Viewed by someone with no involvement, the Association for Science Education (ASE) Annual Conference will seem like an impossibly ambitious task, relying significantly on volunteers (though increasingly supported by a small permanent staff) to organise and run it. Developed from events already established in the former associations, it offers a…

The place of fieldwork in both geography and science qualifications across the 14-19 age range remains contested, unclear and sometimes under threat. This article explores these issues for science education and was informed by a one-day, invitation-only workshop, which cut across geography and the sciences, that we ran at the behest of the Field…

This article focuses on the role of the Association for Science Education (ASE) in supporting and developing policy and practice in primary school science. It first sets the events after the formation of ASE in 1963 in the context of what went before. It then takes a mainly chronological view of some, but by no means all, of ASE's activities…

The revised National Curriculum for Science for key stages 3 and 4 (ages 11-16) in England provides the opportunity to develop a new coherent approach to teaching about the carbon cycle, the use of carbon as a fuel and the resulting issues. The Earth Science Education Unit (ESEU) intends to develop a new workshop to support the teaching of this…

The Key Stage 3 National Strategy for science offers a set of new challenges to department heads and research indicates that most concerns relate to managing staff. Outlines some ideas from the research literature on effective strategies for managers. (MM)

Examines the situation of science teaching against the characteristics generally thought to constitute professionalism from the mid-19th century to the present. Focuses particularly on pre-service education and training. Discusses the aspect of professionalism involving control over practice in parallel with questions of knowledge and training.…

Explores the notion of science teachers' professionalism and challenges the beguiling notion of best practice. Argues that science teachers' ownership of their own work imposes on the power of external agencies to effect change. (Contains 15 references.) (Author/ASK)

Described is a school-focused pattern of initial and inservice training of teachers which emphasizes self evaluation and development through team membership. Details the workshop schedule and discusses activities used. (CW)

Discussed are the Caribbean experiences with school-based assessment in science, considering the general education background against which the strategy was adopted, some school conditions that appeared to be critical to its implementation, and its apparent impact on the teaching and learning of science. (Author)