This qualitative, ethnographic study focuses on how combining aspects of visual learning with a social media application (app)--Instagram--can be a useful learning tool for digital natives (DNs). Current students are classified as digital natives because they are inundated with technology, which has become an essential tool in their everyday…

Academic science achievement of U.S. students has raised concerns regarding our ability as a nation to compete in a global economy. Additionally, research has shown that many elementary teachers have weak science content backgrounds and had poor/negative experiences as students of science, resulting in a lack of confidence regarding teaching…

Reports on a study that asked 31 inservice secondary science teachers to complete a survey on topics for inclusion in a secondary science methods course. Concludes that the majority of prespecified potential topics were judged important enough by these teachers to warrant inclusion in a methods course, though no individual-added topic appeared on…

Examines the problems of course content in a biology class at a large metropolitan high school in the Southwest that teaches students the major ideas of biology rather than specific topics, but uses specific topics to develop the major themes and unifying principles. (Author/CCM)

Studied differences in preservice elementary teachers' attitudes toward concept science and science processes on the basis of semantic differential score gains in the pre- and posttest design. Concluded that process approach instruction in methods courses was effective in securing changes in a positive direction. (CC)

A survey of Illinois biology teachers (N=156) indicates that textbooks are major factors in determining the teaching of ecology (relevant in teaching science/society issues and for developing environmental literacy). Data on textbooks used, extent of use, instructional methods, ecological concepts taught, environmental problems discussed, and…

To meet the need for reform in mathematics teacher preparation courses, two cycles of changes made in an elementary mathematics methods course are presented. Using action research, teaching approaches were developed, implemented, and evaluated as a meaningful way to continue my professional development. Results suggested that I improved my…

Provided is a unit which relates the fulcrum of a lever system and the mean of a distribution of scores. The objective, rationale, two student laboratories, and an evaluation system are outlined. Content background on statistics is offered. (MVL)

Students' conceptions of three major artificial intelligence concepts used in the modeling of systems in science, fuzzy logic, neural networks, and genetic algorithms were investigated before and after a higher education science course. Students initially explored their prior ideas related to the three concepts through active tasks. Then,…