Discusses ways for teachers to help science students understand what makes a good description of a problem in a scientific investigation. (WRM)

Reports on a study of whether limited use of inquiry activities as a supplement to a traditional lecture and demonstration curriculum would improve student achievement in introductory physics classes for preservice teachers and general education students. Finds that students who engaged in inquiry investigations significantly outperformed other…

Reviews and assesses the effectiveness of the attempts undertaken to improve prospective and practicing science teachers' conceptions of the nature of science (NOS). Categorizes reviews as implicit or explicit. Indicates that the explicit approach was more effective in enhancing teachers' views. Assumes that developing an understanding of NOS is…

Focuses on hurricanes and tsunamis and uses these topics to address other parts of the science curriculum. In addition to a discussion on beach erosion, a poster is provided that depicts these natural hazards that threaten coastlines. (DDR)

Introduces the Magic in a Tube activity in which students formulate questions and practice science skills. (YDS)

Challenges the belief that high stakes tests are the keystone of students' educational attainment, describing a series of exploratory workshops, developed in reaction to this issue, in which teachers (as essential preparation for developing students' curiosity) deepened their understanding of the principles of physics by playing with light. Such…

Science centers and children's museums, such as the New York Hall of Science and the Orlando (Florida) Science Center, offer rich programs linked to students' classroom learning and provide an informal, inquiry-based setting for exploring major concepts. School/museum partnerships can further teachers' and students' lifelong learning progress.…

Introduces a project in which students examined the physics, chemistry, and geology of radon and used available technology to measure radon concentrations in their homes. Uses the inquiry process, analytical skills, communication skills, content knowledge, and production of authentic products for student assessment. (YDS)

Observes 16 students from five elementary science classes to examine how students use tools when constructing new knowledge during science instruction, how control of tools is actualized from pedagogical perspectives, how language and tool accessibility intersect, how gender intersects with tool use, and how competition for resources impacts…

Examines the effects of open inquiry instruction on low achieving, marginalized high school students. Involves students with long histories of scholastic failure in question generation, experimental design, and argument construction as part of their General Science course instruction. Compares students' entrance and exit interview responses which…

Explains an activity in which students study sedimentary rocks using an inquiry-based approach. Focuses on Content Standard D of the National Science Education Standards (NSES). (YDS)

Argues for an ecological approach to supporting beginning teachers in critical inquiry classrooms, bridging the end of college with the beginning of teaching. School-university partnerships supporting reflective practices by creating large numbers of inquiry-based educators within school districts are needed. Journal entries from a student teacher…

Designs for Learning is a California-based professional-development program organized around 10 design elements central to teachers' teaching and learning process: student data, planning, release time, leadership development, content and pedagogy, inquiry, collaboration, adult learning, administrative and community support, and accountability.…

This is a case study of two sixth-grade teachers from Illinois who participated in a semester-long inservice to learn about Chickscope, a supercomputing application that allows students and teachers remote access to magnetic resonance images of chicken embryos. Shows how they produced an inquiry-based unit on chicken weight and measurement.…

Evaluated the use of an online discussion group to strengthen preservice teachers' communication, inquiry, and reflection. Analysis of participants' dialogue indicated that the most important benefit was that practicum students placed at different grade levels communicated their observations and concerns in a non-evaluative setting. The paper…