Using the science practice model in science classes for preservice teachers addresses three important aspects of science teacher preparation: teaching the nonlinear nature of scientific process, using scientific practices rather than the ambiguous term "inquiry-based," and emphasizing the process of metacognition as an important tool in…

Existing research on the development of graduate students' teaching competency focuses on the need for their learning opportunities to be contextualized to their specific content area and course structure. A group of graduate teaching assistants collaborated with a biology professor and a science educator in a Japanese Lesson Study to directly…

Success for many of our students is contingent on the degree to which they identify with and make personal connections to science. Although this may be most true of our nonmajors, it is important for us as science educators to help all our students come to view science in a personally meaningful light. The reading of historical nonfiction can…

Today's undergraduates are highly engaged in a variety of social media outlets. Given their comfort with technology, we wondered if we could use this phenomenon to teach science-related material. We asked students to use freeware to make a short video with text, images, and music as a way to explain scientific concepts that are traditionally…

Although the use of portfolios to assess student performance in K-12 science classrooms and to monitor the training of preservice science teachers is increasingly common, their implementation in undergraduate science courses is still limited. The work presented here represents one in-depth example of the integration of portfolio assessment into…

Many college science educators have moved away from the traditional lecture format and toward learner-centered classroom environments. Yet many of us struggle to cover large content loads, reverting at times to rote memorization. This paper suggests rote memorization simply does not work and students must be actively engaged to learn. (Contains 1…

To supplement the summer reading of National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) members, the NSTA Committee on Research in Science Education suggested a list of science education research articles that were published in the journals of NSTA's affiliates in 2012. These articles covered a variety of topics that include learning about…

The departments of Geology and Education at Brooklyn College collaborated with five informal educational institutions in the development of a place-based graduate program for Earth science teachers. The team used "backward design" to develop a program of courses that are thematically structured and use a city-as-lab approach that places…

Calibrated Peer Review (CPR), an online program that purportedly helps students develop as writers and critical thinkers, is being increasingly used by science educators. CPR is an enticing tool since it does not require instructors to grade student writing, and instructors can adopt assignments directly from a library. To determine the extent to…

Preservice preparation courses for elementary teachers of science can provide opportunities to build pedagogical content knowledge. One common concern of preservice teachers is how to cope with a preplanned lesson that does not proceed as planned. Providing opportunities for preservice teachers to experience the unexpected actually immerses them…

Presents the legal definitions of copyright and copyright law. Answers questions such as, How does copyright apply to materials published on the Internet? and What might be done to reduce lawsuits? Explains the importance and necessity of using recent materials in life sciences curriculum. Provides a list of several popular publications and…

This educational project involves prospective science teachers in implementing a natural science course for nonscience majors. The model creates a space for nonscience majors to experience learner-centered teaching practices while giving prospective teachers an opportunity to apply their science and science education course knowledge and learning.…

The Senior Seminar in Biology course at Kean University teaches students who have taken core biology courses and achieved senior status to research primary literature on current topics in biology and produce a traditional seminar presentation that includes a written report and a clear and comprehensive oral talk with ensuing discussion. Senior…

Describes ways a teacher can depict science as a form of thinking that leads to a more consistent, coherent, and comprehensive picture of nature. Indicates that this approach to science can foster in students a better understanding of why scientific truth changes. (RT)

Discusses various problems in science education, citing evidence of the problems from such sources as testimony given to congressional committees. Includes discussions of current school practices, teacher certification, and the needed action to resolve the problems. (JN)