Examines those theories of learning that have laid the groundwork for classroom approaches that encourage students to become active learners. Summarizes the National Science Education Standards (NCES) Teaching Standards B. (DDR)

Examined the experience of being part of a cohort-based Masters Degree program for practicing teachers. Data came from participants electronic portfolios and a qualitative survey that explored eight cohort dimensions. Results indicated that use of a cohort-based delivery model enhanced program coherence and fostered collaboration, inquiry, and…

Used hierarchical linear models to estimate the extent to which five inquiry-based teacher practices promoted student achievement and reduced achievement gaps among diverse students. Data from the National Education Longitudinal Study suggest that teacher practices that improve overall academic excellence simultaneously are as likely to contribute…

Reviews the focus of the Millennium Commission and describes the science attractions that have been funded through this effort. Considers planning and curricular issues that these attractions present for science educators. (DDR)

Describes three approaches (folk festivals, origin learning centers, and local/global inquiry) that help elementary students address issues of diversity, global studies, and social constructivism; these approaches grew out of a collaborative project between a local school district and a university called the Children's Center for Global…

Examined the comparative efficiency of inquiry-group instruction and traditional teaching methods on Taiwanese junior high school students' achievement and attitudes toward earth science. Surveys of students in both groups indicated that students in the inquiry group had significantly higher achievement scores and significantly more favorable…

Focuses on how faculty members in one university department used the problem formulation phase of deliberative inquiry to assess future needs for their human resource development (HRD) specialization. Overviews the research methodology of deliberative inquiry. Describes the systematic approach--subject matter analysis--that was used to structure…

Illustrates how the Dick and Carey systems approach model (1990) can still be used as part of the instructional design and developmental process in an inquiry-based online constructivist learning environment. Focuses on the Shell Island Dilemma, a scientific inquiry simulation on the Carolina Coastal Science Web site. (AEF)

Reform efforts emphasize teaching science to promote contemporary views of the nature of science (NOS) and scientific inquiry. Within the framework of situated cognition, the assertion is that engagement in inquiry activities similar to those of scientists provides a learning context conducive to developing knowledge about the methods and…

Science teachers must adapt curriculum materials, so preservice teachers must develop beginning proficiency with this authentic task of teaching. What criteria do they use when they critique these materials in preparation for adapting them, when they develop the criteria themselves and when they are given a set of criteria from which to choose?…

School science students can benefit greatly from participation in student-directed, open-ended scientific inquiry projects. For various possible reasons, however, students tend not to be engaged in such inquiries. Among factors that may limit their opportunities to engage in open-ended inquiries of their design are teachers' conceptions about…

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a Local Systemic Change (LSC) initiative (N = 216) at Year 2 in a 5-year plan. Key questions were: What is the extent of school and teacher involvement?; What is the impact on teacher preparedness, attitudes, and beliefs?; and What is the extent of institutionalization? The model of…

The inquiry science process provides a perfect opportunity for students to practice relational meaning in language. As students design their experiments, negotiate their ideas with peers, and share their data and conclusions, they sharpen both their reading and written communication skills. This process needs to be mediated by having the teacher…

Teachers can easily identify what subjects their students have trouble with, whether it is transcription and translation, glycolysis and fermentation, balancing chemical equations, or vector analysis of forces acting on an object. Yet, no matter how teachers try to make these complex issues more accessible to students, or how new editions of…

Analyzing real motion with frame-by-frame precision can be conducted using modestly priced digital-video camcorders. Although well below the 1,000 frames-per-second threshold of high-speed cameras, commercially available camcorders grab 30 frames per second. A replay dissected at this lower frequency is fun to watch, challenges students'…