Educative curriculum materials provide teachers with authentic opportunities to learn new skills and practices. Yet, research shows teachers use curriculum in different ways for different reasons, and these modifications could undermine the learning goals of the curriculum. Little research, however, has examined the variation in teacher use of…

Discusses professional development in the context of the current reforms in science education from the perspective of developing teacher knowledge. Points out the unsuccessful reform movement due to lack of considering teachers' existing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Concludes that long-term professional development programs are needed to…

Analyzes the participation of secondary school teachers in a U.S. science education curriculum reform effort. Discusses perspectives for the behavior of these teachers relying on knowledge base, practical reasoning and reflective practice, sociocultural views, and a view of teaching as a way of being and teachers as meaning makers. Analyzes two…

The research reported in this article focuses on teachers' views of participating in curriculum development at the local level. A questionnaire returned by the randomly selected teachers provided data on the types of help desired by teachers involved in curriculum development, sources of help, and curriculum development activities. (SA)

Examined instructional materials, teacher planning, instruction, and student conceptions related to an activity unit on plants and photosynthesis. Reasons are offered about why the teacher was unsuccessful in helping students replace their misconceptions with scientific conceptions, although the teacher knew this misconception existed. (JN)