When students investigate science, they model, imitate, and perform science much as scientists do. Learning science in this way is best, according to the locus of control research. Based on this research, students need to develop an internal belief that they can control science outcomes and become a part of science through their own hands-on…

Science testing, as mandated by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, has refocused attention on the quality of the K-8 science curriculum and instruction in many districts around the country. It has become clear that to improve quality, and meet NCLB requirements, elementary and middle schools must develop different teaching approaches and…

Advancements in handheld computing, particularly its portability, social interactivity, context sensitivity, connectivity, and individuality, open new opportunities for immersive learning environments. This article articulates the pedagogical potential of augmented reality simulations in environmental engineering education by immersing students in…

A comparative study was conducted to compare two approaches to engineering design curriculum between different schools (inter-school) and between two curricular approaches, "Project Lead the Way" (PLTW) and "Engineering Projects in Community Service" (EPIC High) (inter-curricular). The researchers collected curriculum…

The objective of this study was to evaluate grade 9-12 students' motivation while engaged in two different engineering design projects: marble-sorter and bridge designs. The motivation components measured in this study were focused on students' intrinsic (IGO) and extrinsic (EGO) goal orientations, task value (TV), self-efficacy for learning and…

What follows is a description of a simple experiment developed in a non-mathematical general education science course on sound and light for fine arts students in which a guitar is used with data collection hardware and software to verify the properties of standing waves on a string.

This book presents a report on the nature and value of scientific research and with the increasing trend in evidence-based education, explains the similarities and differences between scientific inquiry and inquiry in other disciplines. Contents include: (1) "Accumulation of Scientific Knowledge"; (2) "Guiding Principles for Scientific Inquiry";…

The National Science Education Standards (NSES) emphasize the use of models in science instruction by making it one of the five unifying concepts of science, applicable to all grade levels. The NSES recommend that models be a focus of instruction--helping students understand the use of evidence in science, make and test predictions, use logic, and…

This case study of learning explores the relationship between a chemistry teacher's instrumentalist perspective on the nature of science, the classroom culture that flourished through curriculum enactment during the course of a school year, and development of perspectives on science by his students. An ethnographic methodology was employed, with…

This position statement begins with an outline of the meanings for terms that are central to the session topic at which this paper was presented: inquiry, inquiry learning, scientific inquiry, and scientific method. The central issues of inquiry's place in science education and as a more general educational approach are then discussed. Finally,…

This inaugural address given at the first national convention of the Association of Teachers of English to Speakers of Italian (ATESI) discusses the scientific status of language teaching methodology. (CFM)

Explicates the impact of an 8-week science apprenticeship program on a group of high-ability secondary students' understanding of the nature of science and scientific inquiry. Reports that although most students did appear to gain knowledge about the process of scientific inquiry, their conceptions about key aspects of the nature of science…

Reports on a study designed to (a) determine the effects of visually-enhanced, hands-on student instruction as compared with non-visually enhanced hands-on instruction, and (b) test the feasibility of using simple concept map-like structures as a means of determining student conceptual growth in a non-language dependent manner. Concludes that the…

Clarifies the meaning of the Nature of Science (NOS) and scientific inquiry in the context of reform efforts in science education. Delineates several misconceptions promoted (or ignored) by reform efforts. Proposes that without explicit instructional attention to the NOS and scientific inquiry, students will once again learn science subject matter…