The reviews of articles contained in this issue have been grouped into those dealing with research related to cognitive development and to instruction. In addition, seven science education researchers have provided responses to critiques of their published research. Included are: (1) an analysis of an article designed to persuade researchers to…

This paper examines how teachers develop and modify professional knowledge in response to experience and to new research knowledge. A discussion is presented on the interaction of propositional knowledge (the basic medium of classroom and research knowledge) and practical knowledge (the observable competence apparent in successful professional…

Most children become excited about science because they can do something and because they can watch the results. These are some of the answers most elementary school students tell you when they are asked about science class. It has been substantiated by decades of research that experiential experiences are exciting and remembered, visual and…

This practicum was designed to increase and expand the use of an environmental education center available in the Bladen Lakes State Forest in Elizabethtown, North Carolina. The immediate goal was to provide teachers with a new awareness of the offerings and availability of the site to increase the likelihood of participation with students. The…

This staff development program was directed toward the implementation of a new, hands-on elementary science program. The primary focus was three-fold: (1) to train teachers to implement a new program; (2) to increase the time devoted to science instruction; and (3) to provide teachers with additional science content background. This approach…

Acknowledging a recent increased interest in research about self-directed learning, this report analyzes and discusses two different forms of education: self-directed learning and distance education. Here, self-directed learning is identical with autodidactic learning, a form of education that cannot be included in organized adult education; the…

A functional paradigm was used as a means of interpreting why teachers and classrooms function as they do. An assessment of the nature and sources of the functional paradigms of high school biology teachers was the major consideration of this study. A population of 28 experienced high school biology teachers recognized for exemplary teaching…

Some researchers have argued that it is important to match teaching styles with students' learning styles, although a relatively small amount of research has been done on learning styles in science. This study focused on the differences between male and female secondary school chemistry students in an effort to determine the relationship of gender…

A college course in Organizational Communication typically involves the study of how people act within organizations, and why. Instructors should design a course which provides a realistically complex and extensive experiential simulation of organizational social dynamics over time, while still providing adequate theoretical input to facilitate a…

Views on the 1985 Association of American Colleges' (AAC) report, "Integrity in the College Curriculum," are presented based on lessons from the Greeks and specifically the period 450 to 350 B.C.E. Seven inferences are made on what an Athenian might offer in response to the AAC Report. For the Greeks, the goal of education was wisdom and…

Quantitative data and descriptive data (written self-evaluation and journal entries) were collected from young adults participating in a standard 26-day Outward Bound course during a quasi-experimental control group design experiment to determine the degree to which participation in a high risk wilderness program leads to self-discovery,…

A study examined the process of awarding credit to youth participating in a special group of employment and training programs. Using a student questionnaire, field researchers collected data concerning 21 Youthwork, Inc., Exemplary In-School Demonstration Projects with one of the following four program focus areas: academic credit for work…

In 1979 a program was initiated at the Georges Valley High School in Thomaston, Maine, to identify high risk students who would be likely to drop out of high school and then to design and implement a program for ninth grade students that would motivate them to stay in school. A subsequent review of the impact of the program on its participants…

Designed for students in the Dallas County Community College District's (DCCCD's) cooperative education program, this guide provides information on obtaining college credit for the development and achievement of learning objectives through current work experience. After introductory material on the benefits of participating in the program,…

In order to satisfy the needs of the many adults without a high school diploma, the New York State External High School Diploma Program was developed in 1972 as an alternative high school credentialing program for adults who have acquired skills through their life experiences and can demonstrate these skills in applied performance tests. The…