Compared effectiveness of a Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS)-style laboratory program in a university general biology course against a popular traditionally oriented program. Although learning gains for both groups were significant, students using the BSCS-style investigations scored significantly higher on a posttest of laboratory…

College students (N=52) were given unfamiliar or novel problems (written and interview responses) to determine how they characterize living things, criteria they use to distinguish between living/dead/nonliving, and to determine if their idea of life included the interrelationship between organisms and biosphere. Results and implications are…

Summarizes a Royal Society report on the educational implications of the growth of biotechnology (application of biological organisms, systems, or processes to manufacturing and service industries). Eighteen recommendations are made including the inclusion of biotechnological content into science curricula. (Author/JN)

A 1977-78 questionnaire/survey about biology field work was carried out among a random sample of secondary school biology needs in England and Wales. Results are compared to those from a 1961-62 survey. Issues addressed include opinions about field work, limiting problems, and amount of field work undertaken by teachers. (Author/JN)

Suggests that invasion biology can supply subject matter for teaching evolution, genetics, ecological relationships, and conservation. Describes flowering and non-flowering plant invaders, vertebrates and invertebrates, and two ecological invasions on the southern coast of England. (JN)

Determined degree to which Malaysian biology teachers (N=26) perceived they understood and used inquiry teaching. Data indicated that these teachers perceived they had a moderate amount of knowledge about inquiry and occasionally used the 21 inquiry-related behaviors assessed by "A Generic Problem Solving (Inquiry) Model" (Hungerford,…

Compares two programs which enable high school students to take college courses for credit: Advanced Placement (AP) Program and Syracuse University Project Advance Program. Discusses instructional methods, college credit, teacher involvement, student benefits, and problems, to show advantages of the latter program. (DC)

Biology teachers (N=86) who used dental health education curriculum module were surveyed on their opinions about the place of health education in the curriculum, feelings about the module, and response of their pupils. Concludes that integration of health education into the curriculum can be achieved without sacrificing scientific syllabus…

Describes the processes involved in clinical urinalysis and relates them to possible high school biology classroom uses. (CS)

Presents summaries of current programs on aging and gerontology at these five institutions: University of Texas Health Science Center (San Antonio), Michigan State University (East Lansing), University of California (Berkeley), University of Colorado Medical Center (Denver), and University of Kentucky Medical Center (Lexington). (CS)

Briefly described are 25 "hands on" classroom activities which require live, freshly killed, or preserved grasshoppers. Topics of activities include predator-prey relationships, feeding habits, locomotion, dissection, anatomy, and population estimates. (DS)

Presents a set of simulation models for use in teaching population dynamics. These models are designed specifically for use with a programmable pocket calculator, and can be used to demonstrate growth of populations with discrete or overlapping generations and also to explore effects of density-dependent and -independent mortality. (Author/CS)

Explores relationships between role-specific self-concept, as the dependent variable, and demographic data, constituting the independent variables, which included type and level of course, science letter grade from the previous semester, and gender of secondary school students (N=293) of grades 7-12. (CS)

Describes and evaluates a two-day workshop on human genetics for high school biology teachers which involved: (1) a series of lectures by professionals in medical genetics, ethics, and genetic counseling; (2) demonstrations; (3) question-and-answer sessions; (4) a curriculum packet; and (5) a follow-up bimonthly newsletter. (DC)

Discusses field collection, preservation and storage techniques, and identification of slime molds (with fruiting bodies). (DC)