This paper provides a log and discussion of experiments conducted by a five-and-one-half-year-old child under the direction of the author. (SD)

Philosophical challenges as well as major social problems are at the root of current criticisms of science. The author presents the case that the suspension of belief in modern science should be the focus of contemporary studies of the social dimensions of science. (Author/AJ)

Suggests that educated persons should be exposed to a body of conceptual knowledge which includes basic principles of the biological and physical sciences. Practical examples involving force, sound, light, waves, and density of water are cited. A lesson on animal tracks using principles of force and pressure is also described. (DH)

Discussed is the tendency in science to challenge obvious explanation for observed phenomenon. Ten examples are given where the initial obvious explanation was subsequently shown to be totally incorrect. Four examples that relate to biomedicine are presented in detail. (SL)

Discusses the cultural role that scientific thought has historically played in relation to social theories, and the increasing influence of biology, ethology, and ecology on social models. (MLH)

A discrepant event is a happening contrary to our current beliefs. Discrepant events are said to be useful in clarifying concepts. This is one of the interesting features of current theories of constructivism. The story of Mpemba's ice cream is quite well known, but it is the educational aspects of the experiment that are of interest in this…

"Inquiry" is the enterprise by which scientists generate theory. It is also a broadly-applied label for instructional approaches in which teachers and students emulate the activity of scientists in order to generate personal knowledge of natural phenomena and to come to understand the canons of disciplinary knowledge-building. Despite the ubiquity…

In July 1999, the Board of Studies in New South Wales released five new senior high school science syllabi for implementation in 2000. The study reported in this paper examines the perceptions of a small group of experienced biology teachers towards syllabus change and in particular those concerning the Stage 6 Biology syllabus for the Preliminary…

This book features a history of women in science and an assessment of the role of gender in shaping scientific knowledge which poses the questions: (1) Do women do science differently? and (2) How about feminists--male or female? It is argued that science is both a profession and a body of knowledge, and how women have fared and performed in both…

This book seeks to improve the way science is taught in the elementary school. It suggests that there are three main contradictions that make it difficult for teachers and students to engage in meaningful activities from which understandings result. The central issues in this book are framed in terms of three dichotomies that lead to tensions…

Developing an understanding of the nature of science (NOS) among students is one of the goals of scientific literacy. According to research, K-12 students do not have contemporary views of NOS and teachers' views of NOS generally are not consistent as well. This paper presents a study investigating the effects of different types of NOS…

For more than a decade, there has been a call for reform in science education. This effort stresses the creation of a scientifically literate population. Required in this effort to create a more scientifically literate populace is an understanding of the Nature of Science (NOS) on the part of the average citizen. This call for reform recognizes…

In this study, the nature of scientific explanations generated by two groups of prospective elementary school teachers were studied in the context of a life science course. Both groups participated in long-term investigations of insect cultures in which they crafted testable questions based on observations, designed experiments, collected and…

This paper examines the concept of nature from the perspective of Chinese history and culture, and is partially based on personal experiences. The perspective used to understand science education in the culture is one that science itself maintains a culture-independent existence. Students in China worry about the lifestyle of the West, however…

Describes the steps involved in using the "principles" approach in teaching science, illustrates the process of using science principles with an example relating to rock formation, and discusses the relevance of this approach to contemporary trends in science teaching. (JR)