In this Reflection on Practice we propose a triple nexus of research, public engagement and teaching that could provide a new pathway for academic developers to enable greater engagement in learning and teaching issues from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) academics. We argue that the public engagement activities demanded…

The acronym STEM--the teaching of science, technology, engineering, and math--now a familiar term in education, is evolving into STEAM--STEM plus "A" for art. Educational researcher Martin Storksdieck's studies have shown that infusing art into STEM allows for "a different way of perceiving and knowing and dealing with the world, as a means to…

Interconnectedness changes lives. It can even save lives. Recently the author got to witness and be part of something in his role as a teacher of primary science that has changed lives: it may even have saved lives. It involved primary science teaching--and the climate. Robert Collins describes how it is all interconnected. The "Toilet…

Despite being criticised for placing little emphasis on thinking, the majority of laboratory work at school level is taught "via" expository "recipe-style" labs. This has been seen to result in students struggling to be able to apply the practical techniques they have learnt in the classroom outside the narrow environment in which they were…

Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University, in collaboration with the marine industry and local school systems, is improving STEM preparation using innovative experiences for students and teachers in the nation's major shipbuilding and repair areas through MarineTech and SBRCD (Shipbuilding Repair and Maritime Career Day) projects. The…

The many activities contained in this teaching guide emphasize hands-on involvement, prediction, data collection and interpretation, teamwork, and problem solving. The guide also contains background information about aeronautical research that can help students learn how airplanes fly. Following the background sections are a series of activities…

Academics preparing students for experiential placements within professional programs require considerable curriculum planning and pedagogical expertise. Communities of practice involving workshops and online processes provide opportunities for collaborative work in developing quality curriculum materials and also in supporting widespread…

In this paper we describe a model for a science fair, within the context of an elementary science methods course. We first describe the theoretical perspectives from which the idea of science fairs derives and we provide definitions as we sketch the characteristics of commonly used science fairs. We then describe the context and processes of a…

This article discusses how a regular walk in the wind or the rain can help develop science knowledge and skills. The author describes one "welly-walk" and links it to National Curriculum for England requirements so that readers can see how easy it is. (Contains 1 figure and 1 box.)

Reported is a study on the problem-solving skills of sixth-grade students. Three curricula were utilized in the study: Science - A Process Approach (SAPA), the Laidlaw textbook series, and the Environmental Studies (ES) Project materials. Twenty-seven teachers in eight schools participated. Each of the teachers taught one of the three curricula.…

Reports results of several studies of the learning environment of secondary science classes using Australian Science Education Project (ASEP) materials. Indicates many desired changes, such as higher levels of pupil activity. (MLH)

This guide is a result of two years' piloting and revising the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) program for the students of Guam. The life science portions of SCIS were chosen and adapted for the ecology of the area. Program flexibility is stressed and outdoor activities are encouraged. Used in grade one, the topic of organisms is…

Reported is a study to ascertain whether or not the open-ended laboratory activities in the Earth Science Curriculum Project (ESCP) program could be learned as effectively by self-directed students and to ascertain students' attitudes and interest toward learning science through a laboratory-block discovery approach. Ninety-seven junior high…

Determines effect of a process-oriented science curriculum on students' (N=83) ability to transfer and utilize problem-solving skills, and the relation of basic and integrated processes to the development of those skills. Discusses methodology and implications for teaching problem solving, stressing the need for process-oriented curricula.…

In this set of six booklets on graphing, intermediate grade students learn how to choose which kind of graph to make; make bar graphs, histograms, line graphs, and conversion graphs; and use graphs to compare two sets of data. The major emphasis in all Unified Sciences and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES) units is on open-ended,…