References to ultimate reality commonly turn up in the behavioral literature as references to determinism. However, this determinism is often difficult to interpret. There are different kinds of determinisms as well as different kinds of ultimate realities for a behaviorist to consider. To clarify some of the issues involved, the views of ultimate…

This article responds to a call for rethinking the science that we teach to school learners in South Africa. Much of the debate on the nature of science and science learning is reflected in a body of literature which analyses the tensions between disparate perspectives on science education. Post-colonialists, feminists, multiculturalists,…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and its reports are a key measure in informing the nation on how well the goal of scientific literacy for all students is being met. The "Science Framework for the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress" sets forth the design of the NAEP Science Assessment. The 2011 NAEP…

Physical World is a one-semester course designed for elementary education majors, that integrates earth science, astronomy, and physics. The course is part of a four-course set that explores science concepts, processes, and skills, along with the nature of scientific practice, that are included in state and national standards for elementary school…

This study sought to explore qualitatively how participation in an informal science program might affect the following aspects of upper elementary school children's scientific thinking: conceptual understanding, epistemology of science, and the formation of their identity as science learners. A purposefully selected, maximum variation sample of…

A teacher narrates from activities and discussions that arose among undergraduates and herself while doing critical explorations of mirrors. Surprised by light's behaviors, the students responded with curiosity, losing their dependence on answers as the format of school knowledge. Inadequacies in how participants supposed light works emerged in…

Education and political leaders worldwide are increasingly placing emphasis on developing scientific literacy. This also is the case in Thailand with science education influenced by educational reform in 1999, in which the goals of science education are shaped by the notion of scientific literacy. Thai science education emphasizes the scientific…

The present article presents a didactic proposal oriented to teaching notions of semiconductor physics in secondary education. The methods and the results of a pilot study designed to analyse the effectiveness of a teaching sequence on the topic are also described. The subjects were 60 students, aged 14-15 years, of a secondary school in Seville,…

In response to pressures to integrate literacy and science learning, an observational, comparative analysis was conducted exploring the added value of blended science and literacy curricula over inquiry-oriented science curricula in two 2nd-grade classrooms (ages seven to eight). Data were collected over ten weeks by the research team, and…

The purpose of this paper is to present the rationale and principles that guided the design and development of PARENTS, a multimedia case-based environment. Following a development research approach, the tenets of constructivist learning, and the advantages of case-based instruction, we developed a multimedia program in which we utilized and…

At first almost ignored and unread, Sadi Carnot's analysis of heat engines--published 150 years ago--contained ideas and methods that were developed later by Clausius and Thomson. Carnot's ideas and their influence on later science are discussed. (Author/RH)

Understanding the nature of science, especially how scientists err, is an essential tool for: (1) assessing the reliability and scope of scientific claims; (2) perceiving the scope of these claims; and (3) making personal and public decisions. What features of the nature of the science are most important to know? Recent consensus highlights the…

Lotka's Law, originally applicable only in physical science, is shown to apply reasonably well to the humanities. (Author/RS)

Relates the background and chain of events associated with the discovery of oxygen and Lavoisier's theory of combustion. (DS)