Improving the quality of primary and secondary education has become a national imperative, especially in the fields of mathematics and science. Many have cited the results of international comparisons as cause for alarm and thus for the need to make fundamental changes in the educational system. With so much attention focused on the need for…

Developed in accordance with "Rules, Regulations, and Minimum Standards" of the Tennessee State Board of Education, this publication serves as a basis for developing science curriculum guides for teachers of science in grades K-8. In this framework, science skills are listed by grade groups: K-2; 3-4; 5-6; and 7-8. These skills are…

The National Science Foundation (NSF) provides awards for education and research in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering. This publication contains information on fiscal year 1986 awards. An introductory section reviews the goals of NSF's education program and the long-range goals of the Directorate for Science and Engineering Education.…

This study was designed to identify the variables that are the strongest predictors of elementary school science achievement in selected schools in the Republic of China. Thirty-eight schools (2950 students) were selected for the study and were representative of large and middle size schools throughout the country. Variables investigated included:…

Most Aboriginal people in Australia lack the background qualifications to enter higher education courses in science and mathematics. In 1984, the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT) (now Curtin University of Technology) developed a project which created and evaluated bridging courses for Aboriginal people seeking to gain access into…

This document provides a unit of lessons and activities on thunder storms and blizzards that are intended to provide students with a basic understanding of the causes and consequences of these natural disasters. The booklet is designed to be used in correlation with a science unit or as a supplement to an elementary science curriculum. The lessons…

In an effort to improve students' interests in science and science courses, a study was conducted in Israel to evaluate students' attitudes towards science relative to two chemistry curricula. These curricula were Chemistry for High Schools (CFH), and Chemistry--A Challenge (CAC). The CFH program was mainly designed for science-oriented students…

One in a series of publications on Illinois' State Goals for Learning, this report identifies what students are expected to know in the biological and physical sciences by the time they complete their elementary and secondary education. A sample set of learning objectives is provided to assist districts in the development of their own objectives.…

This report is a compilation of presentations made at a symposium which focused on various topics and issues related to the current status of science and mathematics education at the national, state, and local levels. These presentations are: (1) "Growing Recognition of a Serious National Problem in Science Education" by M. Joan Parent…

The environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s caused an increase in special interest magazines on the market and in environmental education programs in the schools. These magazines communicated science and environmental information, which often could not be found anywhere else, to an increasingly sophisticated audience. However, the field of…

This report is based on a study of professional education and career directions in the field of Science, Engineering and Public Policy (SEPP). It used data collected from surveys of 21 SEPP graduate programs, approximately 550 alumni from 16 of these programs, and employees and professionals who entered the field without formal SEPP education.…

The unified science approach to instruction is one in which the concepts and processes of science are presented to emphasize the fundamental unity of scientific thought rather than the distinctions among the various scientific disciplines. The general thrust of this program is to provide students with motivating, meaningful units that will…

This paper examines the effect of using a systems thinking approach in existing secondary school curricula to teach content-specific knowledge as well as general problem solving skills, and the effect of using STELLA (Structural Thinking Experimental Learning Laboratory with Animation), a simulation-modeling software program, as a tool by which to…

This conference was designed to provide information on the development and implementation of seven undergraduate science courses primarily for non-science majors at Lehigh University, to examine what ought to be the objectives of courses such as these in the liberal arts curriculum, and to describe parallel efforts with similar educational…

A major study of Canadian science education was undertaken in 1980 to establish a documented basis for describing the present purposes and general characteristics of science teaching in Canadian schools, to provide an historical analysis of science education in Canada, and to stimulate active deliberation concerning future options for science…