Many countries all over the world have recently integrated nature of science (NOS) concepts into their science education standards. Providing professional support to teachers about NOS concepts is crucially important for successful implementation of the standards. For this purpose, a summer science camp was offered to elementary and science…

The National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) sponsored professional development of educators in the NASA Summer of Innovation (SOI) program. The Idaho, Montana, and Utah (IMU-SOI) program worked with educators and students from thirteen Native American communities. The summer sessions were focused on problem based learning and…

This study examined how science teachers' knowledge of research methods, neuroscience and drug addiction changed through their participation in a 5-day summer science institute. The data for this study evolved from a four-year NIH funded science education project called Addiction Research and Investigation for Science Educators (ARISE). Findings…

In this commentary, I discuss how policy initiatives play out in two different contexts for elementary school teachers yet produce very similar outcomes regarding teachers' professional development and school science learning for elementary students. Ironically, the outcomes that we want see in elementary school science learning and professional…

Two research studies sponsored by the Centre for Informal Learning and Schools (CILS) investigated the programmes informal science institutions (ISIs) currently provide to support K-12 science education, particularly in the area of teacher professional development (PD). The first study was a large-scale survey with 475 ISIs responding about the…

Describes development of the National Science Education Standards in content, teaching, assessment, professional development, school and district programs, and the science education system. Considers the standards' distinctive features, including an expanded definition of science, grounded in inquiry; and an emphasis on all students understanding…

In 1989 the Texas Alliance for Science, Technology and Mathematics Education began placing teachers of all levels at industry sites as part of its Texas Teacher Internship Program. In 1995, 15 teachers interned at 11 sites. Each teacher was required to develop a curriculum implementation plan which was to illustrate how they would translate the…

This report contains summary information and conclusions from the pilot workshops, focus groups, and the NEI (NASA Explorer Institutes) Planning and Evaluation Conference which united representatives of the workshops, focus groups, and NASA education. The culmination of these NEI pilot initiatives resulted in the identification of strategies that…

The year 2005 marked the National Science Resources Center's (NSRC) 20th anniversary. This 20-year period saw the rise of new opportunities--such as the promulgation of the National Research Council's National Science Education Standards--and challenges--such as the rise of China and India as important competitors in the global marketplace. Over…

Offers information for new professionals to get involved with funded efforts supported by a variety of agencies. Described are four sources of funds including government grants, private foundations, industry, and community collaboration. Suggestions for proposal writing and contacts for funding are listed. (YP)

The purpose of this article is to provide a rationale for a professional development model and to highlight two features of the model which have been designed to address school improvement needs while concurrently providing professional development opportunities for novice and experienced science educators. The two features include summer magnet…

Inverness Research studied the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) Seminars on Science program for eight years, from its inception in 1998 to 2006. In 2009, Inverness Research conducted additional studies of the AMNH's new online course, The Solar System. This paper presents teacher survey ratings for The Solar System, along with profiles of…

This digest provides an overview of the Head Start on Science (HSS) program which is designed to encourage the science literacy of preschool children in Head Start programs and to improve the capacity of Head Start teachers, assistants, and parents. The overall goal of the HSS program is threefold: (1) to broaden HSS participants' science…

This document outlines and discusses 67 minimum standards for good science teaching in elementary, middle/junior high, and senior high schools. The standards are presented in three sections. The first section (resources for learning) considers science spaces/places (laboratories, classrooms, individual study), science learning materials, science…

Describes the SCI-LINK Project that explored ways of linking research scientists and school science teachers. From the evaluation of the project, it is concluded that it helped teachers have a better understanding of scientific environmental research and recent findings. It also allowed teachers to develop activities and other instructional…