This document consists of 11 "NASA Information Summaries" grouped together: (1) "Our Planets at a Glance" (PMS-010); (2) "Space Shuttle Mission Summary: 1985-1986" (PMS-005); (3) "Astronaut Selection and Training" (PMS-019); (4) "Space Station" (PMS-008); (5) "Materials Processing in…

This paper describes the developmental approach to moral education guided by the view that the student is an active constructor of knowledge who progresses through a succession of increasing psychologically and philosophically robust stages of moral reasoning. The developmental approach to moral education attempts to avoid the arbitrary norms of…

This study investigated the relationships between science activities that emphasize cause-and-effect and a learner's locus of control. Pretests included the Nowicki-Strickland Abbreviated Scale 7-12 to measure locus of control, and a modification of the Test of Science Related Attitudes to measure attitudes toward science. The findings suggest…

These item specifications were developed as a part of the Arkansas "Minimum Performance Testing Program" (MPT). There is one item specification for each instructional objective included in the MPT. The purpose of an item specification is to provide an overview of the general content and format of test items used to measure an…

Some successful innovations and their underlying rationales that were implemented 50, 60, and 70 years ago could be useful in solving many educational problems. Of major concern are the gap between the actual science and mathematics curricula in most schools and the demands placed on everyday living in the modern world dominated by technology and…

This book is the result of the accumulated research of five researchers from the United States and Australia on a school in Coastal Australia. The research team shared a constructivist epistemology and interpreted the qualitative and quantitative data collected over a 10-week period in two classrooms from that perspective. Each chapter discusses…

These programs are available to school systems or other educational institutions for implementation in the classroom. Some programs may be able to offer consultant services and limited assistance with the training and materials associated with installing one of these programs in schools. Information about the National Diffusion Network (NDN) is…

In a response to lower test scores in science and mathematics in Australia, the Western Australian Institute of Technology conducted a study to identify high quality science and mathematics teachers in Western Australian schools. This paper describes the teaching practices of one male and one female teacher of biology from two different schools.…

This is a selective bibliography of 91 journal articles dealing with physically handicapped students in the sciences. Because the educational needs of the physically handicapped sometimes require unconventional practices, the articles cited in the bibliography focus on various instructional strategies, curricular modifications, and programs…

This paper has two major objectives. The first is to examine a broad "umbrella" goal for school science programs, commonly referred to as "scientific literacy," which has evolved in practice as a way to express a balanced formulation of the several legitimate and competing purposes for teaching science in schools. The second is…

Descriptions of the problem-solving strategies of experts solving realistic, computer-generated transmission genetics problems are presented in this paper and implications for instruction are discussed. Seven experts were involved in the study. All of the experts had a doctoral degree and experience in both teaching and doing research in genetics.…

Based upon the notion that the study of the environment should include attempts to articulate concepts related to the natural, social and cultural dimensions of the human environment, this learning module was developed for Unesco's International Environmental Education Programme. It is intended for use at the secondary school level and contains…

In this paper, the status and structure of science education in the United States are reviewed and summarized in six major sections. These include: (1) an introduction (placing science education in the context of the school system as a whole and noting the government's role, administration and funding, school types, external examination policies,…

The Education Committee of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) organized a Task Force on Precollege Science Education Programs to develop a strategy for increasing the involvement of scientific research personnel in the implementation of innovative elementary and secondary science education programs. This report…

Introductory Physical and Earth Science 8AB, a required course in the Los Angeles Unified School District, covers skills and concepts related to matter, energy, space science, weather, and oceanography with particular emphasis on the investigative approach. This instructional outline contains teacher guidelines and course content information.…