This review presents a broad perspective of the state of knowledge in science education, a description of existing trends, the areas where research is needed, and tentative answers to persistent problems that have been identified from the research. The review is organized into nine categories. The first is an historical perspective dealing with some of the trends in science education. The next category presents research related to learning and development including Piagetian and Ausubelian studies, instruments and measurement, and student characteristics. This section is followed by research related to teaching and learning strategies. Cognitive styles, student characteristics, teacher training and behavior, evaluation in science education, concepts and content, and miscellaneous studies are presented in the remaining sections. Each section and subsection is followed by a summary, if enough research was available to permit generalizations to be made. At the conclusion of the paper, a general summary is given which relates the science education research of 1978 to that of the past and discusses the trends and implications for future research. (Author/SA)