This paper contains descriptions of some of the specific kinds of capital that are needed, sought, and used within two academic science support groups for women and girls that aim to be gender-sensitive. The ways in which the capital (cultural, economic, symbolic, and social) is acquired, the ways in which the groups interacted with the larger…

This report describes a project designed to expand higher order thinking skills in five primary students with disabilities in order to increase problem solving and decision making skills. The project incorporated higher order thinking skills into mathematics, science and language arts units, and implemented weekly, cooperative learning techniques…

Case-based approaches are effective for teaching and learning science, encouraging student-directed collaborative learning and active engagement. This paper looks at using cases in science teaching and learning at the secondary and undergraduate levels and the impact these approaches have on teachers, students, curricula, and classroom…

This article aims to: (1) improve novice and experienced science teachers' understanding of contemporary pedagogical research, its value in improving classroom practice, and how to effectively communicate this in an interview; (2) improve administrators' interviewing practices so that exemplary candidates stand out from other candidates; and (3)…

This collection contains 16 papers that focus on various problems and challenges relating to the design and implementation of training programs for international or foreign teaching assistants (ITAs or FTAs). It includes: (1) "An Outline of Analysis for Program Design" (Larry L. Loeher); (2) "A Survey of ITA Orientation Programs:…

Documented cases of quality science teaching have the potential to share the best of what has been taught with science teachers in all science classrooms. This paper reports on the use of case studies of practice as mechanisms for recognizing good ideas for teaching science, documenting them, and making them readily accessible to teachers. An…

In 1993 the National Science Foundation approved the funding of a 5-year program to enhance science education within a large school district in the southern United States. The initial grant funded training for 34 mentors and identified 7 primary goals and 31 activities toward those goals. During the project, two teachers in each elementary school…

This guide is one of a set of 10 science guides, each covering a separate grade in Manitoba, together covering kindergarten through grade 9. The guides have been designed to provide a framework for building scientific concepts and developing the learning of process skills. They replace an earlier set of guides dated 1979. Each guide is essentially…

This study evaluates four summer programs (two prefreshman programs, one postfreshman program, and a Science, Mathematics, and Technology Institute) designed to assist at-risk college students in the City University of New York. Section I describes the two prefreshman programs: (1) the SEEK and College Discovery Prefreshman Summer Program, which…

This newsletter article is concerned with understanding what schools can and must do to sustain life in the age of human immunodeficiency virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS). The article looks at the incidence of AIDS and reviews legislation related to AIDS infection and school attendance. School policy as it relates to…

From the smallest plankton to the most massive whales, marine biology is the study of the flora and fauna, the living creatures of the ocean. This Zephyr self-directed study unit was developed to bridge the gap between students as passive learners to students as active participants. Originally developed for gifted students, these units emphasize…

This materials guide, for regular and special education teachers of secondary students with learning disabilities, provides a list of instructional materials such as textbooks, workbooks, games, and duplicating masters. The guide contains descriptions of the materials and publishers' names and addresses. The materials and their descriptions are…

England was 1 of more than 40 countries that took part in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) survey of 13-year-olds. This paper presents background information on the TIMSS and the performance assessment element of the study. It also describes how the written test and the practical task components relate to the National…

This paper presents some possible reasons why persons with visual impairments are under-represented in the fields of mathematics and science, including insufficient general preparation for higher education during the K-12 years and the lack of effective alternative instructional materials and methods available to a person with a visual impairment…

This digest discusses how assistive technology (AT) for students with disabilities can expand access to the general education curriculum. It begins by describing the Education TECH Point system which offers educators a strategy for identifying specific points in the planning process where AT should be considered, including: initial referral…