There is a growing need for a workforce that can apply engineering principles to molecular based discovery and product development in the biological sciences. To this end, Tulane University established a degree program that incorporates molecular and cellular biology into the chemical engineering curriculum. In celebration of the tenth anniversary…

Describes "Biology 201--The River," an ecological and environmental study of the impact of man and urbanization on the Des Plaines River and its Drainage Area in Chicago. Each student selects his/her own study project, which involves a "contract agreement" with a faculty member, a data generating experiment, library research, a…

Problems in conducting an outcome evaluation under uncertain knowledge of effects are addressed. This evaluation was designed to obtain outcome assessments of a National Science Foundation Workshop, which was working with 20 high school chemistry teachers and 20 high school biology teachers to stimulate effective teaching, assist teachers in…

This paper discusses changes related to students that will occur during the next two decades and how they will affect science teacher's considerations of what and how to teach biology. Statistical data are presented for racial/ethnic groups. Some variables influencing the choice of a biology career are reviewed. Hands-on activities, inquiry, and…

Curry's model of learning style framework with Claxton and Murrell's adaptations was used to study the profile of non-majors in a college biology course. The purpose of the study was to provide empirically derived data in both a qualitative and quantitative format of the non-major to improve the course. Over 600 students were administered the…

Misconceptions, shown to be prevalent in students even at the college level, may affect the cognitive process of making predictions in biology. The purpose of this study was to: (1) identify students' misconceptions about important biological concepts; (2) identify students' cognitive behaviors associated with making predictions about these…

This book is written for children ages 5 through 10. Part of a series designed to develop their curiosity, fascinate them and educate them, this volume provides an introduction to whales and other sea mammals. Topics included are: (1) kinds of whales; (2) distribution of whales; (3) behavior of whales; (4) hunting whales; and (5) other sea…

In 1985, People for the American Way released its first review of biology textbooks that was inspired by the ongoing controversy over whether or not (and how) evolution should be taught in public school classrooms. The purpose of this review is to gauge how successful the response of educators and scientists have been at convincing publishers that…

Designed to describe students' perceptions within high school classes in biology and chemistry over the course of a school year, this study focused on person-environment congruence. Person-environment congruence was defined as the measure of the distance between high school students' perceptions of self and their science class, science teacher,…

This three-chapter document (part of a series on biology and human welfare) focuses on the teaching of health concepts in biology courses. Health education (as used in this document) is aimed at achieving a state of health consisting of these five elements: body health; mental health; environmental health; social health; and transcendental health.…

The purpose of the Exemplary Practice in Science and Mathematics Education (EPSME) study was to identify high quality science and mathematics teaching, to document exemplary practice through case studies, and to investigate key characteristics common to exemplary teaching in different sites. As one aspect of the overall project, students'…

Although results of both formative and summative evaluation can be used for planning the next generation of a curriculum, a need exists for a third kind of evaluation, namely, Pre-Planning Evaluation (PPE). The purpose of PPE is to provide a database to curriculum development deliberations to assist in decision-making and to guard against neglect…

Designed to provide teachers with new knowledge about the goals of science instruction and practical recommendations for instructional practice, this first of a three part series of guidebooks specifically focuses on the topic of scientific literacy. The major objective of this guide is to introduce teachers to a working definition of scientific…

Activities in the ecology of New England's tidepools are provided in this field trip guide for elementary school teachers. Resources, curriculum materials, and services are identified that are available through the New England Aquarium's Department of Education. This packet contains: (1) pre-trip activities (offering a vocabulary list,…

The process of studying different orientations to teaching introductory biology through interviews designed to elicit teachers' beliefs was analyzed. College teaching assistants were questioned about their beliefs. Interviews were analyzed in terms of teaching, learning, curriculum, and "governance." Each teacher identified most strongly as…