas: curriculum development, attitudes toward science, and assessment in science. Three major projects in science curriculum reform were the focus of the section on curriculum development: (1) Project 2061; (2) Scope, Sequence, and Coordination; and (3) Earth…