The Coalition for Science After School highlights the dual nature of outcomes for science learning during out-of- school time (OST): Learning experiences should not only be positive in the moment, but also position youth for future success. Several frameworks speak to the first set of immediate outcomes--what youth learn, think, and feel as the…

Citizen science programs are becoming increasingly popular among teachers, students, and families. The term "citizen scientist" has various definitions. It can refer to those who gather information for a particular science research study or to people who lobby for environmental protection for their communities. "Citizen science" has been called…

"I can feel it making my brain bigger": from a Year 8 student at Pinjarra Senior High School (SHS) halfway through the two-year Thinking Science Program. Pinjarra was a pilot school for the program in 2009/10 and a growing number of schools in Western Australia (WA) are implementing this program in Years Seven to Nine as part of the…

What does it mean for ethnic minority girls, who have historically been marginalized by schools, to "see themselves" in science? Schools fail to create spaces for students to engage their identity resources in the learning of science or to negotiate and enact new science-related identities. This study investigates relationships among…

A new Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) approach was designed for youth who participated in the Minnesota State Fair Livestock interview process. The project and evaluation were designed to determine if the new SET approach increased content knowledge and science process skills in participants. Results revealed that youth participants not…

Discusses some of the problems faced by technical advisors implementing projects for the improvement of science education in Africa and reasons for these problems. Problem areas considered include underdevelopment, underestimating the process, finances, personality conflict and motivation, and opposition from key groups. (A list of major UNESCO…

Described is the elementary science curriculum "Children and Their Natural Environment" developed by the working group for Educational Research at the University of Gottingen. Objectives are listed as attempting to integrate a particular teaching concept with the scientific way of looking at problems and an attempt to understand teaching…

Three sets of elementary science materials are reviewed (ESS activity cards, ESS readers, "We Discover the World") that represent what can be done to enhance and structure learning for a single concept or topic. "We Discover the World" is a set of materials designed to introduce children to their world and their environment.…

Addresses the need for a good science program to teach students to integrate both the analytical and the creative pathways of inquiry. Also compares the specific functions of the brain's right (creative) and left (analytical) hemispheres as related to science. Suggests how to design a creative sense-gathering activity, and offers several sample…

Student outcomes were assessed by quantitatively combining results of 57 reported evaluations of three major curriculum programs in elementary school science. Thirty-two percent of the comparisons were statistically significant, favoring activity-based programs; six percent favored control groups. (DH)

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)

Reports on the development of science curricula projects. Lists features that can be applied to programs developed at the local level. Includes programs from the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, Educational Development Center, and Technical Education Research Centers. (RT)

Presents the Nuffield Junior Science Project (NJSP), an elementary science program developed in the United Kingdom. Some learning activities that are contained in Nuffield Junior Science Teacher's Guide I are described. (HM)

Provides evidence indicating that activity-based science programs substantially improve performance in science process/creativity; modestly increase performance on tests of logic, perception, language development, science content, and mathematics; modestly improve attitude toward science and science class; and have pronounced benefits for…

The African Primary Science Programme (APSP) was one of the three major projects in Africa sponsored by Educational Services Incorporated (ESI), later the Educational Development Center (EDC), Newton, Massachusetts. The problems of introducing this programme in the anglophone African States and its implications for science education are discussed.…