In this article, we report on the results of a study comparing the preparedness, content knowledge, and instructional practices of elementary science specialist (ESS) teachers with those of a matched sample of self-contained elementary teachers. Analysis of survey data collected for the two groups indicated that ESS teachers were more likely than…

A 3-year study was launched in a Hong Kong secondary school to investigate the effects of the medium of instruction (MOI), specifically English and Chinese, on the learning of certificate-level physics. A total of 199 Secondary Four (S4 or tenth-grade) students, divided into three major ability groups, participated in a teaching intervention…

The theoretical construct of teacher noticing has allowed mathematics teacher educators to examine teacher thinking and practice by looking at the range of activities that teachers notice in the classroom. Guided by this approach to the study of teacher thinking, the central goal of this exploratory study was to identify what prospective science…

The attitudes towards science of upper-primary students in three ability strands (average, above average, and gifted) were investigated. A total of 580 upper primary students from co-educational government and government-aided schools in Singapore were involved in this study. The attitude subscales investigated were enjoyment of science,…

Examined some of the factors that affect the academic choices that students make and the consequences of those choices for later participation in science. Results (obtained from questionnaires completed by 302 students) show that women rated their science ability lower than men, although they performed better in high school science. (JN)

Reports an investigation of the effect of gender on ability to recognize simple definitions of concept words in science, as indicated by differences in test scores and in students' free writing "definitions" of physical science concept words. Significant gender differences favoring boys were found for students (n=1,635) of six Tasmanian…

This study was conducted to analyze the classification ability of middle class, culturally diverse, and visually impaired children after instruction in a Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) unit. The SCIS unit was effective in improving student abilities to classify. (PS)

Presented are the results of surveys given to high school science students measuring their beliefs regarding four kinds of study strategies, three types of motivational orientation to science, their reported ability, and attitude toward science. (CW)

Examines the effectiveness of block-word diagrams in science instruction for ninth graders using directed graphs that express content structure as key concepts joined by arrows. Results include the finding that the effect of text-plus-diagram treatment compared to text-only treatment was different for learners of different ability. (CS)

Investigated relationships among attitudes toward science, interest in science, science curiosity, and self-concept of science ability. Data, obtained from 228 sixth-grade students, show that attitudes toward science, interest in science, and science curiosity are highly related. Implications of these findings for science instruction are…

Studied performance of 15 low-socio-economic-status 14 year olds in learning controlled-experiment design and evaluation, and indicated that experimental subjects significantly outperformed matched controls. (CC)

Examines the effects of open inquiry instruction on low achieving, marginalized high school students. Involves students with long histories of scholastic failure in question generation, experimental design, and argument construction as part of their General Science course instruction. Compares students' entrance and exit interview responses which…

In your interactions with secondary school students learning science, you have probably become aware of large differences in student ability to understand science concepts, conduct investigations, and/or solve specific problems. Some students are extremely capable, while others demonstrate peculiar and inappropriate reasoning strategies.…

Studies the effect of intellectual development, degree of field independence, mental capacity, amount of prior genetics knowledge and amount of fluid intelligence on reading comprehension and/or genetics achievement of students enrolled in a nonmajor biology course. Concludes that developmental level was the most consistent predictor of…