Describes a project designed to deliver statistically sound evidence of improved student learning in classrooms using the environment as an integrating context for learning. (DDR)

Reports on a research study designed to understand the influence of education on the level of recycling in communities and counties in Iowa. Focuses on different types of education, distribution methods, expenditures, and messages. (DDR)

Discusses the analytical processes and outcomes of a doctoral study in environmental education that investigated teachers' thinking and practice regarding the contributions of geography teaching to students' environmental education. (Contains 33 references.) (DDR)

Describes hands-on science areas that focus on trees. A project on leaf pigmentation involves putting crushed leaves in a test tube with solvent acetone to dissolve pigment. In another project, students learn taxonomy by sorting and classifying leaves based on observable characteristics. Includes a language arts connection. (PVD)

Analyzes junior high school students' astronomy conceptions by means of a written questionnaire and delineates the main findings. Focuses on the effect on climate of the relative positions of the earth, moon and sun. (Contains 41 references.) (DDR)

Introduces the Science Teacher Education Program (STEP) and its components which can be effectively used in developing countries such as Africa or in countries having problems with science achievement. (Contains 12 references.) (ASK)

Presents science activities suggesting ways to incorporate water into different subject areas such as science, mathematics, history and society, and the arts. (YDS)

In recent years, US curriculum policy has emphasized standards-based conceptions of curricula in mathematics and science. This paper explores the data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) to argue that the presence of content standards is not sufficient to guarantee curricula that lead to high-quality instruction and…

This study aimed to assess the influence of a philosophy of science (POS) course on science teachers' views of nature of science (NOS), perceptions of teaching about NOS, and instructional planning related to NOS. Participants were 56 undergraduate and graduate preservice secondary science teachers enrolled in a two science-methods course…

School-based assessment of science students' practical skills has two important roles--as a complement to written papers in public examinations and as a catalyst for enriching the science curriculum in schools. This article describes a quantitative study of the concerns chemistry and biology teachers experience as they engage in the process of…

The question of whether "intelligent design" amounts to legitimate science, pseudo-science, or religion masquerading as science has underwent a potentially historic legal test, as a federal court in Pennsylvania considered whether a public school district can require that students be exposed to the controversial concept. Eleven parents…

In this article, the author presents the "Praise Acres Project," which was initiated from a letter written by a local resident. The resident wrote about an idea to develop a wetlands and outdoor lab facility on his property for students. Thus, a plan was conceived that would not only benefit the owner, but also enhance high school science…

When thinking about talk and discussion in primary science, the author often returns to the little gem of a book by Douglas Barnes--"From communication to curriculum" (1976). Barnes used observations of science lessons to make cogent points about the value of talk for both thinking and communication. A useful distinction that he…

Pupils' books in primary science are either rarely used, underused, or misused, even though many excellent books and schemes exist. Various explanations have been offered, such as cost, lack of "match" to the QCA scheme, failure to differentiate, lack of visual literacy, cultural inappropriateness, and language problems (Peacock, 1995, 1997). So…

This study examined relationships between conceptual understanding, self-efficacy, and outcome expectancy beliefs as preservice teachers learned science in a constructivist-oriented methods class. Participants included 49 preservice elementary teachers. Analysis revealed that participants increased in self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, and…