When science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education is discussed in the K-12 sphere, it often seems like shorthand for mathematics and science, with perhaps a nod to technology and even less, if any, real attention to engineering. But recent developments signal that the "e" in STEM may be gaining a firmer foothold at…

Engaging students in both hands-on and minds-on experiences is needed for education that is relevant and complete. Many middle school students enter science classrooms with pre-conceived ideas about their world. Some of these ideas are misconceptions that hinder students from developing accepted concepts in science, such as those related to…

The internet abounds with free science education applications. But, on their own, these applications have limited capacity to teach students curricular concepts or skills. The author integrated several free web-based applications into a broader pedagogical approach called T-GEM, in which the teacher guides student investigations. In this article,…

In eighth grade, students usually learn about forces in science class and linear relationships in math class, crucial topics that form the foundation for further study in science and engineering. An activity that links these two fundamental concepts involves measuring the distance a spring stretches as a function of how much weight is suspended…

TIMSS measures trends in mathematics and science achievement at the fourth and eighth grades in participating countries around the world, while also monitoring curricular implementation and identifying promising instructional practices. Conducted on a regular 4-year cycle, TIMSS has assessed mathematics and science in 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, and…

Typically, teachers use tests to evaluate students' knowledge acquisition. In a novel experimental study, we examined whether low-stakes testing ("quizzing") can be used to foster students' learning of course content in 8th grade science classes. Students received multiple-choice quizzes (with feedback); in the quizzes, some target…

With increased emphasis on state standards and assessments in science, one might question whether there is still a role for national science standards and benchmarks. This article makes a case for the importance of national guidelines and identifies key functions performed by the National Research Council's "National Science Education Standards"…

Compares effects of the Human Sciences Program (BSCS) and conventional programs on attitudes of eighth-grade students. Variables include course, gender and school (including teacher). Evaluation of results from responses on a semantic differential questionnaire indicate very positive response to the Human Sciences Program. (CS)

The research reported in this paper concerns the design of instructional materials that represent the content structure of a science discipline and the development of methods of probing and representing the knowledge structure in a student's memory. The science discipline selected for the study was geology. Specifically, the conceptual structures…

This codebook for a machine-readable data file contains frequencies for the values of 310 variables for 446 student cases that comprised the field test data from the testing of Knowing, a Level III module of the BSCS Human Sciences Program. This module was developed and field tested with eighth-grade students in middle schools and junior high…

DESCRIBED IS A SIX-WEEK SUMMER SCIENCE PROJECT DESIGNED TO--(1) PROVIDE TALENTED TEACHERS AND PROMISING STUDENTS FROM DIVERSE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUNDS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH AND LEARN TOGETHER IN CIRCUMSTANCES CONDUCIVE TO CREATIVE ENDEAVOR AND MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING, (2) CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATIONAL…