The Mission Statement of Thomas Nelson Community College contains the statement, "As a community-based institution, TNCC strives to be responsive to the educational and skill needs of area businesses, industries, and government agencies." This paper describes three programs initiated to support this aspect of the college mission. Adventures in…

The vision of the National Institute for Science Education (NISE) is that all students should leave the educational system with an ability to make informed decisions about the science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET)-related matters that they encounter in their daily lives. This report documents the accomplishments and activities…

The National Survey of Academic Research Instruments and Instrumentation Needs is a congressionally mandated program that collects data concerning scientific research instruments and the academic departments and facilities in which they are located. This report analyzes overall instrumentation issues and trends in all the fields covered by the…

This handbook arose from a project that was designed to examine the role that science education plays in the under-representation of women in science. It is based on case studies of introductory science classes, surveys of syllabi and textbooks used in science classrooms, a survey of the literature on the history of women in science and current…

This study investigated students' conceptual and procedural understanding of calculus within the context of an engineering mechanics course. Four traditional calculus students were compared with three students from one of the calculus reform projects, Calculus & Mathematica. Task-based interviews were conducted with each participant throughout…

This study analyzed data from the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) taken between 1977 and 1988 to study trends in the numbers, test scores, and other characteristics of high school seniors planning to major in math, science, or engineering, and to compare these data with comparable data from examinees planning to major in other fields. Results…

A study was done of faculty perceptions of the accuracy and validity of various time-related personnel activity and productivity reporting measures, and of faculty's willingness to participate in these measures. In the first stage of the study 1,000 randomly-selected faculty from 200 institutions of higher education that have the highest levels of…

This data brief features statistical data related to total science and engineering graduate enrollment in the United States for the year 1997. Featured are data on enrollment by enrollment status: 1975-1997; by sex, citizenship, and race/ethnicity: 1990-1997; and by field: 1990-1997. (DDR)

The programs developed by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Laboratories to lure an untapped well of students into scientific fields and to increase the number of qualified scientists coming into the research environment are described. The witnesses of this hearing are from the Department of Energy and the National Labs; the outside…

This Sourcebook is a compilation of information selected from that reviewed by the Expert Panel that had been appointed to review and assess Federal programs in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) education; it also contains information about the Expert Panel itself. The Sourcebook is organized in four sections. Section 1…

This handbook was developed to provide principal investigators and project evaluators with a basic understanding of selected approaches to evaluation. It is aimed at people who need to learn more about both what evaluation can do and how to do an evaluation, rather than those who already have a solid base of experience in the field. It builds on…

To aid in increasing the number of students choosing careers in science and engineering, the National Governors' Association has been working with states to develop policies to increase the number of women and minorities in mathematics and science. The following examples of state activities are discussed: (1) California Advocacy for Mathematics…

This book provides the results of a study of recipients and renonces (those who declined the fellowship) of European Community (EC) science and engineering fellowships between 1968 and 1988 and a study of fellows who participated in the International Scientific Cooperation (ISC) Programmme, also sponsored by the EC. The first study is based on…

This paper deals with growing ethical dilemmas in sport as technology advances. Three aspects of sport are discussed: (l) the perpetual conflict between process (training) and product (the actual contest); (2) technophobia, the fear of the new world of technology; and (3) "technosport" or technological training. It is necessary to understand that…

The National Science Foundation annually collects statistical data from the 15 federal agencies that accounted for an estimated 95 percent of total obligations (for both science/engineering (S/E) and non-S/E activities) to academic institutions and for over 98 percent of all support for S/E research and development at these institutions. This…