How happy are you about teaching science? Building on similar work from the Leverhulme Primary Project and the Primary Horizons, the authors pursued this question with 303 head teachers, science coordinators, and class teachers across England in a recent questionnaire survey. The findings point to very real progress being made in many areas of…

In this study it was aimed to i) diagnose the topics that are perceived as difficult at the level of 6-8 science classes and ii) find out the reasons behind of these difficulties as well as propose suggestions to remedy these difficulties. Eighteen science teachers and three hundred students attending different types of secondary schools…

This book shares the lessons learned by a large community of educational researchers and science teachers as they designed, developed, and investigated a new technology-enhanced learning environment known as WISE: The Web-Based Inquiry Science Environment. WISE offers a collection of free, customizable curriculum projects on topics central to the…

Despite a long tradition, conventional anatomy education based on dissection is declining. This study tested a new virtual reality (VR) technique for anatomy learning based on virtual contrast injection. The aim was to assess whether students value this new three-dimensional (3D) visualization method as a learning tool and what value they gain…

The Program for Leadership in Earth Systems Education (PLESE), a teacher enhancement program sponsored by the National Science Foundation in 1990-94, was a coordinated effort to infuse Earth Systems concepts throughout the K-12 science curriculum across the United States. Characteristics of the program are reviewed in this paper and the results of…

This general overview of science education in the nation is intended to provide some basic information to those who are new to science education reform. It should also give those who have been active in science education additional information and perspective on the problems faced, prospects for involvement, and an indication of some of the…

Technology for Science is a National Science Foundation funded program that is developing and testing curriculum units for teacher materials built around a series of design-oriented science problems called "challenges," mainly for ninth-grade general and physical science classes. Technology for science challenges have a clear connection…

This book asserts that beliefs and values are integral to the scientific enterprise and the theory and practice of education and hence science education, and that it is desirable to explore such matters in the classroom. It aims at helping science teachers demonstrate how spiritual, moral, social, and cultural factors affect science. Chapter 1,…

This document is a laboratory manual for an undergraduate physics course at Purdue University, the major goals of which are to develop students' laboratory skills, to illustrate principles and phenomena described in the physics lectures, and to promote conceptual change about the major topics in Newtonian mechanics. A hardware and software guide…

While the National Research Council spearheads the development of science education standards at the national level, many states have been operating on parallel tracks and have developed state curriculum frameworks. This article describes the state frameworks from California, Florida, and New York, titled "Science Framework for California…

Favorite science topics like seeds and plants, evaporation, light and shadow, and animal observation are the subjects of the eight windowsill science centers included in this book. Each of the science centers includes a discussion of the process skills that students will use, several hands-on activities, explanation of key concepts and vocabulary,…

In 1989 the Texas Alliance for Science, Technology and Mathematics Education began placing teachers of all levels at industry sites as part of its Texas Teacher Internship Program. In 1995, 15 teachers interned at 11 sites. Each teacher was required to develop a curriculum implementation plan which was to illustrate how they would translate the…

This paper describes an instructional method designed to increase opportunities for students to learn and practice appropriate social skills. The strategies for development and implementation of such structured programs of nature-based and animal-based activities are based in part on a pilot program in three urban elementary and middle schools.…

This guidebook sets forth five different methods for analyzing curricula. It is designed to be used primarily by teachers, curriculum supervisors, and administrators but may also be used by parents, students, and community members as they select materials for use in the classroom. The analytic methods are: (1) TIMSS Curriculum and Textbook…

This document is designed to provide practical information for teaching the Science 20-30 Program of Studies. The first section provides an overview of Science 20, explaining the program philosophy as well as clearly demonstrating how the program articulates with the junior and senior high science courses. The use of concept connections and…