This study evaluated the representations of nature of science (NOS) in U.S. state science standards, and examined the changes in these representations from documents advanced in the 1980s through 2016. Drawing from the consensus perspective on NOS and prior studies focusing on the analysis of textual content, documents were inspected for 10 target…

Research on learning progressions has led to advances in understanding student learning about big ideas in science, but teachers struggle to leverage the full potential of learning progressions for classroom instruction. Because learning progressions lay out how students' ideas change over a long period of time, learning progressions could help…

This article presents a systematic review of research on the achievement outcomes of all types of approaches to teaching science in elementary schools. Study inclusion criteria included use of randomized or matched control groups, a study duration of at least 4 weeks, and use of achievement measures independent of the experimental treatment. A…

Curriculum materials are crucial tools with which teachers engage students in science as inquiry. In order to use curriculum materials effectively, however, teachers must develop a robust capacity for pedagogical design, or the ability to mobilize a variety of personal and curricular resources to promote student learning. The purpose of this study…

The paper documents experiments designed to compare essay and multiple-choice tests as means of testing science learning. Results indicate it is easier to score high on multiple-choice tests; some students substitute quantity on essay tests; and essay tests reveal weaknesses hidden by multiple-choice tests. (RE)

Tenth-grade rural students of low verbal ability were taught a biology lesson using one of three instructional adjuncts: an advance organizer, behavioral objectives, or a set of adjunct questions. Achievement scores showed no significant differences among the treatment or control groups. (MLH)

Analyzes ways in which biology is taught by experienced teachers and discusses contexts in which specific teaching strategies seemed successful. Analyses of teachers' responses reveals complex relationships among their perception of what was distinctive about their biology program and students, allocation of class time, efforts to individualize…

Composite profiles of textbook-centered teachers (n=3) and multiple-centered teachers (n=3) and their classroom environments were constructed using data collected during classroom observations. The nature of teachers' textbook use and the relationship between factors indicative of the biology education "desired state" or "actual…

Investigated effects of using laboratory photomicrography as a motivational technique in the teaching/learning processes involved in the study of microbiology in Nigerian schools. Of the 720 students participating in the study, those taught using the photomicrographs scored highest on posttests and indicated that they were highly motivated by the…

Compares frequencies and styles of questioning strategies used in Modern Biology and Biological Science Curriculum Study--BSCS Green, BSCS Yellow and BSCS Blue secondary school biology textbooks. Findings revealed significant differences between textbooks in terms of number and type of questions used. (CP)

Discusses findings of an experiment that compared Native Americans' attitudes and achievements in science, as measured by standardized scores, when taught science using culturally relevant materials and non-culturally relevant materials. Results suggest that educators should use culturally relevant materials when teaching Native Americans. (ZWH)

Explored the effects of learning on structural modifications to the periodic table; the location of a periodic table within instructional materials; and the presence of a two-page schema showing relationships between the topics explained in the written materials and the periodic table. Results obtained from 160 students are reported and discussed.…

Assesses students' learning of evolution by natural selection within four different sections of an introductory biology course where each section used a different combination of curricular materials and instruction. Reports that comparisons between sections support the use of paired problem-solving instructional strategy in conjunction with the…

Investigated is the effect of organization and accuracy of detail in instructional aids on the achievement of college students (N=54) in a freshman chemistry lecture course. It is indicated that aids may impede learning by decreasing students' involvement in auditory and semantic encoding during lectures. (Author/DS)

Determined (1) if ninth-grade students (N=221) receiving pictoral treatment with critical attributes highlighted performed better on an identification test than those receiving diagram form instruction, and (2) if high verbal learners receiving a largely diagrammatic treatment performed better on a classification test than high verbal students…