In order to compete in a global economy, students are going to need resources and curricula focusing on critical thinking and reasoning in science. Despite awareness for the need for complex reasoning, American students perform poorly relative to peers on international standardized tests measuring complex thinking in science. Research focusing on…

Drawing on game-design principles and an underlying situated theoretical perspective, we developed and researched a 3D game-based curriculum designed to teach water quality concepts. We compared undergraduate student dyads assigned randomly to four different instructional design conditions where the content had increasingly level of…

This study describes an example of design-based research in which we make theoretical improvements in our understanding, in part based on empirical work, and use these to revise our curriculum and, simultaneously, our evolving theory of the relations between contexts and disciplinary formalisms. Prior to this study, we completed a first cycle of…

This chapter discusses alternatives beyond traditional standardized tests or curriculum standards consisting of naive checklists of low-level facts and skills to operationally define educational goals in ways that provide direction for both instruction and accountability. Suggestions are drawn from physical and social sciences as well as from…

The purpose of this brochure is to help educators in schools and school districts understand the fundamentals of what the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act means for mathematics and science curricula. Key NCLB requirements for mathematics and science, mathematics and science partnerships, and key resources and products are described. (KHR)

Educational reform efforts are currently at the top of the nation's agenda. Policymakers are hearing increasing calls from members of the public to improve standardized test scores. These reform calls are a response to the perceived inadequacy of science teaching in our nation. Data were collected from participating states regarding the status of…

This paper provides the current rationale and historical background for educational standards and discusses various meanings and interpretations attached to this term. It then provides a comparative analysis of these sets of publications that are seen as providing national standards for the American Association for the Advancement of Science…

Summarizes results of a questionnaire asking if the ASC standarized test influences what is taught in inorganic chemistry courses. Chief controlling factors are indicated to be: (1) instructor's preference and (2) textbook content. Suggestions are given to enhance amount of inorganic chemistry in undergraduate curricula. (Author/JN)

Explores the ethical issues involved in using standardized tests to implement a state-level policy. Examines the fourth grade science program evaluation test administered in New York State for the first time in 1989. A utilitarian view of ethics ignores the consequences of testing for different constituents, obviates caring behavior, and damages…

Considers questions relating to the introduction of particle physics into post-GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) courses. Describes a project that is producing teacher and student materials to support the teaching of particle physics at this level. Presents a proposed syllabus for a particle physics module. (KR)

This keynote address reported on the current state of science education in three areas: curriculum development, attitudes toward science, and assessment in science. Three major projects in science curriculum reform were the focus of the section on curriculum development: (1) Project 2061; (2) Scope, Sequence, and Coordination; and (3) Earth…

These essays share award-winning teachers' strategies for adapting their classrooms to the ever-changing environment: "Professional Development Has Shaped Me and My Classroom" (Kay Wallace); "Teachers Go Back to School" (Steven T. Jackson); "Keeping Up With Change" (Caryn Smith Long); "Self-Reflection: Looking…

As a part of the teacher licensure program at the graduate level at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), the M.Ed. Licensure candidate is required to complete an action research project during a 3-semester-hour course that coincides with the 9-semester-hour student teaching experience. This course, Education 590 Culminating…