Attention to the attitudes of preservice and inservice primary teachers toward science is of fundamental importance to research on primary science education. However, progress in this field of research has been slow due to the poor definition and conceptualization of the construct of primary teachers' attitude toward science. This poor theoretical…

Risk has now become a feature of science curricula in many industrialized countries. While risk is conceptualized within a number of different theoretical frameworks, the predominant model used in examination specifications is a utility model in which risk calculations are deemed to be objective through technical expert assessment and where the…

Preservice elementary teachers face many challenges in learning how to teach science effectively, such as engaging students in science, organizing instruction, and developing a productive learning community. This paper reports on several iterative cycles of design-based research aimed at fostering preservice teachers' principled reasoning around…

This research focused on the interactionist conceptual ecologies of inservice teachers and how these ecologies influenced these teachers' conceptual frameworks for the nature of science (NOS). The participants in the study were five teachers enrolled in a graduate course focused on NOS. Data included participants' responses to open-ended and…

Participants (N=40) in an inservice program to promote student reasoning and learning cycle approach indicated that making changes and maintaining ongoing work was dependent on collaboration between colleagues in the project. Investigators concluded that the "coaching" phase (Joyce and Showers inservice training model) is a crucial step…

Reported is a study designed to determine conceptualizations of scientific concepts, laws and theories (linguistic structure of science) held by 80 Kwara State, Nigeria, secondary school science teachers relative to conceptualizations identified with seven philosophers of science. (Author/DS)

The research literature is just beginning to uncover factors involved in sustaining constructivist learning environments, such as Project-Based Learning (PBL). Our case study investigates teacher responses to the challenges of constructivist environments, since teachers can play strong roles in supporting or undermining even the best…

Describes a case study of an experienced provocateur-teacher in which the teacher's theory for science learning and teaching during teacher-student interactions was inferred from classroom observations, teacher-student discourse, and stimulated recall interviews. The teacher's instructional moves were interrelated with the components of his…

Major findings and prediction models resulting from longitudinal research are presented. Discussed are the study design; variables, trends, and profiles; a follow-up study; and implications and policy recommendations. A summary model designed to explain this phenomenon is given. (CW)