Biology in Context ("bik") is a project that aims to improve biology teaching in lower secondary schools in Germany. Based on a theoretical framework derived from the National Educational Standards, four competence areas should be fostered in biology education: subject knowledge; inquiry acquisition; subject-related communication; and…

A pretest-posttest control group design was used with 20 second- and third-grade teachers to answer questions related to the effectiveness of microteaching as a teacher training procedure. The group was divided into two experimental groups by random assignment. One group of 10 received microteaching training in a specific teaching skill. The other…

This paper reports a study to develop a measure that would determine behaviors teachers predict they would use while teaching elementary school science. The Predicted Role Measure (PRM) consisted of a motion picture film and a response packet. After observing nine scenes from the film, the participating teachers recorded their predicted behaviors.…

This study involved an inservice education program designed to enhance teacher behavior in the use of Science - A Process Approach. The major method of gaining information on teacher behavior was direct observation and involved the development and utilization of a Classroom Observation Rating Form (CORF). Twenty-three elementary teachers comprised…

Reported is a study into the teaching behaviors of elementary science teachers based on the philosophy of Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS). One hundred eighty-four teachers were selected from a large geographical area, having widely differing backgrounds and varying education and/or experience with SCIS programs. The Predicted Role…

This paper focuses on the refinement and articulation of the invitational education concept to science teaching in the classroom, an approach consistent with the underlying philosophy of SCIS. The first section of the paper outlines the nature of invitations and disinvitations and describes the ability of teachers to send formal or informal…

Teacher process variables and student outcomes were examined as they appeared in two settings employing curriculum materials based on alternate psychological learning approaches. The two settings were based on the cognitive restructuring and behavioral approaches described by Bruner and Gagne, respectively. Ten teachers were involved in the study.…

This investigation was an attempt to determine the suitability of a highly structured course in science, Introductory Physical Science (IPS), for all eighth-grade students in a suburban school. The major measure for the evaluation of the course was to study the degree of teacher commitment to the objectives of the course and determine if this…

Reported is a study to identify classroom practices of teachers using three new junior high school science curricular programs. Data from a 36-item student perception instrument, the Student-Teacher Participation Checklist (STPC), were obtained from a sample of 493 students. The teachers of these students were participants in a National Science…

Focuses on the relationships of the teacher's affective attributes, concerning both interest and attitude, and measures of teaching behaviors of elementary grade preservice teachers (N=148) consistent with instructional methodology of the SCIS curriculum. Results include a confirmation that a field-oriented treatment yields significant changes in…

Presents basic guidelines for classroom control and discipline for teachers using new science programs that encourage independent study and hands-on activities. (MA)

Presents a review of research on the Intermediate Science Curriculum Study (ISCS). Areas addressed include: (1) teacher education; (2) student cognitive and affective outcomes; (3) teacher and student facilitative characteristics and behaviors; and (4) ISCS instructional materials. (JN)

Evaluated the effectiveness of an in-service science program, designed to introduce the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) to 35 elementary schools, by measuring teachers' (N=168) use of living materials available from the school district's resource supply center. Findings include no significant increase in material usage by workshop…

Examined was the problem of the learning environment as it related to differential affective outcomes. Two specific questions were investigated. First, were there overall significant differences in the learning environments of classes who scored high (the top 25% strong attitudes towards chemistry) on the Student Opinion Survey in Chemistry?…

This study describes a workshop designed to improve elementary science instruction by encouraging teachers to discard the "spectator" mode of participation and become involved in a program designed to be compatible to the objectives and philosophy of the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS). A random sample of 224 teachers (the…