The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is the largest, most comprehensive, and most rigorous international comparison of education ever undertaken. During the 1995 school year, the study tested the mathematics and science knowledge of a half-million students from 41 nations at five different grade levels. In addition to…

This document contains the final program and abstracts for the 1997 annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST). Strands of the meeting included "Learning: Students' Conceptions and Conceptual Change"; "Learning: Classroom Contexts and Learner Characteristics"; "Teaching";…

Originally developed in an elementary science program called the Science Curriculum Improvement Study, the learning cycle (LC) teaching approach involves students in an active learning process modeled on four elements of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development: physical experience, referring to the biological growth of the central nervous…

This report summarizes and compares the views of six experts-three university professors and three elementary teacher-concerning elementary-level science teaching. The experts were asked to treat the topic comprehensively by addressing the following: (1) issues of curriculum (goals and objectives, selection and organization of content); (2)…

This course of study is aligned with the California State Science Framework and provides students the biology content needed to become scientifically literate and prepared for post-secondary science education. The course of study is divided into four sections. The first section provides an overview of the course and includes a course description,…

This publication reviews the literature pertaining to teacher education in, about, and for environmental education. The first section includes the definition, goals, and objective of environmental education. The second section summarizes the recent and current status of environmental education in elementary and secondary schools in the United…

This course of study is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of an elementary school science program. In addition to high individual pupil achievement at each grade level, this program is also designed to provide a broad and comprehensive continuum of experiences that lead toward the obtainment of the identified science goals. A strong…

This program has 10 units, each to be taught in 40-50 minute periods. Each unit includes a statement of purpose, concepts to be taught, a list of necessary materials, preparation, and graphics. Guidelines are provided for 10-15 minutes of introduction with classroom discussion, 15-20 minutes of activities and 5-10 minutes of wrap-up discussion.…

It is often stated that science does not have a central place in the elementary school curriculum, unlike other subjects such as reading, writing, and arithmetic. In response to this concern, a project in Indiana is underway to develop a variety of approaches which integrate new materials, methods, and modes of teaching into the elementary school…

Many educators feel that elementary school science programs should concentrate on phenomena and concepts that are literally tangible. This document serves as the teaching manual which accompanies the Capsela modular system of manipulative and motorized models. The experiments in the manual are intended to provide a structured approach to using the…

This document contains the full texts of plenary lectures presented at a conference which focused on developments in integrated science education (ISE), between 1968 and 1978, and on issues and new trends in science education in the 1980s and 1990s. These lectures include: (1) "Interaction of Science and Society" (J. C. Terlouw); (2) "A Review of…

Two lengthy reviews are presented of a series of seven studies, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), on the subject of science education from 1950 to 1975. In "Science Education in the United States during the Third Quarter of the Twentieth Century", Rita Peterson provides an historical view of major events that occurred…

This collection of articles, originally published in national and international journals, is fifth in a series devoted to trends in teaching chemistry. The volume is divided into nine sections, each with an introduction explaining why papers have been selected and outlining their particular interest. Section I provides a list of atomic masses,…

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…

Crustal Evolution Education Project (CEEP) modules were designed to: (1) provide students with the methods and results of continuing investigations into the composition, history, and processes of the earth's crust and the application of this knowledge to man's activities and (2) to be used by teachers with little or no previous background in the…