This paper is a qualitative, practice based study describing the use of the Focus-Action-Reflection (FAR) Guide (Harrison & Treagust, 2000) to address the shortcomings of a pedagogical analogical model in Year 10 Science. The aim of this paper is to present my experience of the FAR Guide in relation to an analogical model that gave rise to…

The National Science Education Standards are designed to provide a vision of scientific literacy for "all" students--regardless of age, race, ethnic background, English-language proficiency, socioeconomic status, disability, or giftedness. One of the most powerful strategies in science instruction--which aligns with the Standards--is the use of…

Compares and contrasts high school physics philosophies, curricula, and textbooks of early 1900s to present, indicating that current textbooks are teacher and subject-oriented, lack examples of daily life, and are highly mathematical and too abstract. Suggestions for helping students experience success and improve self-esteem (which leads to…

This is a qualitative study of science teaching for non-academic students in secondary school. Evidence from earlier studies suggested that few variations in teaching strategies are being used for non-academic students. This investigator categorizes certain pertinent teaching features which, if emphasized, have the potential to enhance the…

This study examined the effects of a Web site design project on students' motivation and achievement. Tenth-grade biology students worked together in teams on an ecology project that required them to locate relevant information on the Internet, decide which information should be included on their Web site, organize the information into Web pages,…

This study investigated the following research questions: (1) Does the use of a shared, intranet environment improve learner problem-solving ability in science? (2) Does the use of a shared, intranet environment increase learner metacognitive reflection? and (3) Do gender differences emerge with the use of a shared, intranet science environment…