Reports on studies that examine reasons and justifications trainee science teachers give for the ways they conduct practical work. A case for the reevaluation of practical work in science education is made and it is argued that science teacher behavior is best understood anthropologically. Implications for mentoring and school-based training are…

Presents a series of lessons that use Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives to teach students the various levels of knowledge and how to form questions that address each level. (PR)

The in-house development at Iowa State University of 30 scientific animations for biology instruction is described, from conceptual drawing board to actual use in lecture halls and computer labs. Recommendations for the design, creation, and implementation of animations are outlined. Production is guided by practical technical considerations as…

Describes a study of 107 sixth graders that investigated the effects of learning strategy training intervention and the incorporation of learner control on achievement, learning efficiency, and instructional choice while subjects learned from a computer-based science tutorial. Principles for instructional design incorporating learner control are…

Computer-Supported Intentional Learning Environments (CSILE) is a database system in which learners collaboratively construct the knowledge represented in the database. This study examines how students in a grade-five and -six classroom built their database on a science topic, electricity. Differences in cognitive and operative activities between…

Explores the potential of the RAY learning environment in improving learning about optics. Results indicate that this environment, which includes a flexible ray-tracing simulation, had a significant effect on the spontaneous and correct use of the model by students in solving problems and a limited effect on conceptual understanding, but promoted…

A study in a grade 6-7 Canadian elementary class identified three "spaces of inquiry" that encourage student participation in school science: generative spaces for brainstorming and collaboration; rehearsal spaces for presentation of ideas to the class for refinement; and performative spaces for presentation of finished creations to, and…

Describes how a literacy coach worked with two content area teachers to revise the way they think about and implement instruction to enhance students' reading and writing. Shares two teacher inquiries: the experiences of a ninth-grade science teacher and his students as they developed and rated a class-written expository essay; and a…

This instructional design looks at momentum in physics through railroading, to assist students in developing appropriate mental models that will enable them to solve problems relevant to the process or principle being taught. A PEAnet (process, entity, activity network) relationship enables an instructional visualization (simulation) in which…

Explains how students can perform a refutation of the ether theory using information from the Global Positioning System (GPS). Discusses the functioning of the GPS, qualitatively describes how position determination would be affected by an ether wind, and illustrates the pertinent ideas with a simple quantitative model. (WRM)

Comparison of teaching practices of grade 7-8 science teachers in Ontario, Alberta, and Singapore found an implicit "formula for success" related to high scores on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Recent Ontario curriculum guidelines aimed at boosting TIMSS scores ignore provincial educational values that…

Describes attempts to adapt collaborative-learning techniques and a problem-solving approach to large introductory organic chemistry course sections at the University of Alberta. (WRM)

Results for students in England in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) are quite good, but some weaknesses in the performance of Year 9 students on the practical tasks in science and mathematics of the TIMSS that are not apparent when overall results are examined are discussed. (SLD)

Describes an introductory undergraduate astronomy course in which the large-lecture format was moved to one in which students were immersed in a technologically-rich, inquiry-based, participatory learning environment. Finds that virtual reality can be used effectively in regular undergraduate university courses as a tool through which students can…

Addresses the notion of defining and measuring student achievement in ways that go hand in hand with educational reform efforts. Focuses on performance-based assessment, portfolios, and rubrics. (DDR)