Researchers have suggested that self-efficacy and goal orientation are context specific variables. However, few researchers have addressed these variables in technology-enhanced learning environments. This study examined changes in 549 middle school students' goal orientation, self-efficacy, and science knowledge after engaging in science learning…

We present an active way to use a computer animation in secondary molecular genetics class. For this purpose we developed an activity booklet that helps students to work interactively with a computer animation which deals with abstract concepts and processes in molecular biology. The achievements of the experimental group were compared with those…

Student Response Technology (SRT) involves the use of hand-held remotes by students during classroom lectures to electronically respond to questions. This study surveyed 350 students enrolled in one of 13 lower-division university science classes taught by five different instructors who used SRT. The survey probed students' perceptions of SRT in…

This "Report Card to the Public" is published in accordance with Alaska Statute 14.03.120 for the school year 2012-2013. Under state law, each school district is required to report information about its plans and performance to its community. This report includes a statewide summary of performance results. Public knowledge of the school…

High schools have over the past few decades been discredited with institutionalization, standardization, and academic-orientation (Manno, 1995; NASSP, 1996). As a result, it has failed to prepare students for the society which has been undergoing exponential change. A majority of students have been either neglected or left uncared for because of…

This article talks about UTeach, a teacher-preparation program at the University of Texas at Austin that presents courses through the lens of math and science. The program has drawn widespread recognition in recent years, and it is now a model for revamping the training of math and science teachers on campuses nationwide. Backers of the program…

Fifty years ago, with the Soviet Union's launch of the Sputnik satellite, millions of Americans found themselves peering anxiously into the night sky--and also looking inward, as they reconsidered previously cozy assumptions about their nation's technological and educational superiority. The 184-pound, unmanned aluminum beacon lasted just three…

The aim of the present study was to gain a better understanding of students' perceived science competence by examining potentially related beliefs and perceptions in a diverse sample of middle and secondary students (N = 1289). Results of hierarchical regression analysis showed that students' perceived science competence was related to: (a)…

In an effort to explore the impact of performance incentives in education, the National Center on Performance Incentives (NCPI) partnered with the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) to conduct the Project on Incentives in Teaching, or POINT. The study examines the effects on student outcomes of paying eligible teachers bonuses of up to…

This study focuses on how the treatment effects of a teacher professional development initiative in science differed by school capacity. In other words, the authors are primarily concerned with treatment effect heterogeneity. As such, this paper complements ongoing evaluation of the average treatment effects of the initiative over time. The…

This report describes how the education system in the United States compares with education systems in the other Group of Eight (G-8) countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom) that are among the world's most economically developed countries and among the United States' largest economic partners.…

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) and the National Association of State Title I Directors (NASTID) drafted this paper to spark local discussions on the coordinated uses of funds to implement technology in the classroom. State and local Title I and Title IID directors can work together to ensure that these ideas are…

This study presents the results of a multi-year mixed-methods study of students' performance (n = 94) and experiences (n = 28) with electromagnetics in an elective Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology RF communications course. Data sources used in this study include academic transcripts, course exams, interviews, a learning styles…

This document contains the design and rationale for assessing science achievement of students throughout the United States in 2005. This same Framework has been used by NAEP for the 1996 and 2000 science assessments. The Framework provides a general overview of NAEP, describes the NAEP Science Framework adopted by NAGB, and reviews the process by…

Examines current conceptions of science achievement in major reform documents in the context of standards-based and systemic reform. Reviews documents on science content standards, performance standards, and the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Presents an aggregated view of science achievement in terms of science content…