Based on the exploratory study of a 3D multiuser virtual environment (3D MUVE), known as Quest Atlantis (QA), in a series of Primary Four (10- to 11-year-olds) Science lessons at Orchard Primary School in Singapore, this paper examines the issues of learning engagement and describes the socio-cultural context of QA's implementation. The students…

This inquiry-based lab is designed around genetic diseases with a focus on protein structure and function. To allow students to work on their own investigatory projects, 10 projects on 10 different proteins were developed. Students are grouped in sections of 20 and work in pairs on each of the projects. To begin their investigation, students are…

The study investigated the efficacy of prospective teachers authoring and using their own online learning designs as a means of creating links between theory classes and their teaching practicum. Trainee primary and secondary teachers adopted an exemplary, well-researched learning design to inform their own specific task designs, and used them in…

"Elementary Science: Where are We Now?" is a review of Elementary Science Education from the 1960s to 1999. Curriculum moved from uniform programs in the 1960s based on two assumptions to a wide diversity of goals, philosophies, and types of materials in the 1970s. The two assumptions behind the elementary science curriculum programs of…

A major challenge in teaching the process of science to students is designing and implementing laboratory activities that emulate what is actually done in a research laboratory. To facilitate this effort, science educators have been encouraged to design exercises that span multiple laboratory periods, encourage independent thinking, promote…

This study reports research findings on assessment of the science classroom learning environment and its association with two student outcomes--attitudes toward science and national examination scores. Modified versions of the WIHIC and TOSRA questionnaires in the Indonesian language were administered to 1400 students and their teachers. This…

The purpose of this study was to examine problem-based learning (pbl) and how students in the middle grades math and science classroom perceived its effectiveness. Analysis of student perceptions of changes in their learning processes and self-efficacy was analyzed through student interviews. Data identified the components of changes in students'…

Rather than focusing on teaching teachers, university researchers helped local teachers study what students thought about math and science ideas--with powerful results. As teachers understood what students were thinking, they modified their practices to promote deeper understanding. Their collaboration created bottom-up change.

The Teacher-Centered Systemic Reform model (TCSR) recognizes teaching context, teacher characteristics, teacher thinking, and their interactions as influential factors in attempts to implement classroom reform. Using the TCSR model, teachers' personal practical theories, and conceptual change as a framework, the authors of this article studied…

The research reported here focuses on links between teachers' comprehension of the underlying physics and their development of educational strategies for classroom work during in-service training. It deals with the teaching of hydrostatics, a topic considered particularly interesting by teachers. Starting from the analysis of simple experiments…

I present theory and research associated with learning to teach science in inner city high schools on the east coast of the United States. I use theories from cultural sociology as a framework to explore how coteaching is enacted in a science teacher education program in which coteachers collaborate with high school students in cogenerative…

In today's climate of content standards and high-stakes testing, science teachers are under more pressure than ever to focus on the "ready-made" knowledge of science content. Yet, science educators have long advocated a more balanced approach to science instruction, including emphasis on the processes by which scientific knowledge is produced, as…

Although numerous programs have been developed for Grade Kindergarten through 12 science education, evaluation has been difficult owing to the inherent problems conducting controlled experiments in the typical classroom. Using a rigorous experimental design, we developed and tested a novel program containing a series of pharmacology modules (e.g.,…

A survey by the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) revealed that students' academic performance and interest in secondary school biology has been generally poor. This has been attributed to the current methods of instruction and the lack of instructional resources amenable to the study and proper understanding of such complex areas as cell…

Whole Farm Nutrient Management is an upper-level, undergraduate course offered through the Department of Animal Science (AS) and Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (CSS) at Cornell University. The course (AS/CSS 412) is designed for students interested in agricultural careers and aims to help them develop a working knowledge of agricultural…