Describes and examines the effects of the eight-week Summer Science Training Program at the University of Iowa. There was no significant differences between students who had completed high school physics and those who had not on the final course examination, course grade, and attitudes toward physics. (Author/YP)

Visits to six school districts which were identified by the National Science Teachers Association's Search for Excellence program were made during 1983 by teams of 17 researchers. Their reports were analyzed in search for common characteristics that can explain the requirements necessary for excellent science programs. These characteristics are…

Describes and evaluates science teachers' implementation of microcomputers at a field-test site that was part of a program to encourage literacy of science teachers in the use of microcomputers (ENLIST-Micros). Discusses why only 33 percent of the teachers used computers one year after the training. (Author/YP)

Surveys of program graduates of a model science teacher education program were compared with responses from a national sample of exemplary teachers. Results indicated a high degree of similarity between the two groups and provided evidence that a good preservice science teacher education can have a positive effect on the development of preservice…

A model for a desired state master's degree in science education was generated by identifying the training needs of teachers presently teaching science in southern Florida. The model includes an analysis of the current master's program, recommended changes, and rationale for these changes. Implications for noncredit inservice activities are noted.…

Investigated various factors related to a project designed to increase scientific literacy of two age groups by simultaneously exposing middle school children and their parents to short science courses. Findings, among others, show that parents and children made significant gains in learning and that they found the experience enjoyable and…

Examined is the effectiveness of a smoking-prevention program in modifying high school students' attitudes and values in such categories as health, peer pressure, and social image as related to smoking. The intervention lasted four to six weeks within the framework of ninth- and tenth-grade biology classes. (Author/YP)

Examines the influence of both locus of control and three instructional strategies to foster an understanding of the nature of science. Reports that the nature of science was most predictable for a separate process/content/teaching methods and logical thinking ability was the best predictor of the nature of science. (Author/YP)

Determined whether completing an environmental studies course affected the defensibility of environmental studies. The observed trend toward a more defensible attitude supports a hypothetical connection between cognitive/affective domains and suggests that student attitudes be examined for stronger attitudinal supports rather than attitude…

A 31-item survey was sent to New England teacher education institutions (certified to prepare elementary teachers) to compare the elementary science education resources available in their libraries. Discussed are implications of such findings as significant differences between graduate and nongraduate institutions' journal holdings for science…

Offers a critique on some of the papers on computers in science teaching that were presented at the 1985 National Association for Research in Science Teaching meeting. Implications for the conduct of research on computers in science learning are also suggested. (JN)

The substance of a commentary (SE 539 500) is a criticism of the over-generalizations by authors of computer-assisted instruction papers at the 1985 annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching. This reaction attempts to examine the validity of the criticisms made in the commentary. (JN)

Examined trends in teachers' recommendations for changing elementary and junior high school science programs between 1978 and 1982. Results discussed are based on responses of British Columbia teachers- 3,040 teachers in 1978 and 1,631 in 1982, with return rates ranging from 77.5 percent to 85 percent. (JN)

Determined whether the field experience component of an undergraduate science methods course influenced teachers' concerns and attitudes toward science and science teaching. Age, grade-point average, openmindedness, and school assignment were examined as variables which might explain some of the variance in the dependent measures. (Author/JN)

Described are the rationale, methodology, and findings of seven case studies designed to investigate the teaching and learning strategies employed in science classes by exemplary teachers. Findings focused on management strategies, student understanding, student participation, and classroom environment. (CW)