This inquiry uses teacher-candidate critiques of science lessons as a means of evaluating the effectiveness of an instructor's pedagogical approach to promote teacher candidate understanding of the nature of science (NOS) in a science methods course. Three cohorts of teacher candidates enrolled in a middle-years teacher education program were…

Previous research on the relationship between age and creativity has shown that career age, rather than chronological age, correlates best with longitudinal changes in creative productivity. Recently, Dietrich (2004) proposed a new theoretical framework that integrates cognitive neuroscience with the findings of creativity research. By identifying…

The principles, difficulties and challenges in control education are discussed and compared to the similar problems in the teaching of mathematics and systems science in general. The difficulties of today's students to appreciate the classical teaching of engineering disciplines, which are based on rigorous and scientifically sound grounds, are…

This article reports on the outcomes of a study that compared implicit and explicit teaching approaches on the development of contemporary conceptions of the nature of science (NoS). The sample comprised two groups of prospective primary teachers in the Republic of Ireland, all non-specialists in science. Research has shown that contemporary…

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of three different approaches to professional development in Earth science education: preparing teachers to "adopt" expert-"design" curricula; preparing teachers to use a principled approach to design curricula; and preparing teachers to use a principled approach to "adapt" curricula. The claims…

This document sets forth recommendations for the design of a new science assessment. The assessment resulting from this framework will start a new NAEP science trend (i.e., measure of student progress in science) beginning in 2009. This framework represents a unique opportunity to build on previous NAEP science work as well as key developments in…

The ever-increasing global demand for energy has sparked renewed interest within the engineering community in the study of sustainable alternative energy sources. This paper discusses a power generation system which uses biomass as "fuel" to illustrate the concepts taught to students taking a graduate level chemical engineering process…

This study sought to infer dimensions of scientific literacy with regard to a theoretical definition for a group of science-oriented persons, for a group of nonscience-oriented persons, and for the two groups combined. Relationships between the inferred dimensions and the predictor variables, educational level, amount of science education,…

Designed for use at either the elementary or secondary level, this guide to snowshoe instruction provides teachers and students with background information, proper care instruction, and various methods of use. Emphasis is placed upon an interdisciplinary approach to outdoor education and winter studies. Illustrations and photographs enhance…

This inventory, developed for use with the Harvard Project Physics curriculum, consists of 135 two-choice (agree-disagree) items. Items cover perceptions of the role of scientists, the nature and functions of theories, underlying assumptions made by scientists, and other aspects of the scientific process. The test is suitable for high school…

This booklet presents the language used in dealing with water. The booklet is intended to provide decision-makers with an adequate base of information to analyze water sources for consumption, recreation, and industry. The first section defines water and its properties, geologic locations, domestic and industrial uses, and patterns of change. The…

This paper is an attempt to claim that teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) can be an autonomous discipline and that it needs to be a single discipline instead of bits and pieces of related sciences put together. A workable theory of TEFL could have its basis on the general framework of communication. What is needed is an integrated…

This study appraises some aspects of student development that have resulted from instruction in three different physical science courses: Traditional Physical Science, Interaction of Matter and Energy, and Introductory Physical Science. The students were analyzed for differences in understanding of science, achievement in science, or vocational…

Describes a community interest short course in physics developed to increase awareness of the methods and principles of science. (SL)