Against the backdrop of increasing concern about promoting science achievement, describes the uncertain value of school science, examines the construction of science classes without science at one high school, and traces how school participants produce a veritable absence of science in science classes and how the production is sensible given their…

TIMSS (Third International Mathematics and Science Study) is the largest, most ambitious study of comparative education ever attempted. Despite the TIMSS Subject Matter Advisory Committee's best efforts, not all test items truly reflect student math and science achievement. Some items have more than one correct response; some are not grounded in…

Presents a number of analyses based on the results of the Third International Science and Mathematics Study (TIMSS) in Switzerland. Results show that it's possible to reflect the complicated structure of Swiss secondary education in a sampling design and that there's little growth in mathematics literacy in Swiss upper secondary school students.…

An evaluation of the Primary Education Quality Improvement Project in Indonesia illustrates that combining the knowledge base and methodology of educational effectiveness research and cost-effectiveness analysis provides fruitful possibilities for future theoretical/practical developments in both approaches. PEQIP positively affected student…

Presents highlights from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2000 Science Assessment, including average scores and achievement-level performance at the national and state levels. Results show no change in national average scores at grades 4 and 8 and a decline at grade 12, with few changes overall in students' 2000 achievement…

Analyzes two conflicting pieces of evidence--the high-ranking achievement of Australian primary students on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and the knowledge that the quality of primary science education in Australia has been poor for some time. Reveals strengths and weaknesses in Australian elementary science…

With the exception of periodic science fairs or the occasional home-science project, science is not usually the galvanizing force for the school community. But, through family science events, it can be. It is no secret that students whose families are involved in their children's education significantly benefit in achievement, attitudes, and…

This study emerges from the lack of empirical research on gifted students' attributions about academic success and failure in multiple subject areas and school in general. We explored differences in top attributional choices between boys and girls for success and failure in general academics, language arts, science, and mathematics. Gifted…

Does taking advanced courses improve scores on basic achievement tests? This question is difficult to answer because there are many systematic differences between students who choose to take advanced courses and those who don't. This paper uses cutting-edge propensity score methods to control for the selection bias that exists when studying the…

In this interview, Dr. Robert Pavlica discusses the Byram Hills High School Authentic Science Program, which he founded and directs. This program has been replicated in school districts throughout the country, and the expense to start and maintain it is minimal. Students are self-selected into the program based on their desire to study and…

Preservice teachers in a science methods course were provided instruction on performance assessment, then guided through a design and implementation process of performance assessment tasks. We assessed the effect of designing and implementing a performance assessment task on preservice teachers' understanding of standards-based assessment. The…

The current study offers a formative analysis of the impact of learning objects in middle school mathematics and science classrooms. Five reliable and valid measures of effectiveness were used to examine the impact of learning objects from the perspective of 262 students and 8 teachers (14 classrooms) in science or mathematics. The results…

In the current teaching activities on curriculum, teachers taught all kinds of computer language at the most of the time. Students also focus on a variety of examinations, but the real time to train students' independent software developing skill is very limited. This has resulted in the students only to copy other people's systems design ideas,…

America's advantage has historically been its people's creativity, flexibility and entrepreneurship. But just as painters need to be proficient in technique and theory to produce great masterpieces, the next generation of Americans will likely require a solid grounding in mathematics and science for their creativity to be maximized in a world…

Historically, very little research that meets the scientifically based standards as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act has been conducted on the effectiveness of educational technology on student achievement. The purpose of this study was to explore and seek to understand urban city teachers' perspectives on the benefits or effects of…