Service learning projects were incorporated into the curriculum of an undergraduate course entitled "Biology of Women". The goals of the service learning projects were: 1) to provide students with the opportunity to consider issues pertaining to human biology in real-world settings; 2) to foster student engagement with the community; and…

This study examines how student practice of scientific argumentation using socioscientific bioethics issues affects both teacher expectations of students' general performance and student confidence in their own work. When teachers use bioethical issues in the classroom students can gain not only biology content knowledge but also important…

To increase women's participation in science and engineering, many barriers must be overcome. This book, an outcome of a conference held by the National Research Council's Committee on Women in Science and Engineering, summarizes presentations of many experts and presents information on specific strategies for increasing the participation of women…

The number of women pursuing the sciences has improved since the 1970's. However, the attrition rate of females from college and graduate study of science still exceeds that of their male peers. This project uses qualitative methodology to explore the supports and coping methods which have enabled a selected group of female biologists to complete…

The data presented in this report show trends in doctorate production by science and engineering (S&E) field and recipient characteristics, institutions awarding doctorates, and postgraduation plans of recipients. The data comes from the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), which is conducted annually. Doctoral degrees such as the Ph.D. or D.Sc. are…

Academic research makes a key contribution to the viability and competitiveness of U.S. technology in the new global markets, as well as to the quality of life of citizens. This report provides a broad quantitative picture of the cost, availability, and the condition of existing research facilities. Data on current spending, sources of support,…

This book was written to make it easier for classroom teachers to teach students the skills they need to successfully conduct, analyze, and report an experiment and to carry out independent research; it also presents strategies for holding successful science competitions. Part 1 contains field-tested teaching strategies for developing student…

Because undergraduate education is the foundation for graduate studies, it is important to know where our Nation's science and engineering (S&E) doctorate recipients are receiving their undergraduate training. Specifically, this report addresses the following broad questions: (1) What are the undergraduate origins of S&E doctorate holders? (2)…

In recent years researchers have had a keen interest in scientific misconceptions and conceptual change. This paper describes approaches that can be used to provide a greater understanding of how students understand reality. The objective is to map belief space or terrain of belief regarding nature, i.e., to map the qualitatively different…

The main purposes of this study were to investigate the relationships among approaches to studying, prior knowledge, logical thinking ability, attitude, and performance in college freshman chemistry and to explore the effect of gender on the same variables. Subjects were 199 students (114 females, 85 males) enrolled in the second semester of a…

A theoretical model specifying the underlying knowledge and procedures whereby human subjects can generate effective initial descriptions of scientific problems was formulated. The model is prescriptive since it does not necessarily try to simulate the behavior of actual experts nor assume that their performance is optimal. The model, elaborated…

Suggests that the following three elements of investigation processes serve as the basis of secondary science methods courses: identification of a problem and subsequent design of an investigation; examination of existing investigations which illustrate good and poor science; and completion of representative activities in curricula which deal with…

Describes some initial efforts being made to provide students in the allied health sciences with both inter-pathway mobility and upward mobility in their education and careers. Presents problems with the present system, three approaches to dealing with those problems, and developments in the area of core curricula. (GS)

Problem solving, both theoretical and practical, is the underlying skill developed through the physics curriculum. Service-learning has been integrated into engineering curricula, but programs proposed for that field often do not fit well into the structure of physics departments. A consultant-based approach to service-learning offers physics…