Curricular coherence is an indication of the alignment of content ideas, the depth at which they are studied, and the sequencing of ideas within and across grade levels and has been identified as an important predictor of student performance. This study examined the contribution of inter-unit coherence on energy to the learning of this concept…

This study used a Chinese-language version of the Index of Science Reading Awareness (ISRA) to investigate metacognitive awareness and the Reading Comprehension of Science Test (RCST) to explore comprehension of science text by Taiwanese students. Structural equation modeling (SEM) results confirmed the validity of the underlying models of…

In this study, we analyzed the quality of students' written scientific explanations found in notebooks and explored the link between the quality of the explanations and students' learning. We propose an approach to systematically analyzing and scoring the quality of students' explanations based on three components: claim, evidence to support it,…

Analyzed and classified were Individualized Science Instruction System (ISIS) minicourse performance objectives and criterion-referenced test items according to Bloom's cognitive "Taxonomy" to determine levels of cognition emphasized. The findings indicate that ISIS minicourse test objectives are written primarily at the knowledge and…

Describes a Q-sort type instrument useful in obtaining descriptive information about teaching methods and curriculum materials used in the science laboratory, including information for, among others, developing operational definition of constructs (inquiry), diagnosing problems in curriculum development or implementation, and monitoring the effect…

Argues that science educators often face the problem of abnormal distributions when conducting large-scale assessments or evaluating national curriculum projects that require complex sampling plans. Examines the precision of science test scores. (DDR)

Reports on a study that uses psychometric modeling to rank the appeal of a variety of children's astronomical ideas on a single uniform scale. Findings support the view that alternative conceptions may be markers of progress toward understanding. Contains 82 references. (DDR)

Data from 30 studies involving gender differences related to science achievement were synthesized using analyses of effect sizes and vote-counting estimation procedures. Reports that males showed advantages in biology, general science, and physics. (Author/YP)

Compares the achievement in science for ninth grade students in China and the United States. Reveals a small difference between the two groups and presents a rationale for the comparison. Contains 31 references. (DDR)

Explored the relationship between high school students' (N=37) performances on the Tomlinson-Keasey and Campbell paper-and-pencil test of formal operations and a set of traditional, individually administered, Piagetian developmental tasks. Correlations between the traditional, formal operations tasks and paper-and-pencil tests were low. (Author/DS)