Given biotechnology's emergence as a major competitor in the Pittsburgh region, critically linking education to industry through the Community College of Allegheny County's Biotechnology Workforce Collaborative (BWC) provided a well-trained workforce. The collaborative also sought to increase the number of women in the sciences, specifically…

Funding agencies and the science education community at large have pursued strategies for increasing K-12 outreach by scientists and for improving instructional practices in higher education classrooms. However, the simultaneous achievement of both goals is generally not a target for single projects or even single programs. A 4-year project…

Given limited funding for school-based science education, non-school-based programs have been developed at colleges and universities to increase the number of students entering science- and health-related careers and address critical workforce needs. However, few evaluations of such programs have been conducted. We report the design and methods of…

This longitudinal, five-year study of teachers and students who had participated in a systemic reform program in science explored if (1) teacher change in practice realized during a three-year program is sustained one, two, and three years following the program, (2) student performance on state science assessments two years following studying with…

Lessons from a pilot introduction of environmental education into a teacher education programme designed to address pupil disengagement from school science, are discussed in this paper. Pre-service teachers discovered that environmental education can be a potent context for creativity and continuity in curriculum planning. Interpretation of the…

A quasi-longitudinal case study was used to determine the effects on secondary students of participation in a program of enrichment and extracurricular science activities in terms of their interest and enjoyment in being involved in science activities, their motivation to continue to participate in science, and their perceptions about scientists…