Investigated the learning by eighth-grade students of the concept of crustal evolution, asking questions that deal with how time-efficient procedures can be devised that measure concept learning effectively and whether these procedures yield valid information on the learning of a science concept. (CS)

Describes the purpose and possible uses of the new American Geological Institute/National Science Teachers Association Earth Science Examination. Provides an order blank for obtaining the test. Stresses that the test is specifically designed to test concepts and problem-solving ability. (CW)

Presents a study where astronomy teachers (n=66) try to predict student (n=330) outcomes on astronomy and related topics pre- and posttest. Suggested findings include a course in astronomy did not result in an overall knowledge gain, teachers fared well at predicting prior student knowledge, and teachers vastly overestimated student gain in…

Determined which of 10 rational thinking powers are measured by 12 commercially-available standardized science tests. One result reported is that 90 percent of the test items required only recall. The conclusion was drawn that the producers of standardized tests are not concerned with measuring student achievement of the rational powers.…

The Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) Grade 11 Test is designed to measure proficiency in four subject areas including English, mathematics, social studies, and science. This guide for science is intended to provide a description of the way in which specific skill areas are assessed on the LEAP test and instructional considerations…

The Australian Science Item Bank consists of three volumes of multiple-choice questions. Book 2 contains questions on Earth Sciences and Chemistry. The questions are designed to be suitable for high school students (year 8 to year 12 in Australian schools). The questions are classified by the subject content of the question, the cognitive skills…

This study examined the effects of an inquiry-based instructional method on secondary school students' achievement in earth science. Students (N=232) were treated as two experimental groups, one receiving 2 weeks of the inquiry-based instruction while the control group received the traditional lecture-type instruction. Data were analyzed employing…