This qualitative study examined how three teachers of upper elementary students used science vocabulary in their lessons. The data revealed that teachers used vocabulary to label science phenomena and interpret scientific concepts for students. The practice of labeling was used more extensively than interpreting. Teachers did not help their…

This review focused on the written and visual representation of the moon in 80 children's books, including Caldecott Medal and Honor books over the past 20 years. Results revealed that many of these books misrepresent the moon and even reinforce misconceptions about lunar phases. Teachers who use children's literature that misrepresents the moon…

This study examines changes in kindergarten students' understanding of energy after participating in a series of lessons developed using an inquiry-based early childhood science teaching model: Research-based Inquiry Physics Experiences (RIPE). The lessons addressed where objects get their energy and what they use their energy to do, and how…

Resources for selecting high-quality elementary science trade books include lists exclusively for science and those that contain a broad spectrum of content foci such as the IRA's "Teachers' Choices" list. In this study, the genres and content areas of science-based "Teachers' Choices" books from the list's inception in 1988 through 2004 were…

This study examined the differences of the nature of science (NOS) conceptions portrayed by preservice teachers in Korea (N = 42) and the United States (N = 50). We conducted a survey of preservice elementary science teachers' NOS conceptions followed by interviews in both countries to further investigate their viewpoints. The NOS domains of this…

This pilot study investigated the effect of community-based service learning on the self-efficacy beliefs of preservice elementary teachers in regards to equitable science teaching and learning. Using the Self-Efficacy Beliefs About Equitable Science Teaching (SEBEST) instrument (Ritter, Boone, & Rubba, 2001), pre- and posttest data from 32…

Teachers' self-efficacy develops based on their appraisal of their experience with a task or similar tasks. Elementary science education should provide opportunities for students to experience science learning opportunities in authentic settings. This retrospective study describes one example of preservice teachers teaching elementary school…

In this article, we provide three examples of the use of socioscientific issues (SSI) in a 5th-grade classroom. Taken from Earth science (beach sand replacement), life science (the Canadian seal hunt), and physical science (speed limits), the examples show how teachers can embed scientific content in controversial social issues that engage younger…

The learning cycle is a way to structure inquiry in school science and occurs in several sequential phases. A learning cycle moves children through a scientific investigation by having them first explore materials, then construct a concept, and finally apply or extend the concept to other situations. Why the learning cycle? Because it is a…

Children personally construct explanations of natural phenomena, some of which differ from currently accepted scientific explanations. The replacement of personal explanations with scientific explanations, as well as the development of concrete, formal, and post-formal reasoning patterns, requires self-regulation in which alternative explanations…

The learning cycle has been embraced as a teaching approach that is consistent with the goals of the "National Science Education Standards" (National Research Council, 1996). Science teacher educators may be disappointed to find, however, that preservice teachers may fail to grasp this model, even after extensive instruction (e.g., Settlage,…

This study examined the impact of a recently revised science course that engaged preservice teachers in a scaffolded, student-directed inquiry unit on local streams. Upon the completion of the inquiry project, the teacher candidates in the stream study classes demonstrated significantly greater improvement in the personal science teaching efficacy…

The story from the museum may not be read by visitors, who come with their own knowledge and understanding and read a different story in the animals. The visitors read a story which makes sense to them and builds on what they already know and interests them. Increasingly, robotics models are being used in natural history museums, science centers,…

For decades, researchers have been convinced that one stereotypic image of scientists existed among children worldwide (Chambers, 1983; Chiang & Guo, 1996; Fung, 2002; Maoldomhnaigh & Hunt, 1988; Newton & Newton, 1992, 1998; She, 1998; Song, Pak, & Jang, 1992). This study, however, moves beyond that stereotypic image and examines…

Instructors of elementary science methods classes have long lamented the significant difficulties their students exhibit when trying to understand the many complexities of teaching science. As noted by some researchers and practicing teachers, preservice teachers often fail to developmentally function at desired levels with respect to…