This publication provides information and activities for teaching about water, whether certain objects will sink or float, and process skills including observing, classifying, inferring, measuring, predicting, and collecting and interpreting data. There are 14 lessons in the unit. The first four lessons deal with the classification of objects and…

Investigated the cognitive engagement of students in grades 4-6 who received science lessons that varied in the level of cognitive content, procedural complexity, and social organization. The variables did not significantly affect student involvement. Cognitive engagement was similar for tasks judged as low and high in difficulty. (SKC)

Describes the goals and outcomes of the "We Love Science Day" programs that resulted from the inservice course, "Creative Integration of Science in Elementary Education" for Pennsylvania teachers. Provides samples of the hands-on activities that were offered to students, parents, and teachers. Includes a calendar of…

Following a definition of sexism, discusses how sexism can be recognized in science, reasons for concern that science is male dominated, studies on problems of women in science, and what teachers can do to encourage girls to study science at school, including whole school, faculty, and classroom initiatives. (SK)

Analyzes the complexities of the concept of attitude: the origin and history; subcomponents; related concepts including beliefs, opinion, and values; traditional trilogy--cognition, affection, and conation; and some controversies. (YP)

The principal purpose of this empirical study was to identify factors in the backgrounds and college experiences of American undergraduate students that affect their interest in studying science and in pursuing science-related careers. Four-year longitudinal data were obtained from 27,065 freshmen who entered 388 four-year colleges and…

African American urban sixth graders (28 males and 22 females), the majority of whom tested at or above grade level on the Iowa Basic Skills Test, were interviewed about 2 methods of selecting students for a summer science program. One method focused on student grades, and the other method focused on student interest in science. Subjects initially…

Two key factors affecting the success of non-major science courses are students' perceptions of topic difficulty and interest. An attitudinal survey administered to 300 college students, after completion of a college science course, evaluated their attitudes toward a geology curriculum. Using a Likert type scale students rated their level of…

Researchers attempting to identify factors that affect the participation of Mexican American females in science courses and careers studied cultural, social, and educational factors affecting 2,442 Arizona secondary school students. Questionnaire responses and interviews with the students and their teachers, counselors, and parents revealed that…

The first (exploratory) phase of the Learning in Science Project focused on science teaching/learning in the Form 1 to 4 level (ages 10 to 14) and sought to identify problems and difficulties in several areas. Provided in this paper are comments obtained during structured/unstructured interviews (from students, ex-students, teachers, headmasters,…

Four combinations of two types of television lessons and two methods of classroom teacher follow-up were studied in order to identify how combinations of treatment affected pupil achievement and interest in science and how television instruction motivated learning in elementary schools. Pupils who were presented with unanswered questions designed…

A survey was made to study the discrepancy between adult students' mathematical abilities and their opinions of these abilities. A test was composed which comprised 40 questions spanning mathematics from 10th year to first year college level; together with a questionnaire, it was sent to participants in adult education classes in physical and…

Describes activities with star projection devices that include process skills such as observing, classifying, collecting and interpreting data, and producing a model. Provides background information, construction method, and two teaching examples. (YP)

Reports on a study designed to determine the influence of resequencing general science content on sixth grade students' science achievement, attitudes toward science, and interest in science. Results suggest that students experiencing the resequencing exhibited significantly higher science achievement, more positive attitudes toward science and a…

Papers presented include: (1) discussion in science lessons; (2) research on science interests of South Australian 12-year-olds (N=753); (3) chemistry and science philosophy; (4) methods/goals of teaching science to slow learners; (5) uses of industrial applications in science lessons; (6) nature of scientific observations; and (7) pros/cons of…