Despite the rising popularity of Citizen Science (CS) projects, there is little empirical evidence for effects on learning outcomes, particularly when young people are involved. It is also often not clear how CS projects are linked to science education (SE) research. The aim of this study was to examine biodiversity CS projects in an outdoor…

Experiments are essential for both doing science and learning science. The aim of the German youth science fair, "Jugend forscht," is to encourage scientific thinking and inquiry methods such as experimentation. Based on 57 interviews with participants of the competition, this study summarises students' conceptions and steps of learning…

Explores a semi-formal intervention in the public learning and understanding of science (PLUS) by involving school children and their family adults in project work in astronomy. Considers outcomes at three levels: general evaluative comments, gains for the family teams involved, and gains in the general public understanding of science. (Contains…

This paper discusses the evaluation of an informal science education project, The Birdhouse Network (TBN) of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. The Elaboration Likelihood Model and the theory of Experiential Education were used as frameworks to analyse the impact of TBN on participants' attitudes toward science and the environment, on their…

Considers the ways in which students' activities during project work are influenced by their images of science. Finds that the concept of "epistemic demand" may help in anticipating difficulties students might have during science project work, and that students' images of science are developed as a result of implicit and explicit…

Encouraging students to be autonomous is an important goal of the Scaffolded Knowledge Integration (SKI) framework. Investigates learning and design questions. Indicates that prompting students to reflect significantly increases knowledge integration in science projects. Shows that self-monitoring prompts, which encourage planning for and…

Research into effective pedagogy was a major strand of the science education research programme at the University of Waikato for the 20 years of the 1980s and 1990s, being done in all five Learning in Science Projects and related theses. The research was closely connected to constructivist and sociocultural views of learning, current national…

This article reports on findings from a two-year project--'Improving Science Together'--undertaken in 20 primary and four secondary schools in and around Bristol, UK. The project was funded by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca PLC as part of their national Science Teaching Trust initiative, and had as one of its aims the development of…

Describes biological competitions at the high school level in Poland. Argues that they can be used to enhance and maintain students' interest in the subject. (Author/YP)

Explains Knowledge Integration Environment (KIE) activities which are designed to promote lifelong science learning. Describes the partnership process that guided the design as well as the Scaffolded Knowledge Integration (SKI) framework that gave the partnership a head start on creating effective materials. (Contains 52 references.) (Author/YDS)

A Korean science teachers' discursive practises were examined with a view to identifying pedagogical roles performed through his talk. Data came from the video recordings of classroom sessions where students presented their science projects and exchanged questions and answers during the presentations. Transcripts were developed and analysed in a…

Examines how students use evidence, determines when they add further ideas and claims, and measures progress in understanding light propagation. Uses the Scaffolded Knowledge Integration (SKI) instructional framework for design decisions. Discusses design studies that test and elaborate on the instructional framework. (Contains 33 references.)…