Changes to the National Curriculum in England in 2014 placed a stronger emphasis on children working scientifically while developing a range of science enquiry skills. As science subject leaders, the authors noticed that colleagues in their schools were only confident when teaching enquiry as a fair test, which the authors now know is not always…

Knowledge of species, interest in nature, and nature experiences are the factors that best promote interest in and understanding of environmental issues, biodiversity and sustainable life. The aim of this study is to investigate how well student teachers identify common local species, their interest in and ideas about species identification, and…

This paper describes a study of young children's understanding of what is on the inside of animals--skeletons and other organ systems. The study uses 2-D drawings based on the idea that a drawing is the representational model and is the outward expression of the mental model. The 617 drawings made by participants in the study were awarded one of…

Investigated whether "Ranger Rick" magazine influenced children's attitudes toward and knowledge of natural resources, behavior in wildlife and conservation-related activities, and anthropomorphization of animals. Data, obtained from a national survey and from questionnaires administered to 491 grade 5 students, indicate the…

Provided are synopses of selected presentations and discussions that evaluated and provided an understanding of the role of empathy in human behavior toward animals. Factors hampering such empathy, origin of empathy and altruism, and childrens' attitudes toward and knowledge of animals were among the areas explored. (BC)