There is increasing interest in collaborative arrangements between schools and community scientists to enhance student engagement with learning. We describe research in which we identify a wide range of such collaborations in Australia, and investigate through interviews with community participants their perspectives on the purposes of…

Describes a survey in which one thousand British undergraduates who had studied one or more Nuffield A-Level single sciences were identified; both they and their teachers were asked about the influence of this experience on their university performance. The survey revealed definite approval for the Nuffield schemes. (MLH)

Discusses a survey of a sample of Australian secondary schools that assesses the use of the Australian Science Education Project (ASEP) materials and its contribution to general education objectives. (MLH)

Reports a study undertaken to determine the effect of the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) on logical thinking. Evidence of logical thinking was measured as the ability to explain compensating variables that occurred in a cart experiment presented on silent 16 mm film. (GS)

Discusses a two-year assessment undertaken to evaluate the Nuffield A-Level chemistry course. Secondary teachers selected chemistry experiments for assessment purposes and assessed their students in manipulative skills, observational skills, interpretation skills, creative skills, and attitudes. (MLH)

A battery of tests was administered to three groups of high school students who studied the Israel Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) Adaptation Program for several years. Compared with non-BSCS students, the progress of the BSCS students in biological knowledge, inquiry skills, and understanding of science demonstrates the feasibility of…

Studied the intellectual differences between third and fourth grade Filipino children who had studied Science--A Process Approach (SAPA) and others who had studied a traditional curriculum. The SAPA children performed significantly better than the control group on a test of observing, comparing, and classifying simple geometric objects. (MLH)

Reports on the District of Columbia school system's competency-based curriculum plan for education accountability. (BB)

This article defines inquiry, analyzes the results of the implementation of inquiry-based science curricula in the 1960s, and supports the continued emphasis on inquiry-oriented teaching in the back-to-basic curriculum reform presently being advocated. (CS)

To evaluate a method of content analysis, and as a step toward the specification of a conceptual domain for primary level science, extant instructional programs were analyzed. This paper reports an analysis of the introductory unit and three biological science units of the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS). The background of the program…

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.…

Reported here are the responses of a group of chemical engineering educators to questions relating to the use of a series of undergraduate chemical engineering modules developed by the CHEMI Project. (BB)

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)

At the beginning of each year, teachers have the daunting task of deciding which concepts and skills to teach their students. Many teachers feel the pressure to teach "the whole book". This pressure comes in multiple forms. There is ever-increasing pressure to perform well on state, national, and international exams. An added pressure is the…

Attempts to assess the impact of the NSF science curriculum projects have been generally unsatisfactory. Much of the NSF impact on science education will probably continue to defy quantification. Whether or not the new curricula achieve their goal of increasing scientific literacy among the public can only be evaluated over the lifetimes of the…