This paper reports on a study of inquiry and teacher development in a middle school science reform project. A model was developed that examined the dialectical interaction between teachers' concerns about their classroom practice and the culture of their professional setting, the school. This model sees the interaction of these two concerns as a…

Inconsistencies in scores from computer-simulated and "hands-on" science performance assessments have led to questions about the exchangeability of these two methods in spite of the highly touted potential of computer-simulated performance assessment. This investigation considered possible explanations for students' inconsistent performances: (1)…

Describes the use of simple projects to help freshmen-level chemistry students develop chemical knowledge and an aptitude for the research process. These projects pose a new problem to students without presenting a detailed experimental procedure. Guiding questions help students design their own experiments and stimulate students to think…

To support science inquiry in preschools, the Education Development Center in Newton, Massachusetts, developed three teacher's guides to help teachers identify science-rich questions embedded in children's play and use those questions to engage the children in age-appropriate science inquiry. This article follows three Head Start teacher teams as…

Performance assessment with young children evolves naturally from activity-oriented teaching. Presents several guidelines for putting performance assessment methods into practice. (PR)

Reports on efforts in France to reshape science education through a focus on primary and secondary education, higher education, and research and development. (DDR)

Describes the development and implementation of a laboratory-based professional development program for high school chemistry teachers. Demonstrates how chemistry can be taught with simple, readily available materials. (DDR)

This article describes a way to provide systematic connections between mathematics and science for students with disabilities through hands-on lessons, word problems, and opportunities for problem-solving. Sample units are presented that integrate science and mathematics at the K-8 level and explore interrelationships among multiplication and…

A summer fish recovery program along the Salmon River (Idaho) involves Native American high school students in science, technology, and research within a cultural and environmental context. The positive attitudes and work ethic of Native students and the research and study skills they acquired demonstrate that Native students succeed when their…

Caught up in the entrepreneurial thrill of launching a new industry, high-school students in an economically distressed fishing village in Maine are playing a vital research-and-development role in partnership with their community. The result is a sophisticated aquaculture center for raising several species of fish in a laboratory setting. (MLH)

A professional school and university collaboration enables elementary students and their teachers to explore hydrology concepts and realize the beneficial functions of wetlands. Hands-on experiences involve young students in determining water quality at field sites after laying the groundwork with activities related to the hydrologic cycle,…

Species identification tasks are generally accepted as fundamental aspects of biodiversity education. Our educational training unit, therefore, focused on identification skills by introducing stuffed specimens in combination with identification books and preparation booklets. We limited the number of bird species to six. 492 secondary school…

The Department of Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota and the Science Museum of Minnesota have developed and implemented a successful program for middle school (grades 5-8) science teachers and their students, called Brain Science on the Move. The overall goals have been to bring neuroscience education to underserved schools, excite…

We are developing a new activity-based unit on global warming and the environment as part of the "Explorations in Physics Curriculum." We describe the current status of this unit, which focuses on helping students understand the greenhouse effect and its relationship to global warming. We outline several problems encountered in testing the unit…

Although most students view science through a positive lens they often have difficulty connecting the science that they study in school with the practice of science in general, and their personal experience with science in their everyday lives. In an attempt to mediate "school science" with a more authentic view of science a contextual model is…