California's public schools have struggled since the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, and today face enormous challenges to try to regain lost quality and standing as a national education leader. In light of the current economic crisis, competition for limited resources is fierce and the pressure is on to eliminate all but the basic "Three…

This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of the UNESCO Primary Science Project being piloted in Grade 5 in selected Malawi schools. Specific objectives included determining: (1) differences in performance and attitudes between students following the UNESCO program and students following the old primary science program and (2) problems…

The Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) was started in 1981 with the aim of developing a low-cost science course which could be taught during the first 2 years of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and conventional laboratories. Project activities included developing student study guides, corresponding teaching…

Ohio's Model Competency-Based Science Program is designed to provide direction for school districts in developing local competency-based science education programs. This guidebook provides direction for those responsible for developing district science programs. Section 1 is an introduction to competency-based education that covers the spirit and…

The Secondary Science Curriculum Review (SSCR) was established in 1981 to consider implications of providing a broader and more balanced approach to science studies for all students aged 11 to 16 years, and to stimulate and support the development work required to enable schools to make appropriate curricular provision. This paper, addressed to…

Criticized are the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded curriculum reforms during the post-Sputnik epoch. The parallels and contrasts between the proposals of today's NSF and those supported during the late 1950s and early 1960s are outlined. The proper role of a policymaking body in American education is recommended. (YP)

This volume is composed of 11 source documents which report activities sponsored by the National Science Board Commission on Precollege Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, deliberations of a subgroup of the National Science Foundation Engineering Advisory Committee, and a paper prepared for the Pfizer Corporation. The first four…

Provided are guidelines for evaluating undergraduate professional education in chemistry. The guidelines summarize an approved program as including: 400 hours of classroom work; 500 hours of laboratory work; a core curriculum covering principles of analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry; 1 year of advanced work in chemistry or…

This report discusses the development and implementation of programs in Asia and the Pacific which focus on "Science for All." The major objective of "Science for All" is to provide everyone in these areas with the scientific competencies, knowledge, and skills appropriate to their immediate needs to help eradicate poverty,…

Sixty-eight specific interventions to improve science education were grouped into 11 categories. Each category was then related to one of three major intervention objectives and an associated group. These categories, grouped by objectives are: (1) interventions increasing amount of time students are engaged in learning science (increasing student…

Provided are edited background papers prepared for a Meeting of Experts on the Incorporation of Science and Technology in the Primary School Curriculum. Papers are organized into four major sections. Section 1 is concerned with such topics as the rationale and objectives of science and technology in primary schools, selection of appropriate…

This report is a policy statement for science curriculum and instruction in elementary schools. It describes a set of organizing principles that incorporate what science ought to be taught, and a learning sequence that illustrates how more "hand-on, minds-on" science can become more prevalent in our schools. Chapters included are: (1)…

This report evaluates a project for secondary school education teachers in northeastern Texas. The objectives of the project were to: (1) train the secondary and middle school teachers of special education to use the Science Activities for the Visually Impaired/Science Enrichment for Learners with Physical Handicaps (SAVI/SELPH) curriculum; (2)…

This study was designed to assess the effect of a process oriented elementary science curriculum upon students' achievement. The Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) Complete Battery with the social studies and science supplements was administered to sixth grade students completing one, two, or three years of the Science through Discovery program in…

Explored in this article are various cultural beliefs against the backdrop of the science syllabus prescribed by the Caribbean Examinations Council. Allowances for different beliefs between Caribbean islands are suggested. (CW)