This response builds upon some of the issues raised in the article "Windows and mirrors: three images of the US science curriculum as reflected through Kenya's Jua Kali" by Jomo W. Mutegi of Indiana University Purdue, U.S.A, and Lazarus O. Momanyi of Moi University. In particular, the need for an operational science education curriculum…

Science and technology play an important role in the development of human society. Thus, science education should reflect the trend of social development and prepare students to think about and make wise decisions on major social topics related to science. As an aspect of the societal dimension of science, socio-scientific topics (SSTs) have a…

There are vital topics in science teaching and learning which are mentioned frequently in the literature. Specialists advocate their importance in the curriculum as well as science teachers stress their saliency. Inservice education might well assist new and veteran teachers in knowledge and skills. The very best science lessons and units of…

We report on the development of an after-school and summer-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curriculum infused with the arts and social emotional learning content (STEAM SEL). Its design was motivated by theory and research that suggest that STEM education is well-suited for teaching empathy and other emotion-related skills.…

As a result of reforms like the Common Core Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and its framework, science instruction is transitioning from traditional forms of science to reformist curriculum. Classrooms committed to an epistemological approach to science education will have students engaging in a co-construction of…

Children's everyday ideas form critical foundations for science learning yet little research has been conducted to understand and legitimize these ideas, particularly from an international perspective. This paper explores children's everyday ideas about the environment across the US, Singapore and China to understand what they reveal about…

Notes that traditional early childhood science programs have attempted to facilitate children's understanding of the physical or natural world. Suggests another view: that children are developing scientific thinking processes or learning strategies in the personal and social domains, and that this should be seen as part of science program in early…

This document presents curriculum ideas and procedures developed by the Child Development Research Group at the University of Washington for a model preschool program designed for intellectually advanced children 2 to 5 years old. The program was designed to offer teacher- and child-structured learning situations that provided instruction in…

This document presents the learning goals for children participating in Georgia's prekindergarten program. Twenty-three learning goals with accompanying subgoals are delineated in the following areas: (1) language development; (2) mathematical development; (3) scientific development; (4) creative development; (5) physical development; and (6)…

The Learning Environment Inventory (LEI) was administered to tenth-grade biology classes (N=572) in urban and kibbutz district schools in Israel. Findings indicated that seven out of nine scales of the LEI yield significant differences in scores for urban and kibbutz samples indicating a more positive learning climate in the kibbutz. (Author/DS)

Describes a kindergarten activity of dissecting owl pellets as a vehicle for promoting new partnerships and friendships. Argues that pairing children for activities based on gender, varying ethnicities, and differing abilities allows children to break down barriers and gives them experiences with children other than their best friends. (SD)