Representations have been widely applied to teaching and learning in Western classrooms and recently in several Asian countries. More and more Asian schools are calling for the application of this approach in teaching science. However, little has been known about how the construction of representations could enable teachers to make changes in…

Despite wave after wave of educational reform in the United States our students continue to lag behind their peers in other industrialized countries on virtually all measures of academic achievement. Effective professional development (PD) is seen as a key to improving instructional practice and therefore student learning, but traditional forms of…

Much research has been done and reform is suggested relating to teachers' implementation of student-oriented learning environments, yet research on the role, beliefs, pedagogy, and knowledge of teachers simultaneously in classroom environments has been minimal (Kyle, 1994, "Journal of Research in Science Teaching", 31, 785-786). This…

In order to enhance teachers' professional awareness, it is necessary to understand and value their subjective or personal knowledge and beliefs. This study investigated the change of science teachers' personal knowledge about teaching models and modeling in science within the context of educational reform in The Netherlands. The study followed…

Presents an overview of the Australian Science Teachers' Association/Monash Standards Project which aims to support the development of a national voluntary system to provide professional certification to teachers of science whose practice has attained high standards set by the profession. Discusses the place of this work within the wider context…