Simplified, reductionist approaches to curriculum design and delivery are pervasive in science education. In ecological curricula--particularly in, but not limited to K-12--biomes, ecosystems, habitats, and other units of study are simplified and presented as static, easily identified and described entities. Characteristics, components, and…

Defining what is meant by 'life' seems, on the face of it, straightforward. But, as this article explores, once you delve below the surface you find that providing a definition that everyone agrees upon is nearly impossible. By first considering how biologists and philosophers of science debate the issue of defining life, the article then goes…

Artificial Intelligence is widely used across contexts and for different purposes, including the field of education. However, a review of the literature showcases that while there exist various review studies on the use of AI in education, missing remains a review focusing on science education. To address this gap, we carried out a systematic…

The authors conducted a qualitative content analysis of the 400 National Science Teachers Association Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 from 2010-2017 selected for their instructional usefulness in science classrooms. The authors examined these expert-recommended science trade books to better understand their design and to identify…

Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology that is gaining traction in K12 education. Whereas well-designed and engaging VR experiences may be considered educational, teacher educators with content-area expertise are uniquely positioned to analyze the actual content provided by those experiences when determining VR's educational value.…

One strand of comparative didactics aims at discussing the relationships between the theoretical constructions developed within subject didactics and how these can contribute to research about teaching and learning. This article explores the relationships between categories for analysing joint actions of teacher and students (didactic contract,…

We assessed the impact of music videos with science-based lyrics on content knowledge and attitudes in a three-part experimental research study of over 1000 participants (mostly K-12 students). In Study A, 13 of 15 music videos were followed by statistically significant improvements on questions about material covered in the videos, while…

Presents research that has resulted in the identification and classification of the types of questions asked by teachers during science lessons. Determines how each type of question relates to particular teaching approaches and student learning. (Author/CCM)

Presents nine science activities to help students improve their thinking and problem solving skills. Activities cover the science process skills of classifying, ordering, space-time relationships, inferring, predicting, and elaborating. (MKR)

In order to name and classify a plant they see, children use their existing mental models to provide the plant with a name and classification. In this study, pupils of a range of ages (4,8,11 and 14 years old) were presented with preserved specimens of six different plants (strictly, five plants and a fungus) and asked a series of questions about…

Suggests that teachers should consider which questions to ask as a part of instructional preparation. To ensure that diversity and critical thinking are involved, a teacher should use a taxonomy for a template when writing questions. Presents and discusses Bloom's taxonomy, Gagne's levels of learning, and a taxonomy for general science process…

A model for the development of elementary and secondary instructional materials covering the broad range of intellectual skills is presented. The document is a result of a search to identify and evaluate existing instructional materials, classification schemes, models, hierarchies, and taxonomies of cognition. It is presented in four sections.…

This CD-ROM is designed for classroom and individual use to teach and learn about annelids. Integrated animations, custom graphics, three-dimensional representations, photographs, and sound are featured for use in user-controlled activities. Interactive lessons are available to reinforce the subject material. Pre- and post-testing sections are…

Recommends the use of beans as an inexpensive, durable, and readily available resource for developing science-process skills in K-8 students. Shares strategies for using beans in graphing, patterning, and classifying. (DDR)

The world faces two converging crises, a lack of biological literacy and a rapid increase in environmental degradation. In order to insure a secure and safe environment for future generations of organisms, all humans must be taught the basic biological and physical processes that sustain life. This project seeks to fill the chasm in the general…