The current crisis in the quality and instruction of pre-college mathematics/science education is acknowledged to be one of the major problems confronting American education. Such future demographic changes as increasing numbers of immigrant and minority-group students in the school population will make the crisis more acute. Many factors need to…

Provided are suggestions and recommendations for each item on the checklist, contained in Part A of the handbook, which was designed to help elementary school principals assess and improve science programs in their schools. Suggestions/recommendations, designed to make the checklist more meaningful and useful, are keyed by number and/or letter to…

Provided in this book is a legislative and administrative history of the National Science Foundation (NSF) during its formative years (1945-57). The 15 chapter book is organized into three parts. Part 1 ("The Long Debate, 1945-50") narrates the legislative history of the Foundation's creation. Part 2 ("Beginning, 1950-54")…

During the spring of 1982, over 80,000 students and nearly 2,000 teachers in British Columbia participated in the 1982 Science Assessment, contributing toward understanding of the status and progress of science education in the elementary and secondary schools of the province. The assessment was the second in science, the first occurring in 1978.…

Common misconceptions of children that may interfere with their learning science are discussed, including three aspects of science programs: complexity, fragility, and unclear learning outcomes. Special attention is given to the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS). Methods for solving problems dealing with students' misconceptions are then…

Four Native American college students who participated in the summer science program, Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science (SOARS), discuss how the program allowed them to integrate traditional and Western knowledge. SOARS provides educational, research, and financial support to minority students completing undergraduate…

In this study, we seek a better understanding of how individuals and their daily interactions shape and reshape social structures that constitute a classroom community. Moreover, we provide insight into how discourse and classroom interactions shape the nature of a learning community, as well as which aspects of the classroom culture may be…

This paper examines the interests, perceptions, and participation of 16 African American girls in a program designed to improve girls' persistence in science, mathematics, and technology (SMT). The girls are among 33 African American and 73 total original participants in "Rural and Urban Images: Voices of Girls in Science, Mathematics, and…

The SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE) is a coalition of educators, business leaders, governors, and policymakers seeking comprehensive and lasting improvement in education in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina. SERVE'S Consortium for Mathematics and Science Education provides support to…

The Science Meta-Analysis Project (SMAP) resulted in the meta-analysis of a sizable proportion of the research in pre-college science education. Seven broad questions were examined during the study. These include the effects of different curriculum programs, effects of different instructional systems used in science teaching, effects of various…

This book, written by science educators from nine countries, provides a summary of the strengths and weaknesses in practices of science education in schools, and of research in science education. It points out a number of directions that are likely to lead to improvements in the teaching and learning of science if applied in the future. Topics…

Throughout the world, increased attention is being paid to the promotion of out-of-school activities in the fields of science and technology. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization supports a wide range of activities such as science clubs, fairs, Olympiads, museums and centers. This publication presents a broad…

Summarizes the activities of the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Office of Science and Technology Education (OSTE) in promoting and improving science and mathematics education. Describes six new OSTE programs that include a national forum for school science, science resource material systems, and science seminars for…

Describes a summer program project designed and conducted by a mixed-age group of elementary children. Students collected data to determine whether a local stream was polluted, and interpretations of the data varied. An informational video about the project and the creek was produced. (PVD)

This source book describes 107 projects administered by the U.S. Department of Education under the Pre-College Teacher Development in Science (PTDS) Program from 1980-82. Under the program, grants of up to $50,000 were made to colleges, universities, and museums to assist them in providing opportunities to elementary teachers for continuing…