Project Texas is a professional development program for K-8 teachers from districts serving underrepresented populations in order to develop teacher knowledge of Texas' eco-regions. The program provides a meaningful context modeling integration of field experiences, investigative activities, problem-solving strategies, and cooperative learning…

A description and evaluation of a year-long science in-service program for elementary teachers is provided. Consisting of three components, the program was designed to expand teachers' understandings of physics and chemistry concepts and processes and to encourage more science teaching and science activities in their classrooms. The on-campus…

Discusses development, goals, and phases of the Resources Management Education Program. The program, designed to create a basic awareness of conservation and natural resources management issues for primary schools in Latin America, is taught in conjunction with the life and physical sciences. (DH)

Three objectives were identified regarding the Health Through Science Project, a comprehensive K-12 health project designed to increase student knowledge and understanding of health topic. Topics composing the core curriculum of the project were nutrition, safety, family living skills, personal hygiene and health, and human reproduction. Upon full…

The results of an assessment of science performance of students enrolled in grades 4, 8 and 12 in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1978 are reported. Separate panels interpreted the results for each grade level, and, based on these interpretations, four general recommendations were proposed to improve science education. In addition to a summary of…

Describes a project using software in kindergarten instruction. Seven pieces of software used in a unit on endangered species that included social studies, math, art, language arts, and music emphases are briefly described. Ideas for managing a one-computer classroom and general recommendations drawn from the study are given. (KRN)

To improve elementary science instruction in rural and small schools, the University of Tennessee at Martin developed a successful research-based model for inservice teacher education that included teacher developed curricular materials, multidisciplinary content, hands-on science instruction, local team leadership development, and joint training…

Research has helped to identify the fundamental skills that should be developed in an activity-based science program: observing, describing, comparing, classifying, measuring, using numbers, interpreting evidence, inferring, predicting, and experimenting. A teaching/learning inservice workshop was designed to help elementary school teachers…

Rural elementary school teachers interested in improving science instruction are frequently hampered by inadequate training in science, lack of information on local natural history resources, and time and curriculum constraints. On the other hand, rural schools are usually located near meadows, forests, or undeveloped land, and rural students…

Describes the development and modification of a teacher education program based on a constructivist epistemology. Among the conclusions are that systemic change is a slow process. If reforms are to be permanent, it is necessary to change the referents of the culture and empower teachers to take personal actions to overcome perceived constraints.…

Since 1985, Congress has provided the U.S. Department of Education with funds for a program to improve the availability and quality of math and science teachers at the elementary and secondary level. This effort was initiated in response to concern that the math and science skills of elementary and secondary school students were insufficient to…

The Connecticut Assessment of Educational Progress (CAEP) is modeled after the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and has been in operation since 1971. This report is the culmination of a multi-year effort by the Connecticut State Department of Education to make its CAEP program even more useful to classroom teachers and other…

The philosophy underlying the African Primary Science Program, according to the author, is that the essence of science is not merely the statement of principles; it involves the struggle to find out about the material world. This program sought to develop the intellectual alertness of the children, and improve their questioning, and problem…

In recent years, the need to improve education has received considerable attention. The development of educational indicators is necessary to help policymakers determine whether educational conditions have improved and what additional actions are indicated. The Council of Chief State School Officers State Education Assessment Center initiated a…

In a sweeping effort to improve science education in Tennessee, a new curriculum framework was developed that mandated "hands-on" experiences for students, beginning in kindergarten. To smooth out problems in elementary science instruction arising from the mandate, the Center of Excellence for the Enrichment of Science and Mathematics…