The merits of three approaches (explicit, reflective and implicit) to Nature of Science (NOS) teaching and learning in the context of a summer research experience on high school student participants' NOS ideas were explored in this study. The effectiveness of explicit over implicit approaches has been demonstrated in school contexts, but less…

Research on nature of science (NOS) and scientific inquiry (SI) has indicated that a teacher's knowledge of each, however well developed, is not sufficient to ensure that these conceptions necessarily manifest themselves in classroom practice (Lederman & Druger, 1985; Lederman, 2007). In light of considerable research that has examined…

This mixed-methods research investigated teachers' perceptions of intrinsic factors (personal attributes of the teacher) and extrinsic factors (environmental) influencing the implementation of inquiry-based science learning at township (underdeveloped urban area) high schools in South Africa. Quantitative data were collected by means of an adapted…

Set in the context of today's globalized approaches to curriculum reform, the purpose of this study was to compare the teaching and learning of science in Chinese and Australian Grade 6 classrooms. A conceptual framework based on notions of culture and socioeconomic status informed the research design. Case study participants were three teachers…

Helping students develop informed views about scientific inquiry (SI) has been and continues to be a goal of K-12 science education, as evidenced in various reform documents. Nevertheless, research focusing on understandings of SI has taken a perceptible backseat to that which focuses on the "doing" of inquiry. We contend that this is…

This study aims to add to the growing research related to the implementation of non-traditional writing tasks in classrooms to encourage science literacy. A secondary reanalysis methodology was employed to review student interviews collected as a part of several individual studies during a ten year research program. This method established an…

The purpose of this pragmatic action research study was to explore our re-conceptualization efforts in preparing pre-service teachers to guide the inquiry process with formative assessment and subsequently use the understandings to improve our teacher preparation program. The process was guided by two questions: to what extent did course…

Explores the work done in revising and field testing the Scientific Attitude Instrument and raises doubts about the instrument's validity. Discusses consideration of approaches to validity, conceptual analysis of science attitude instruments, using other studies to establish validity, and guidelines for valid instruments. Contains 12 references.…

This study investigates the interaction between four pairs of high school students in a 7-week national research apprenticeship program. Each student was interviewed about perceptions of experiences working with a peer in the same setting, and the resulting stories were analyzed. Through discourse analysis of the interviews and interrelated…

Reports a naturalistic study to develop and validate a "Science and Reading Questionnaire" to assess secondary science teachers' attitudes toward science reading and their belief or informed opinions about science reading. The items for this instrument are presented. (PR)

Reports on 18 months of action research that examined the effectiveness of using the history of science to promote British students' understanding of the nature of science. Both quantitative and interview data offer substantial evidence of a strategic movement away from serendipitous empiricism and toward an appreciation of the interactive nature…

Findings of this study are based on questionnaire information completed by NARST members. Generally, the respondents are catagorized as a group for whom research is not a major activity. Research statements receiving the highest rankings include the acquisition and influence of teaching strategies and applying theory to classroom practice.…

Surveyed teachers' perceptions of the SCIS-II elementary science program. Results indicate that grades K-2 teachers rated the program more positively than grades 3-6 teachers. Teachers who rated the program higher perceived fewer barriers to effectively utilizing the program. Teachers rated the program higher for developing social skills and…

The purpose of this article is to introduce a definition of science that may be useful as an alternative to those that are typically found in the literature, and to present research indicating its potential effectiveness. (PR)

Describes research undertaken to assess the validity of the Views of Science (VOS) questionnaire. The instrument purports to measure a subject's view of the tentativeness of science. Findings indicated that although the instrument appeared to have construct validity, the physical science backgrounds of subjects taking the test appeared to affect…