This article reports on findings from a two-year project--'Improving Science Together'--undertaken in 20 primary and four secondary schools in and around Bristol, UK. The project was funded by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca PLC as part of their national Science Teaching Trust initiative, and had as one of its aims the development of…

This study examines the effects over time of implementing the William and Mary language arts and science curriculum for gifted learners designed around the Integrated Curriculum Model (ICM) in one suburban school district. It also analyzes stakeholders' perceptions of the effectiveness of the curriculum. Findings suggest that gifted student…

What does citizenship mean to a 6-year-old? To a 10-year-old? What does it mean to you? Is it merely about looking after other people? Would you agree that keeping a hamster in a cage in a primary classroom is cruel? How does a subject leader for science persuade colleagues that the non-statutory guidance for personal, social and health education…

Recent research literature in science education, science curriculum documents, and science methods texts have been highly influenced by constructivist views of how students learn science. But the widespread and often uncritical acceptance of constructivism in science education does not reflect the heated debate between constructivists and…

In this article, the author shares his experience in incorporating writing into a science curriculum and how to incorporate effective techniques in teaching vocabulary, proper word usage, and reading comprehension skills, all common in a typical English curriculum. As a young teacher, she thought interdisciplinary units had to be extensive,…

The Rural Alliance for Improving Science Education (RAISE), funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is a program that partners Oklahoma State University with three public school districts in Oklahoma. This program enables Oklahoma State University science graduate students to serve as resources in developing and teaching science…

Science education in the Australian primary school curriculum is a relatively rare event. Several studies over the past twenty five years have all reported disappointingly low amounts of science being taught and the reluctance of primary school teachers to make science a priority in their teaching. Similar outcomes have been reported for…

Students' perceptions of the environment can differ based on sociocultural factors and experiences. Understanding how students develop environmental perceptions is an important step toward developing an inclusive environmental science curriculum. This article presents preliminary data from a study conducted in Singapore in which students'…

Biodiversity is the extraordinary variety of life in this planet. In order to be fully appreciated, biodiversity needs to be experienced firsthand, or "experientially." Thus, the standard classroom lecture format is not the ideal situation for teaching biodiversity and evolutionary concepts, in that student interest and understanding are…

The weak noncovalent interactions between substances, the handshake in the form of electrostatic interactions, van der Waals' interactions or hydrogen bonding is universal to all living and nonliving matter. They significantly influence the molecular and bulk properties and behavior of matter. Their transient nature affects chemical reactions and…

This article describes a university science course that integrates physics, education, and community outreach. The class both improves student mastery of science and teaching as well as addresses the university's mission to pursue research, education, and community service. The structure, implementation, and effectiveness of the course are…

One teacher took her class on a year long earthquake expedition. The goal was to monitor the occurrences of real earthquakes during the year and mark their locations with push pins on a wall-sized world map in the hallway outside the science room. The purpose of the project was to create a detailed picture of the earthquakes that occurred…

A little more than one hundred years ago, Wilbur and Orville Wright began building models of airfoils and testing them in wind tunnels in their search for an efficient wing. Models continue to be used today by aerospace engineers to prove concepts and launch dreams. To celebrate the centennial of the Wright brothers' historic flight, the authors…

The recent worldwide SARS outbreak has put the science of epidemiology into the headlines once again. Epidemiology is "... the study of the distribution and the determinants of health-related states or events and the application of these methods to the control of health problems" (Gordis 2000). In this context, the authors have developed a…

Although there have been numerous studies that indicate the benefits of teachers and students working with scientists, there is little research that documents scientists' views of science education, science teacher preparation, and the goals of science education. Furthermore, little is known about how scientists' views of science education may…