Project 2061 is a three-phase plan of action designed to contribute to the reform of science, mathematics, and technology education. Phase I was to establish a conceptual base for reform by spelling out the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that all students should acquire as a result of their experiences from kindergarten through high school.…

This study attempts to determine whether there exists a negative interconnection between the creative and testable nature-of-science (NOS) conceptions in college students' conceptual ecology by investigating, through a pair of IHV-assisted teaching experiments, the effect of raising the status of each NOS conception in students' conceptual ecology…

The Engineering Department's vision for undergraduate education for the next century is to develop a set of laboratory experiences that are thoughtfully sequenced and integrated to promote the full development of students in all courses. Optoelectronics is one of the most important and most demanding courses in Electrical and Computer Engineering.…

In a discussion of the development of higher education in America, its European roots are traced to provide a historical perspective to some current issues. The paper examines the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Enlightenment in relation to the influence that each of these historical periods had on the first colleges and universities in this…

The Nature of Scientific Knowledge Scale (NSKS) is a 48 item, Likert-type instrument designed to assess high school students' understanding of the nature of scientific knowledge. This attitude scale is based on a six-factor model adapted from the factor-explication format used by Victor Showalter. Scientific knowledge is characterized as: (1)…

At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a 4-year project was undertaken to restructure the sophomore elective course in social science for natural science and engineering students. The restructured course emphasized an objective, rigorous, and exact approach to social phenomena. Readings were designed to carry the student step by step from…

The comparative approach in education involves the cross-cultural method. A lack of clear and precise scientific research is one of the most serious problems in the study of cultures. This study investigates the cross-cultural method in education as a part of the behavioral sciences. The first part of the paper describes the early developments in…

Presents a hierarchical list of principles that can be used as a guide in the construction of more successful science programs that have scientific literacy for all as a goal. Lists affective goals for science education. Discusses the role of teachers' attitudes and expectations in teaching this type of curriculum. (CW)

Discusses how the reputation of "Principia" was created and maintained. Indicates the difficulties of identifying a single unambiguous meaning for the text. Shows that knowledge of Sir Isaac Newton makes little difference to understanding the later impact of the work. (CW)

This paper describes a project for upper elementary and middle school minority girl students called the Sisters in Sport Science (SISS). The SISS program addresses the needs of urban girls in gaining access to equal education in science and mathematics by using athletics as a vehicle for learning. The program provides a non-competitive and…

This paper examines how conceptions regarding the legitimate purposes and day-to-day course of science influence students' evaluations of science in the popular media. The students involved in this project attend a secondary all-girls school. Their concept of science focused on practical, life-enhancing goals pursued through the complex,…

This curriculum guide introduces students to the process of scientific research. Through the process of science research, middle school students practice techniques to randomize sampling, control for unwanted effects, and standardize methods so that they can be replicated. Data analysis is taught from a statistical perspective providing students…

This paper explores the interactions between preservice and inservice teachers in a non-school setting as a part of the EarthVision 2000 project. The involvement of inservice teachers in teacher education plays an important role in the knowledge of field experiences. Creating a program for the initial preparation of preservice teachers for…

This paper describes the changes K-8 teachers made in their conceptions of science, teaching, and learning as they participated in a year-long professional development program. The program was based on principles reflected in the national science education reform initiatives, and focused on the role of teachers as decision makers in promoting…

Develops a comprehensive, unified, explanatory theory of librarianship by first making an analogy to the unification of the fundamental forces of nature. Topics include dependent and independent variables; publishing; acquisitions; classification and organization of knowledge; storage, preservation, and collection management; collections; and…