Reports curriculum concerns of Israeli secondary school teachers. The study indicates that subject matter decisions have high priority and that teachers express ambivalence in attitudes about their role in curriculum implementation. (KC)

Describes the examination scheme developed to evaluate high school biology students using the BSCS project in Israel. The scheme consists of a practical examination and a written test. Since the scheme is relatively new, little research has been performed. (MA)

Describes the validity and reliability of the Self-Report Knowledge Inventory (SRKI) and the Opportunity to Learn Inventory (OTLI) as self-assessment tools. Both instruments were found to be friendly, relatively easy to design, easy to respond to, easy to score, time-saving, non-threatening, valid, and reliable for comparing and making decisions…

Reports on interviews with 28 high school biology students in Jerusalem concerning teleological and anthropomorphic formulations and reasoning. Results indicate acceptance of anthropomorphic formulations does not imply a prevalence of anthropomorphic reasoning. Most high school students can distinguish between anthropomorphic formulations and…

The present paper aims at a cross-validation of two theoretical constructs (the construct of cognitive preferences and the logical/associative model of a concept) that have been used as nonroutine measures of student assessment and curriculum evaluation. (BW)

This book presents multiple assessment formats and strategies appropriate for inquiry activities for both indoor and outdoor education. Chapters 5-8 feature examples of disciplinary assessment practices for biology, chemistry, physics, and earth sciences. Other contents include: (1) "A Rationale for Assessment"; (2) "Developing New Assessment";…

Following a discussion of the role and importance of practical laboratory tests, describes an instrument designed for inquiry-oriented practical examinations. The instrument consists of 21 categories representing different inquiry skills. Examples and illustrative data based on results in biology matriculation examination in Israel are reported.…

Surveys the participation of secondary school mathematics and science teachers in inservice training activities in Israel. Results indicate the majority of inservice training participation occurs during summer months with little involvement, other than reading, occurring during the school year. (SL)

Describes how Pre-Planning Evaluation (PPE) aids initial curriculum planning. Presents a case study of how PPE influenced the development of the electricity curriculum in Israeli technical high schools. Concludes that PPE is an essential component of the curriculum development process. (GEA)

This report reviews some goals for laboratory activities in contemporary science teaching, discusses an investigation that analyzed and compared laboratory activities from two major physics guides, and discusses the implications of the goals and analysis for physics teaching. Six major deficiencies in the two laboratory handbooks are identified.…

The achievement of students in a first-year university biology course is related to two high school variables: the kind of curriculum followed and the level of students' high school biology courses. Students who specialized in biology are compared with students who did not specialize in biology. (Author/MLF)

Reports results of a study of biology classes in Israel that includes describing transactions in a representative sample of biology classes (N=22) in the year 1973, comparing transactions in recitation with those of laboratory lessons, and studying the effects of subject matter on the classroom transaction. (CS)

Achievement scores of Israeli high school students using Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) materials were shown to be significantly higher than those for students using another curriculum. (MLH)

Investigates the performance, gender differences, interrelationships among five tasks, relationship with paper and pencil tests, relationships with background variables, and contribution of schools from the Israel data of the Second International Science Study (SISS). Compares the Israeli results with those of Japan. (YP)

Analysis of the responses of 100 Israeli teachers to the Teacher Study Questionnaire revealed that, although the teachers represented diverse groups and had different characteristics, they had remarkably similar views about the nature of the teaching job and important conditions for successful teaching. (Author/CB)