This research examines factors influencing elementary science teacher learning as they participate in professional development with and enactment of educative curricula in comparison with learning following limited professional development and enactment of traditional curricula. Using a randomized cluster design (125 teachers and 2,694 students in…

While research has shown that elementary (K-5) students are capable of engaging in the scientific practice of explanation construction, commonly-used elementary science curriculum materials may not always afford them opportunities to do so. As a result, elementary teachers must often adapt their science curriculum materials to better support…

This study focuses on the transmission stage of curriculum implementation, specifically at the interaction level of curriculum developer and teacher. Level of agreement regarding objectives and priorities between evaluators, teachers, and developers was determined for a unit on "colors" developed for primary school children and partially…

Discusses formative evaluation (those evaluation activities carried out while a curriculum is still being developed) and relates this to the development of the Individualized Science (IS) program at the University of Pittsburgh. (PEB)

Investigated level of concept attainment of selected energy concepts for possible inclusion in the Nigerian Primary Science Project. Subjects (N=450) were taught energy concepts at descriptive, comparative, and quantitative levels. Suggests the need to describe these levels for particular grades and match curriculum with students' thinking…

Investigated were 27 elementary teachers to determine how the factors of dogmatism, attitude towards science, and congruence with new curriculum influence the adoption of new science programs. Teacher congruence with new science courses and attitudes toward science both correlated negatively with dogmatism. (SL)

Investigates whether information about new National Science Foundation sponsored elementary science curricula was not being effectively communicated to the appropriate persons, thus hindering the selection and adoption of those curricula. (GA)

Normal adolescents, retarded adolescents, and high ability second-graders were compared on their abilities to master high and low structure science materials. An increase of structure was found to be related to recall for all groups, but to be of particular importance for the retarded adolescents. (CP)

Examined instructional materials, teacher planning, instruction, and student conceptions related to an activity unit on plants and photosynthesis. Reasons are offered about why the teacher was unsuccessful in helping students replace their misconceptions with scientific conceptions, although the teacher knew this misconception existed. (JN)

Examined are two aspects of science education--the nature of science and curriculum reform. Contemporary views on the tentative nature of science and a generative model of learning are synthesized. (KR)

Examined is the program and professional development process that has characterized past and current science curriculum reform efforts. Illustrated are fundamental educational reform problems. Discussed is the importance of teacher involvement in educational decision making. (KR)