This article describes key facets of the Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education (CASE), a curriculum that emerged in the United Kingdom, enabling teachers to accelerate the process of cognitive development so that more students could attain the higher-order thinking skills (formal operational thinking) required (Lecky, 2012). CASE, also…

This study was inspired by the final regulations for the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) indicating that each state has the option to develop a new assessment for students whose disabilities have kept them from obtaining proficiency. Sets of high school science achievement items were enhanced for the new test. A 3-by-2, within subjects,…

Since the publication of the Standards for Technological Literacy in 2000 (ITEA), there have been a number of new programs developed that are designed to teach pre-engineering. Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is one such program. Project Lead the Way boasts serving over 1250 schools in 44 states and teaching over 160,000 students. Another program is…

This study was designed to assess the effectiveness, with respect to science process skill development, of the elementary science curriculum designed by the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS). The assessment was made by statistically comparing the scores on "The Science Process Instrument" of two groups of students. The…

Students' preferences changed from applied to theoretical aspects of physics, and from recall of facts to identification of fundamental principles during two years of study of the Physical Science Study Committee in Australian High Schools. (AL)

Analyzed were cognitive behaviors required by an elementary science curriculum plan, "Science - A Process Approach." For each activity in this curriculum plan a list of required student cognitive behaviors was made. In the final analysis each activity was represented by its most complex cognitive requirement or "top coding."…

Uses a Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) as an indicator of field-independency in an investigation with college graduate students. Results reveal that GEFT scores were not affected by the treatment of 18 hours of instruction in Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) materials or by pretesting effects. (CP)

Two Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) approaches to teaching high school biology were employed to study the relative effects which different curriculum approaches might have on certain intellectual aptitudes of students. Subjects included 144 students enrolled in the BSCS Yellow Version and 143 students enrolled in BSCS Blue Version.…

This instrument contains activities by which one can determine a child's intellectual development in: (1) observing, (2) classifying, (3) measuring, (4) using numbers, (5) using space/time relationships, (6) inferring, and (7) communicating and predicting. The seven sections of the instrument correspond to those processes defined in Science - A…

The gain in chemistry knowledge made by high school chemistry students whose cognitive patterns were similar to those of their teachers was compared to the gain of students whose cognitive patterns differed from their teachers'. Seven cognitive factor tests were administered to 13 teachers who were participating in three Chemical Education…

The author attempts to show the development of logical-empirical knowledge structures from the raw elements in nature to the structures of knowledge as perceived by the mature student. Eighteen hypotheses are identified which focus on the expected relative natures of perceived knowledge structures of the various agental groups and their…

Evaluates the Nuffield Combined Science program in terms of the Piagetian developmental levels required for successful achievement in the various program divisions. (CP)

Reports on the administration of a biology cognitive preference test to 177 science-oriented high school students. Subjects were asked to rank responses or "extension statements" to items according to their preference. It was found that the high-ability students as a group had a very high preference for questioning and low preference for recall.…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the Material Objects Unit of the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) on the cognitive operations and academic achievement of elementary school children. The Material Objects Unit was designed to give experiences and explorations in the mental operations of classification,…

Reported at the National Science Teachers Association in April, 1972, in New York City, this investigation was designed to test the importance of pupil manipulation of science materials in the attainment of science process skills for kindergarten and third grade students. It has focused on a specific kind of learning task: acquisition of science…