There is evidence that science teachers give naive responses to direct questions about the nature of science. However, there is also evidence that such responses underpredict the more sophisticated knowledge that teachers may use in classroom situations. The purpose of this study was to characterize the informal ideas used by teachers in…

Investigates how scientists, from both a practical and epistemological perspective, communicated the nature and relevance of their research to classroom teachers. Determines the congruence and/or dissimilarity in how scientists described their research to teachers and how they viewed their research epistemologically. Concludes that scientists from…

Presents a detailed case study of a ninth grade science teacher to explain how school science constrains the development of her professional knowledge. Concludes that the version of experiment and inquiry seemingly prescribed by the institutional science of school is antithetical to the sort of explanatory inquiry the teacher uses when planning…

Explores factors related to preservice teachers' capacity to understand the learning cycle. Finds that understanding of the learning cycle was related to science teaching outcome expectancy, not to personal science teaching efficacy or to attitudes toward science. (Contains 32 references.) (Author/WRM)

Discusses three prospective elementary teachers' conceptions of teaching science and selected portions of their knowledge base in life science. Explores how these teachers' conceptions, along with their teaching actions, developed during the course of a teacher-education program. Contains 21 references. (Author/WRM)

Discusses three prospective secondary biology teachers' conceptions of teaching science and selected portions of their knowledge base in biology. Explores how these teachers' conceptions, along with their teaching actions, developed during the course of a teacher-education program. Contains 31 references. (Author/WRM)

This paper reports the design and evaluation of small-scale teaching interventions addressing the epistemology of science as part of the regular high school science courses followed by English students. Although there is a growing consensus that the curriculum should include aspects of the nature of science, there is a limited body of knowledge…

Examines a beginning elementary teacher's experiences participating in an educational research project and her work in the classroom to bring her students' ideas into contact with accepted scientific ideas and practices. The project explored an approach to professional development that engaged teachers in learning and viewing science as a socially…