This report describes the expansion of the Select Program in Science and Engineering (SPISE) to provide participants with a second year experience designed to increase the impact of the program on college and career selection by enabling students to select an area of special interest for study. The target population for SPISE is economically…

The dual concerns of economic competitiveness and national security have provided the main impetus behind the continued growth in support for research and development (R&D) by both government and industry. The funding of science and technology is a major factor behind capital and labor productivity increases. This report presents a summary of…

This paper provides a focus on the successful and positive facets of schooling from a series of case studies. The study involved 13 researchers in over 500 hours of intensive classroom observation of 20 exemplary teachers and a comparison group of non-exemplary teachers. The qualitative information was complemented by quantitative information…

In recent years, the need to improve education has received considerable attention. The development of educational indicators is necessary to help policymakers determine whether educational conditions have improved and what additional actions are indicated. The Council of Chief State School Officers State Education Assessment Center initiated a…

Fifth and eighth grade students in New York City participated in a citywide science survey for the fourth consecutive year in 1987. These surveys were designed to assess overall achievement in the pre-high school grades and to provide school, district and citywide summary information about student performance in basic areas of the science…

The positivist paradigm has dominated the shape and direction of research in education. Traditionally the scientific method is adhered to, variables are strictly controlled, statistics are compiled, and conclusions are reached. In the post-positivist paradigm, studies conducted using naturalistic inquiry take place in the natural setting and do…

Most science curriculum innovations seem to have their origins and emphases in urban intellectual concerns and their content generally caters to university bound students. The reason for the failure of rural students in science subjects may be the lack of relevancy of the program to the needs of individuals living in rural areas. This module deals…

Tropical forests provide the world with many products and an incredible diversity of plant and animal life. These forests also provide watershed areas, soil control, climate regulation, and winter homes for migrating birds from North America. It is believed that about 40% of tropical forests have already been destroyed in the last 20-30 years,…

Many researchers believe that prior knowledge is the single most important variable influencing learning. Learning in the classroom is determined or affected positively or negatively, to some degree, by the knowledge people bring to the classroom. This study was designed to: (1) assess fifth- and eighth-grade Korean students' misconceptions of…

Science process skills are the skills that scientists use to study and investigate the world. They are the vehicle for generating content and a means by which concepts are formed. This book is presented in three parts. Part 1 attends to the kinds of science skills appropriate for preschool and the lower elementary grades including observation,…

This is a collection of commonly asked questions about the new Asbestos-Containing Material in Schools rule announced by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in October 1987, under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) of 1986. It is offered as a guide to help school officials, training providers, and accredited…

This position paper was developed to inform U.S. policymakers of the state of science and technology education in the United States and of the importance of adequate science and technology understanding to the economic competitiveness of the country. Provided in this document are discussions of the national goals of science and technology…

This report considers one school's approach to science education, examining in particular the development of a two-semester required unified science course. Designed to be useful to all students and applicable to all areas of science, the course is characterized by a high degree of teacher teamwork, as in developing instructional materials.…

Many students, even after formal science instruction, have not developed a scientifically acceptable concept of "living,""animal," or "plant." Therefore, as part of the action-research phase of the Learning in Science Project, a working group was formed to explore (with teachers) some possible strategies aimed at…

In the action-research phase of the Learning in Science Project, four groups of people worked on problems identified in the project's second (in-depth) phase. The Chemistry Action-Research Group considered problems related to the teaching and learning of ideas associated with particles and physical/chemical changes. Based on findings during the…