Given the current state of science education Cultural Historical theory appears promising in clarifying how students' social context advances the understanding of science concepts and shapes their attitude toward science. The purpose of the study was to focus on how children's development in science is assisted by both home and school interactions…

A study analyzed the perspectives, as expressed in gestures, of six sixth-grade students in science classes as they either explained in-the-moment or described book-learned or previously thought-out ideas. Student behaviors were analyzed for evidence of three perspectives: (1) outside observer, shown by the observer standing apart from his gesture…

This paper describes a computerized environment for teaching the conceptual patterns of critical literacy. While the full implementation of the software covers both reading and writing, this paper covers only the writing aspects of R-WISE (Reading and Writing in a Supportive Environment). R-WISE consists of a suite of computerized…

This paper addresses dilemmas in the practices of six teachers from the perspective of alternate paradigms of knowledge growth, particularly constructivism. The dilemmas focus on the relationships between theory and practice in the growth of knowledge in learning and teaching mathematics. The data for this study are drawn from a four-year…

This collection of activities demonstrates how the study of elementary mathematics can be extended beyond the school and involve teachers and students in investigative, problem-based experiences. The activities include topics in geometry, concept of number, algebra, measurement, graphing, statistics, and probability, and are organized into five…

This book articulates and defends the "theory theory" of cognitive and semantic development: the idea that very young children just beginning to talk are engaged in profound restructurings of several domains of their knowledge. These restructurings are analogous to theory changes. The children's early semantic development is closely tied…

The purpose of this study was to reveal the prevailing instructional method utilized by inquiry-oriented science teachers using national representative teacher data. The first part of the study focuses on the measurement of teaching emphasis on inquiry science or the intended curriculum. The second part focuses on the relationship between the…

The purpose of this research study was to explore the effects of children's trade books on the development of science concepts. The two objectives of this exploratory study were to determine whether children's ideas about specific science concepts change when trade books containing information about those concepts are read to them, and…

This volume contains some of the many studies undertaken during the initial phase of activity by the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) concerning international education indicators. The studies trace the preparation of a set of international indicators as they…

This study investigates how students participating in the same curriculum construct understanding in elementary thermodynamics during a semester-long eighth-grade physical science class. Two questions were addressed: (1) How does the learners' understanding change during the study of elementary thermodynamics? and (2) What role do students'…

The preservice teacher education program at Monash University (Australia) focuses on the nature of learning. A central antecedent to this is to have student teachers reconsider their concept of quality learning. The purpose of this paper is twofold--first, to highlight how student teachers' understanding of quality learning develops, and how this…

This report contains a proposed framework for the subject matter of vocational education that is presented in two sections. Section 1 describes concepts central to the idea and ideal of vocational education. The analysis and interpretation of each concept are summarized as a set of propositions concerning the meaning of vocational education. These…

A comprehensive reform of the science curriculum and the methods of teaching and assessing science instruction is underway. This booklet shares ideas drawn from research and promising practices in science education. These ideas are addressed specifically to educators, but are important to anybody concerned with science education in elementary,…

This paper is based on a portion of the curriculum analysis of elementary science textbooks that was conducted as part of a larger Elementary Subjects Center study of curriculum materials used in literature, mathematics, science, social studies, and the arts. A commonly used elementary science curriculum series, Silver Burdett and Ginn's…

Critical thinking and creative thinking are explored. Critical thinking is the process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, or evaluating information. It includes affective strategies such as thinking independently and developing intellectual perseverance. Certain teaching behaviors can encourage critical…