Examines science course selection by curriculum candidates (N=2178) for Northern Ireland GCE 0 level in 1980. Data are provided for nature (biology, chemistry, physics) and number of courses selected, and achievement (pass/failure rates). Data are also reported for males/females and type of school. (JN)

Argues that fostering early science interest could act as a stimulus for lasting interest, affecting numbers of students opting for secondary school science courses. Identifies problems in testing this argument by research, highlighting two areas: control of inter-school variables and need for a measure of quality of primary science itself. (JN)

Discusses the role of history, philosophy, and social implications of scientific ideas and advances related to the physics curriculum, considering who should teach what, to whom, and when. Suggests that physics teachers should have a deep and abiding interest in the history, philosophy, and social implications of science and technology. (Author/JN)

Briefly discusses five fundamental goals for science education. Goals focus on developing scientific and technological process and inquiry skills; teaching to provide scientific/technological knowledge; student demonstration of knowledge; student use of knowledge for personal/social decisions; and student examination of science/society/technology…

Examines curriculum change from a historical perspective, focusing on forms of knowledge/ways of knowing. Discusses curriculum development in relation to sociology of knowledge, tracing history of change as science matured. Suggests that school science is a social construct, questioning the manipulative use and responsibility for scientifically…

Discusses various issues related to science education reform in Great Britain. The principle concern is over the extent to which content of both courses/examinations provides children with skills/attitudes relevant to their needs in the modern world. Although all agree that changes are needed, reforms may prove elusive. (JN)

Students develop and use actual instrumentation in this course which focuses on analog computers, digital electronics, computer interfacing, and online computer techniques. Includes a student handout on the design of a bridge amplifier unit. Mimeographed experiment directions are available from the authors. (SK)

Course topics for and instructional strategies used in an undergraduate nuclear war course are provided. Strategies include use of documentaries, cartoons, and fiction films to enhance reality of concepts being discussed. The course was successful as judged by oral/written student evaluations. (JN)

"Perspectives on Nuclear War" is an interdisciplinary course offered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on an experimental basis during the 1981-82 academic year. Course scope/structure (including lecture schedule), readings, and requirements are provided. Suggests that similar courses should be developed and installed in curricula…

Describes a course on the nuclear age taught at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Almost all of the material covered has some political content, from weapons design and doctrine to decisions related to arms control. A list of reading resources used in the course is included. (JN)

Describes an interdisciplinary course on nuclear war offered at George Mason University (Virginia). Includes listing of the technical and nontechnical topics addressed in the course, instructional strategies, evaluation/grading methods, characteristics of students taking the course, and course evaluation. (JN)

Discusses the interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary nature of the BSCS Human Sciences Program and problems associated with the development, dissemination, and use of such curricula. Poses a series of questions related to these problems and discusses influences of single-issues pressure groups on science teaching. (JN)

Presents a botany unit designed to provide understanding of a plant life cycle, plant parts and functions, and variety within the plant world. The unit is organized according to plant morphology (structure). Each section includes concepts fostered, suggestions for focused discussions, experiments, and activities to support concept development.…

Identifies issues related to science/mathematics education in precollege schooling. Issues discussed are products of a conceptual analysis and synthesis of reports, surveys, and other documents issued by scientific/professional societies within the past decade. Issues relate to curriculum, instruction, learning, educational quality, teachers, and…

Reviews Outdoor Biology Instructional Strategies (OBIS) materials. The program, consisting of 97 nonsequential biology/ecology activities (games, simulations, crafts, experiments, data analyses), teach environmental concepts and an understanding/appreciation of the environment. Indicates effectiveness of the materials in motivating students,…