The development of a computer-assisted interactive videodisc used in an introductory biology curriculum and the student evaluations of the program are discussed. The software is evaluated in terms of cost, measurable objectives, multiple opportunities for mastery, visuals and graded quizzes, and student attitude and achievement. (KR)

Describes using the writing process as an instructional strategy in science classes to encourage critical thinking. (PR)

While some textbooks still teach students that there is one scientific process that must be rigidly followed, this stagnant portrayal of the process of science can lead students to think that science and scientists are quite boring. Through integrating visual art and microscopy, students learn about the creativity of scientists and begin to…

In a rural Eastern North Carolina county, a team of students and teachers has come together to explore the scientific dynamics of a historic millpond. This article talks about the Bennett's Millpond Environmental Learning Project. The project immerses students and teachers in sustained contact with science technology tools as they study the water…

Various major publications such as the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996) and the collection of research results regarding the use of inquiry methodology in the teaching and learning of science edited by Minstrell & van Zee (2000) recommend that science should be taught in the same way that it is…

This paper reports and discusses the principal findings of an Australian study exploring the decisions of high achieving Year 10 students about taking physics and chemistry courses (Lyons, 2003). The study used a "multiple worlds" framework to explore the diverse background characteristics that previous quantitative research had shown…

The National Research Council is coordinating the development of national standards for science education in grades K through 12. By the fall of 1994, National Science Education Standards will be completed and published. The standards will contain narrative descriptions of what all students should be able to do to engage and understand the natural…

A year-long study was conducted with a class of 25 eighth graders, their English and science teachers, and the school computer supervisor at a school in Roselle (New Jersey). The structure and goals of the project, called PULSE, for Pupils Using Laptops in Science and English, are described. Research questions focused on the development of…

Current reform efforts in the teaching of high school biology demonstrate the need for a synthetic treatment of prominent concepts. There exists insufficient research that delineates the global content understandings--in this paper designated subject matter structures (SMS)--of biology teachers; or that assesses whether these SMS do, in fact,…

In this document, a description is given of a one activity inservice session intended for teachers kindergarten through grade six. The objective of this activity is to identify the launch angle of a catapult as the variable controlling the distance a projectile will travel. The activity conducted by participants of this workshop deals with the…

This document provides curriculum planners with models of learner outcomes that can be incorporated into a science curriculum and science essential learner outcomes. The first chapter includes a list of educational system values and learner values, philosophy of education, the mission for public education, and learner goals that describe the…

"Perspectives on Transportation" is one of the "Preparing for Tomorrow's World" (PTW) program modules. PTW is an interdisciplinary, future-oriented program which incorporates information from the sciences and social sciences and addresses societal concerns which interface science/technology/society. The program promotes…

The Science Meta-Analysis Project (SMAP) resulted in the meta-analysis of a sizable proportion of the research in pre-college science education. Seven broad questions were examined during the study. These include the effects of different curriculum programs, effects of different instructional systems used in science teaching, effects of various…

The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 was a landmark legislative initiative that outlined the protection of individuals with disabilities. The 1997 amendment of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (U.S. Congress, 1999) stipulates that students with disabilities are to be educated in the general education curriculum.…

High rates of failure in secondary level science classes are a problem worldwide. Effective teaching and efficient management of schools requires information as to the causes of failure. One approach to acquiring this information is to improve our understanding of what the students themselves perceive as the causes and antecedents of school…