In anticipation of House Bill 246 (now Texas Administrative Code Chapter 75) which requires an inquiry-based, process-approach to the teaching of science, the Richardson Independent School District established the Elementary Science Pilot Project and adopted the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) as part of their new K-6 Science through…

This curriculum guide, developed to establish statewide curriculum standards for the Louisiana Competency-based Education Program, contains the minimum competencies and process skills that should be included in a life science course. It consists of: (1) a rationale for an effective science program; (2) a list and description of four major goals of…

The Alberta senior high school biology program consists of a core and elective components, both of which are mandatory for instruction. The core represents those skills, attitudes, and concepts required by all students throughout the province; the elective component allows for variety and flexibility in the choice of topics, with emphasis on…

This information bulletin examines research and practice issues considered critical in resolving the crisis in science education. Analyses are presented of (1) the current reform movement in science education, (2) the changing culture of science, (3) science education research, (4) the rise of the cognitive sciences, (5) science teachers and…

Three readability formulas were applied to chapters from six textbooks to determine (1) if there was a significant difference in readability of three consecutive textbook editions of a seventh grade and of an eighth grade text over a 12-year period (1968-1980), and (2) whether eighth grade students would perform equally to the same content from a…

Organized by sections of the newspaper, this booklet contains activity sheets that can be used to teach basic skills in a variety of subject areas, including language arts, reading, mathematics, social studies, and science. Designed for adaptation to most grade levels, the activity sheets allow students to use different newspaper sections to…

This document was designed to help teachers provide ninth grade students in New York City with opportunities to learn about scientific processes as well as basic reasoning skills which underlie problem-solving processes in scientific and nonscientific disciplines. The first section of the guide, "The Environment," contains lessons which…

During the summer of 1986 a conference funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) was organized to assess the current state of cognitive research on the psychology of physics problem solving, and to examine the needs of physics instructors and instructional designers that must be addressed by a psychological theory of physics problem solving.…

Conveying an adequate conception of the nature of science to students is considered by many to be implicit in the broader context of what has come to be known as scientific literacy. It has also been demonstrated that possession of valid concepts of the nature of science do not necessarily result in better science teaching. This study examines the…

This document is based upon the premise that with the help of professional scientists on university campuses, in industrial settings, and in private practice, school systems can meet head-on the unprecedented criticism currently being directed at public education and can develop exemplary science programs. This paper is a case study of a program…

In an attempt to accelerate the development of formal operations in average young adolescents, up to 30 intervention lessons relating to all formal schemata were given by science teachers, over a period of 2 years, to classes in eight British schools. Boys starting the program aged 12 years-plus showed a pre-test, post-test effect size on…

The seventh in a series, this report reviews microcomputer software authorized by the Alberta (Canada) Department of Education from January 1987 through December 1987. This edition provides detailed evaluations of 23 authorized programs for teaching business education, mathematics, the sciences, language arts, music, problem solving, and French.…

Designed to serve as a means of communication among life science educators who anticipate or are currently using microcomputers as an educational tool, these four volumes of newsletters provide background information and practical suggestions on computer use in over 80 articles. Topic areas include: (1) teaching physiology and other life sciences…

Designed to test the effects of knowledge acquisition on attitude formation and change, this study investigated whether knowledge-oriented instruction would have a different effect on students' nuclear attitudes than attitude-oriented instruction. High school students (N=331) from six schools who had not studied nuclear energy in any class or…

To prepare occupational students for employment, a basic understanding of scientific knowledge and the processes of science that have been applied in the development of tools, machines, instruments, and technological techniques or processes should be taught. When a second unit of science was included for all high school students in the New York…