The present study draws on environmental science education to explore aspects of children's conceptual change regarding hazardous household items. Twelve children from a fifth-grade class attended a 300-h teaching module of environmentally oriented science activities aimed at assessing their awareness about the environmental and health hazards…

A study was conducted to assess junior and high school students learning achievement in the topic of stoichiometry by using The Student Conceptual Understanding Test (SCUT). The low student achievement on the SCUT test deserves special attention from chemistry teachers, and it is stated that effective teaching strategies to promote student…

Generally speaking, chemical engineering teaching programs at the undergraduate level focus on the continuous production of a single molecule, for which selectivity, yield, purity, as well as safety and environmental aspects are essential. Nevertheless, an increasing number of chemical engineers in Chemical Process Industries (CPI) have to face…

The purpose of this research study was to examine the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) on eleventh grade students' understanding of "The effects of temperature, concentration and pressure on cell potential" and also their social skills. Stratified randomly selected control and experimental groups with 20 students each were used in…

"The Dirty Water Challenge" is a fun activity that teaches children about their environment in an engaging and practical way. Inquiry is embedded within the practical--students have to design, plan, and then build their own design of water filter. Students are exposed to important concepts from a variety of scientific disciplines, including how…

Forty-eight new secondary science teachers participated in a study that required a listing, discussion, and application of criteria to rank three chemistry laboratory procedures. The three similar lab procedures involved synthesis of a compound from its elements. The top criteria noted by teachers focused on procedural issues (i.e., timeliness,…

Presented in both English and French, Science 10 is an integrated academic course that helps students in Alberta, Canada better understand and apply fundamental concepts and skills common to biology, chemistry, physics, and the Earth sciences. The major goals of the program are: (1) to develop in students an understanding of the interconnecting…

Presented in English and French, Chemistry 20-30 is an academic program that helps students in Alberta, Canada, better understand and apply fundamental concepts and skills. The major goals of the program are: (1) to develop in students an understanding of the interconnecting ideas and principles that transcend and unify the natural science…

Presented in both English and French, Science 20-30 is an integrated academic program in Alberta, Canada that helps students better understand and apply fundamental concepts and skills common to biology, chemistry, physics, and the Earth sciences. The major goals of the program are: (1) to develop in students an understanding of the…

The varying impacts of three instructional environments for introductory chemistry on the inquiry skills of undergraduate students were studied. The first two environments were traditional (TR) and guided-inquiry (GI) laboratory-based instructional situations, and the third was a separate lecture course for nonscience majors that emphasized…

This issue of ENC Focus highlights laserdiscs and CD-ROMs that encourage students to raise searching questions, enter debates, formulate opinions, and engage in problem solving and critical thinking. The laserdiscs and CD-ROMs were chosen based on the criteria of instructional design, content, and interest. Items featured include: The Chemistry…

Many have become aware of the need to assess both teachers' and students' perceptions of the learning environment. This study involved 1,592 tenth grade students and their teachers (n=56) in a study that investigated four aims: (1) to cross validate a slightly modified version of the actual and preferred versions of the Science Laboratory…

This guide includes complete installation descriptions of 30 exhibits. They include: the adjustable birthday cake, ball-in-tube, Bernoulli Box, chain wave, collapsible truss bridge, double wave device, eddy currents raceway, full-length mirror, geodesic domes, giant magnetic tangrams, harmonic cantilever, hyperboloid of revolution, lifting lever,…

This book is a guide to 669 science and technology reference books for children and young people (third grade through high school). It includes some older well-established titles that may be out of print, newer editions, and newer books that have not been completely tested by time. The entries for the books contained in this guide are arranged by…

The CHEM (Chemicals, Health, Environment, and Me) Project is a series of 10 units designed to provide experiences for fifth and sixth graders that help them to accomplish an understanding of: (1) the nature of chemicals and how they interact with the environment; (2) how to collect, process, and analyze information; (3) how to use scientific…