The construction and characterization of a glucose biosensor has been implemented in an instrumental chemical analysis course to provide students experience with chemical sensing, electroanalytical methods, and flow injection analysis (FIA). The glucose biosensor was assembled on a glassy carbon electrode by depositing a layer of Prussian blue…

A global shortage of qualified physics teachers requires some teachers to teach physics out-of-field (OOF). A concern for OOF physics teaching is that without appropriate physics content knowledge (CK), these teachers tend to focus on rote learning and may find it difficult to support students who require additional assistance or extension; they…

Educators advocate that science education can help the development of more responsible worldviews when students learn not only scientific concepts, but also about science, or "nature of science". Cosmology can help the formation of worldviews because this topic is embedded in socio-cultural and religious issues. Indeed, during the Cold…

Even 150 years after Charles Darwin published "On the Origin of Species," public school teachers still find themselves dealing with student resistance to learning about biological evolution. Some teachers deal with this pressure by undermining, deemphasizing, or even omitting the topic in their science curriculum. Others face the…

Effectively integrating writing into biology classes gives students the opportunity to develop a better understanding of and engagement with course content. Yet many instructors remain reluctant to emphasize writing. Some are concerned about the time commitment writing assessment requires. Others shy away from emphasizing writing in their classes…

The commercial simulator Aspen Chromatography was employed to study and optimize an important new industrial separation process, weak partitioning chromatography. This case study on antibody purification was implemented in a chromatographic separations course. Parametric simulations were performed to investigate the effect of operating parameters…

"Approaches and Strategies in Next Generation Science Learning" examines the challenges involved in the development of modern curriculum models, teaching strategies, and assessments in science education in order to prepare future students in the 21st century economies. This comprehensive collection of research brings together science educators,…

This study examined how instructional challenges presented by gifted students shaped teachers' instructional strategies. This study is a qualitative research grounded in a social constructivist framework. The participants were three high school science teachers who were teaching identified gifted students in both heterogeneously- and…

This article applies the guidelines of the Twenty-Fourth Congress of the Communist Party - farsightedness and practicality - to problems of content and methodology in physics instruction. (JH)

Exposing students to content outside of the classroom encourages them to take control of their learning. This article describes three methods for redesigning courses to create more class time for the development of higher-order skills. The combination of in-and out-of-class activities improves student learning without sacrificing course content.…

Explains a component of an introductory genetics course that exposes students to bioethical issues and the social responsibilities of scientists. Students engage in discussion in an interdisciplinary format. (DDR)

Discusses the relationship between teaching and research in higher education and how they are sometimes one and the same. Provides a perspective on scientific literacy, thoughts on the role of scientists in talking with the public about science, and the rationale for making a video course about chemistry. (DDR)

Nine years after the National Science Education Standards' release, just how well do science teachers in grades 5 to 8 actually use them to plan content, define improved teaching, and assess real learning? Find out the answers to these key questions in this groundbreaking collection of 15 essays by teachers, researchers, and professors whose…

Describes a trend in science teaching marked by shifts in philosophies and practices and by a search for science content that draws from the experiences of a culturally diverse student population. (DDR)

Asserts that there is a need for a more effective means to teach methods of scientific inquiry in geography classes. Describes a laboratory project in which college-level students are introduced to scientific inquiry. Provides seven suggestions for using similar scientific inquiry activities in elementary and secondary classrooms. (CFR)