The author attempts to show the development of logical-empirical knowledge structures from the raw elements in nature to the structures of knowledge as perceived by the mature student. Eighteen hypotheses are identified which focus on the expected relative natures of perceived knowledge structures of the various agental groups and their…

Issue four of the fifth volume of "Investigations in Science Education" contains six reports of research articles related to instruction and four individual studies. The individual studies concern correlates of choice for educational opportunities for high school students, the use of a structured interview technique to assess children's concepts,…

A Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) inquiry approach for university general biology laboratory was tested against a well-established commercial program judged to be highly directive. The BSCS was found to be more effective in learning biology laboratory concepts than the commercial program as measured by a laboratory concepts test.…

Proposes a revised learning cycle model termed the Metacognitive Learning Cycle which emphasizes formal opportunities for teachers and students to talk about their science ideas. Analyses two different pedagogical classroom approaches, the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) approach and the metacognitive approach, and observes changes in…

Control group students (receiving descriptive, non-inquiry science) and experimental group students (using Science Curriculum Improvement Study-SCIS "Interaction and Systems" materials) were later combined in grade 4 for instruction with SCIS "Subsystems and Variables" materials. Results show similar difficulties in learning…

Student variables which influence attainment of ecological concepts and conceptual systems were investigated. Researcher-designed paper/pencil and free-sort categorization tests were administered to 256 Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) students in grades 4-6. Findings are: (1) grade and ability, not sex, influenced concept attainment…

Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) students in grades 4-6 were used to investigate ecological concept formation. Researcher-designed, multiple-choice and free-sort tasks were administered. Statistics utilized included analysis of variance, Spearman correlation, multiple regression, frequency distributions, and latent partition analysis.…

This study is part of a larger study of teachers' use of curriculum materials in planning and teaching fifth-grade science. The study focused on one of nine teachers observed teaching "Communities," an activity-based unit from the SCIIS science program (a revision of the original Science Curriculum Improvement Study).…

Presented are analytical abstracts, prepared by science educators, of four research studies classified as relating to science curricula, four studies about learning, and one study on the evaluation of an instrument designed to measure students' orientation toward science. Three of the curriculum studies each relate to a specific curriculum project…