Describes the "Teachers + Occidental = Partnerships in Science" (TOPS) program whose goal is to improve high school biology and chemistry students' laboratory instruction by enhancing their teachers' knowledge and classroom application of modern instruments, technology, and experiments. Includes 13 classroom-tested experiments that employ a…

Explains the implementation of forensic science in an integrated curriculum and discusses the advantages of this approach. Lists the forensic science course syllabi studied in three high schools. Discusses the unit on polymers in detail. (YDS)

Discusses the impact of computer technology on education, highlighting concept maps, electronic learning logs, and computer simulations, which provide students deeper understanding of chemistry and research methods while doing real science and help teachers conduct ongoing formative assessment of class progress. Computer simulations help teachers…

Presents two pedagogical techniques designed to promote the development of a conceptual framework in general chemistry. Describes an exam repechage which turns exams into learning experiences for students, and the grouped laboratory essay approach in which students complete essays outside of class. (DDR)

Addresses the difficulty that teaching assistants and new faculty members may experience in finding a convenient outline of the task of preparing an experiment for undergraduates. Explains all phases of developing a laboratory exercise and includes a list of things to consider for each phase. (DDR)

Describes how latex-based creatures are made and used to explore various topics in inquiry-based middle school science. Provides a variety of sample data and includes sections on safety concerns and chemistry notes for the teacher. (DDR)

Uses the World Wide Web to provide an active learning environment with rapid and accurate homework feedback which is also an effective tool to foster critical thinking skills. Allows students to submit a second chance homework following feedback to a previously wrongly answered question. (YDS)

Describes a computer course for undergraduate chemistry students that provides them with sufficient experience to be capable of making independent progress in solving chemical problems using computers. Consolidates undergraduate computer-related material into a single course. (DDR)

Presents an activity that is a qualitative version of the standard paper chromatography experiment. This activity introduces students to methods of selecting the best solvent for a separation and allows them to consider the effects of adding acid and base. (WRM)

Describes the advantages of using a World Wide Web-based discussion board as the organizational center for a college chemistry course. Discusses implementation of the "ChemBoard" at Hope College in Michigan and student reactions to the innovation. (WRM)

Summarizes content analyses of verbatim transcripts of secondary chemistry lessons. Finds that the use of words with a metacognitive and metalinguistic function was generally limited in extent and simple and colloquial in expression and that the language of the enacted curriculum did not match the terminology of the official curriculum document.…

Explores to what extent the web's advanced graphical tools and computational power are implemented in science education. Focuses on the pedagogical and technological characteristics of web sites attempting to teach the subject of atomic structure. (Contains 33 references.) (Author/YDS)

The ongoing reform in science education in many countries, including Israel, has attainment of scientific literacy for all as one of its main goals. In this context, it is important to provide teachers with the opportunity to construct meaning for the term science literacy and by doing so to obtain a clear understanding of the new teaching goals.…

The study explores teachers' experiences of teaching a context-based chemistry course, "Salters Advanced Chemistry", as compared with teachers of a conventional course. Second, main factors that appear to influence decisions over whether or not to adopt context-based courses are investigated. Two hundred and twenty-two teachers' views of a…

Using the US national sample from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Rasch modeling method, this study identified the conceptual progression sequence of various matter concept aspects, and compared students' latent abilities against the sequence. We found that the four matter aspects, i.e. conservation, physical…