Despite the progress in technology since the time of Maria Montessori, the science curriculum has been pushed aside slowly as teachers' focus has shifted to literacy and mathematics. The Early Childhood classroom has grown complacent with miniature life cycle lessons and attractive puzzles; the time has come to return science to a critical…

In South Africa, the Grade 12 "classes of 2008 and 2009" were the first to write examinations under the revised Life Sciences (Biology) curriculum which focuses on outcomes-based education (OBE). This paper presents an exploration of what students (as learners) considered to be difficult and interesting in Grades 10-12 Life Sciences…

This study is an evaluation of "Exploring Motion and Forces: Speed, Acceleration, and Friction" ("M&F") developed by ARIES of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (2001). Although "M&F" has been used in many schools and field-tested, it has never been evaluated in rigorous experimental or…

The context and nature of teacher efficacy beliefs provide a method upon which to explore science teachers' perceptions of their teaching effectiveness and student achievement as a function of ethnicity. Promotion of a more in-depth knowledge of science teaching efficacy requires cross-sectional and longitudinal investigations. In this study, a…

The central focus of this study was the development, use and evaluation of CD-ROM picture books in elementary school science teaching. Three CD-ROM picture books based on the Campus Insects unit from the new elementary school science curriculum in Taiwan were developed. A quasi-experimental method was used to compare the use of the CD-ROMs and…

Still largely based on EuroCanadian knowledge and Western teachings, Education in Nunavut remains a negative experience for many Nunavut youth as the result of culturally inappropriate schooling and worldview mismatch. Mismatch occurs as the schooling experiences of Nunavut youth, both Inuit and non-Inuit, do not align with the character, values,…

This analysis focuses on two writing activities required by a middle school science curriculum unit to demonstrate how particular forms of writing guide students to frame their knowledge in important ways. Following the completion of charts and "Think and Write" questions related to a single scientific phenomenon, I trace how students identify the…

A priority for all biology teachers must be for students to leave the classroom with a broad knowledge and understanding of science. Students need to be critical of science, analyze science, and relate new science knowledge to their daily lives. Unfortunately, many students are not reaching this goal. One strategy for making science laboratories…

In this study, the participants conceptualized and implemented an action research project that focused on the infusion of inquiry principles into a neglected science curriculum. Specific objectives were to find (a) What factors challenge and support the evolution of an action research community of practice? (b) How are teachers' beliefs about…

Emerging evidence indicates that culture influences pupils learning of science. However, the influence of culture on science learning is usually not considered when developing science curricular for both primary and secondary schools. This study investigated the extent to which primary and secondary school pupils believe in cultural…

This study explores the concepts and behaviors, otherwise referred to as "orientations", of six Indian science teachers and the alignment of these orientations to the 2005 India National Curriculum Framework (NCF-2005). Differences in teachers' orientations across grade bands (elementary, middle, and secondary) and school types (public…

In 2011, the Department of Human Biosciences introduced two physiology capstone subjects as part of the Design for Learning Project at La Trobe University. Consistent with the project, the aims of these subjects were to provide an effective culmination point for the Bachelor of Health Science course and to offer students orientation to…

This article describes efforts to develop educators, in both formal and informal settings, who possess theories of teaching and learning that not only encompass but, perhaps, depend on bridging institutional and contextual boundaries. It describes the experiences of The Exploratorium, a museum in San Francisco, King's College London, and the…

During the past three years, a team from the Centre for Science Education at Sheffield Hallam University, the University of Salford, the University of York, Glasshead and Teachers TV, has been working in collaboration to develop a series of blended media resources to support the teaching and learning of How Science Works (HSW) at Key Stages 3 and…

An educational priority of many nations is to enhance mathematical learning in early childhood. One area in need of special attention is that of statistics. This paper argues for a renewed focus on statistical reasoning in the beginning school years, with opportunities for children to engage in data modelling activities. Such modelling involves…