The Instrument for Observing Classroom Science Behavior (IOCSB) describes and measures the frequency of classroom science behavior at the elementary school level. It was developed to study the relationship of science attitudes of preservice elementary teachers to subsequent performance in science teaching. During their student teaching period, 38…

The study was designed to determine if chronological age is the main factor in a child's ability to develop a particulate concept of matter. Four demonstrations were organized which consisted of a graded series of particle mixing, gas diffusion, dissolving and smoke investigations. The individualized interviews with children were tape recorded. On…

To evaluate a method of content analysis, and as a step toward the specification of a conceptual domain for primary level science, extant instructional programs were analyzed. This paper reports an analysis of the introductory unit and three biological science units of the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS). The background of the program…

The paper presented relates to a study done examining the ability of children from grades one through six to locate a point in one, two, and three dimensions and to order a temporal series of events in one, two, and three dimensions. The performance of the subjects was also used to examine a small part of Piaget's theory of cognitive development.…

The aspect of the Unified Science and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES) project described in this paper was undertaken in an effort to observe the problem solving behaviors of elementary school children. The Notebook Problem consisted of presenting a student with three notebooks arranged so as to differ from each other in terms of such…

This report represents part of a total effort to initiate better management techniques for state-local educational planning. It involves a three-year cycle of assessment in grades 3, 6, and 9, to include information from teachers and principals as well as students. Chapter 1 provides a comprehensive report of the entire assessment program. It…

This elementary school science unit approaches environmental education from a humanistic point of view. The stated goals of the program are to establish: "(1) a sanitive use of the environment, (2) a sense of environmental responsibility, and (3) a respect for life." The program format is a series of cards and booklets for student and…

This publication, the third in a yearly series, follows the intent of previous editions in which rapid changes in the field of science teacher education were assessed. Accordingly, 14 contributed articles appearing in this volume are grouped under the following headings: (1) The Mission of Science Education, (2) The People of Science Teaching, and…

This study contrasted the science-related cognitive skill attainment of children experiencing high and low individualized science programs. In addition, skill development was compared between open space schools and conventional schools. A total of 903 fifth-grade pupils from seven schools were given a short revision of the Bristol Study Skills…

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether success in the Science - A Process Approach (SAPA) process of classification designed for primary grade children is contingent upon the children's developmental level as defined by Piaget's theory. The investigators sought to determine whether children who had reached the concrete operational…

Presented is a description of a program developed to provide better dissemination of curricula, particularly for elementary school teachers and principals. The strategy described, Tactics for Applying Programs in Education (TAPE), an NSF-funded project, involved extensive use of mass media channels for creating awareness of science curricula…

Reported is a study of the teaching and transfer of seriation strategies using non-visual variables with first-grade children. Sixty first-grade children were administered Piaget's stick seriation task and classified as stage I (non-seriators) and stage III (seriators). From this group 24 were chosen and assigned to strategy treatment groups.…

Reported is a study based on the summary findings of a series of studies which indicated that many children who receive organized instruction designed around the few major concepts of science do, in fact, use scientific models to explain their observations of natural phenomena. The instruction that children in the study received was delivered by…

Presented are two of the science modules (from Appendix A), developed for a study at Central Michigan University, focusing on competency-based materials in science methods education for elementary school teachers. The Materials Module is designed to involve the preservice teachers in examining, analyzing and evaluating three elementary science…

This research presents the science teaching practices for schools in the Plains, Rocky Mountain, and Southeast regions of the United States and the all-inclusive curricular events surrounding them, as they existed during the 1970-71 school year. Subproblems investigated were relationships between teacher characteristics and science teaching…