The environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s caused an increase in special interest magazines on the market and in environmental education programs in the schools. These magazines communicated science and environmental information, which often could not be found anywhere else, to an increasingly sophisticated audience. However, the field of…

This report is based on a study of professional education and career directions in the field of Science, Engineering and Public Policy (SEPP). It used data collected from surveys of 21 SEPP graduate programs, approximately 550 alumni from 16 of these programs, and employees and professionals who entered the field without formal SEPP education.…

The unified science approach to instruction is one in which the concepts and processes of science are presented to emphasize the fundamental unity of scientific thought rather than the distinctions among the various scientific disciplines. The general thrust of this program is to provide students with motivating, meaningful units that will…

This paper examines the effect of using a systems thinking approach in existing secondary school curricula to teach content-specific knowledge as well as general problem solving skills, and the effect of using STELLA (Structural Thinking Experimental Learning Laboratory with Animation), a simulation-modeling software program, as a tool by which to…

This conference was designed to provide information on the development and implementation of seven undergraduate science courses primarily for non-science majors at Lehigh University, to examine what ought to be the objectives of courses such as these in the liberal arts curriculum, and to describe parallel efforts with similar educational…

A major study of Canadian science education was undertaken in 1980 to establish a documented basis for describing the present purposes and general characteristics of science teaching in Canadian schools, to provide an historical analysis of science education in Canada, and to stimulate active deliberation concerning future options for science…

Interest in the relationship between self-image and occupational choice and concern over the low representation of women and minorities in science provided the impetus for this study of 2,442 high school and junior high school students. Self-image ratings were examined with respect to the student's interest in taking science courses. Particular…

Questionnaires were sent to 2,000 public and independent elementary, middle, and junior high schools in New Jersey to determine the status of K-8 science teaching. Survey results (with 21 percent response) are reported for: organization (grade ranges, school location, total number of elementary teachers, number of elementary teachers teaching…

Written for science teachers of elementary and secondary Native American students, the guide offers 18 science-related activities that integrate science with Indian culture and life. A teacher preparation exercise is presented first to allow the teacher to look at him/herself and use the information as a tool to understanding the students'…

An alternative teaching model has been proposed by the Learning in Science Project (Primary)--LISP(P). The model uses a six-step approach (outlined in an appendix) which fosters an environment in which children can ask questions about a situation, offer explanations, carry out investigations, and report their findings. This paper reports on the…

Two booklets were developed by the Learning in Science Project (Primary)--LISP(P)--to help teachers adopt an approach to primary science teaching which would enhance children's understanding of floating and sinking. Both booklets were designed to enable teachers to reconceptualize their teaching task from activity-driven, didactic teaching to…

A major study of Canadian science education was undertaken in 1980 to establish a documented basis for describing the present purposes and general characteristics of science teaching in Canadian schools, to provide a historical analysis of science education in Canada, and to stimulate active deliberation concerning future options for science…

The 1982 Search for Excellence in Science Education project has identified 50 exemplary programs in physics, chemistry, biology, and earth science. Descriptions of four of these programs and the criteria used in their selection are presented. The first section reviews the direction established by Project Synthesis in searching for exemplary…

This report presents some of the results of two national surveys which assessed the performance of 13-year-old students in science. It includes an outline of the assessment framework; some of the questions which were written to match it; a description of how well, and how differently, students responded to the questions; and suggests how the…

This is the third in a series of 12 curriculum guides. These publications are recommendations which the committee made for a broad and balanced education program in science for young people. The main theme of this guide is that science education which young people experience during their period of compulsory schooling needs to be characterized by…