The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between students' conceptions of the nature of science and their reactions to evidence that challenged their beliefs about socio-scientific issues. The study used 248 students from 9th and 10th grade general science classes, 11th and 12th grade honors biology, honors science, and…

This paper reports on a study that examined the effects of formative experiences on the attitudes of preservice elementary teachers towards science and science teaching. Students in the science sequence of an elementary teacher preparation program wrote autobiographical essays about their experiences in science. These essays (n=56) were analyzed…

This document presents the framework and rationale for assessing the science achievement of students throughout the United States in 1996 and 2000. A general overview of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the NAEP Science Framework adopted by the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) is provided. The process by which…

The teacher's guide of "Assessing Toxic Risk" aims to help students conduct scientific research on relevant environmental topics. Using the research protocols in this book, students learn to carry out experiments known as bioassays. In this way, the toxicity of substances is evaluated by measuring its effect on living things. The text is…

Models are used in everyday life and in school to predict and understand reality. In science classes, models should not be taught as absolute truths but used instead to promote reasoning. Exercises, strategies, and games are suggested to help students better learn about and use models. (DC)

Criticizes "On What Basis Hope? Modern Progress and Postmodern Possibility" (Danforth), which discusses the difficulty educators and special educators have in making arguments that do not conform to the language and conventions of science. The article cites Danforth's failure to acknowledge that people with disabilities themselves have challenged…

Discusses the early recognition of chaos as seen in Poincar's work solving dynamical problems. Proposes five examples from which an inventory of the manifestation of chaos can be inferred. Discusses some instructional consequences of the development of ideas of chaos. (MDH)

Examines how students use evidence, determines when they add further ideas and claims, and measures progress in understanding light propagation. Uses the Scaffolded Knowledge Integration (SKI) instructional framework for design decisions. Discusses design studies that test and elaborate on the instructional framework. (Contains 33 references.)…

The paper describes a discussion strategy for secondary school students. The strategy focus the various dimensions of Science, especially the internal sociological and philosophical dimensions. Students are expected to learn more about Science, namely the role of controversy for scientific progress. The article contains key questions for the…

The investigators sought to design an instructional unit to enhance an understanding of the nature of science (NOS) by taking into account both instructional best practices and suggestions made by noted science philosopher Thomas Kuhn. Preservice secondary science teachers enrolled in a course, "Laboratory Techniques in the Teaching of Science,"…

Explanation as a genre may support children's reasoning and understanding particularly effectively. In this study, 20 fourth graders were given the task of explaining the effects of a pollutant on an ecosystem to third graders. Before writing, they completed a commercially developed science unit, instruction in reading and writing an explanation,…

Classroom demonstrations are a great vehicle for getting students to apply information they have heard in a lecture. Educational research is replete with data showing that concept application in an inquiry setting reinforces long-term science content retention. This means that students learn best when they experience applications of concepts and…

This article develops the notion that virtues can be utilized as a means of understanding the professional expertise that science teachers demonstrate when they deal with socioscientific issues. Socioscientific issues are those contentious issues that connect science to the society in which it operates--environmental issues being a prime example.…

This research examines Turkish pre-service elementary science teachers' understandings of teaching science in an inquiry-based learning environment. Thirty-five prospective teachers who attended to one of the big teacher training institutions in Istanbul participated in this study. Data were collected via course assignments and inclass activities…

This 2006 "Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework" provides a guide for teachers and curriculum coordinators regarding specific content to be taught from PreK through high school. Following this "Organization" chapter, the "Framework" contains the following sections: (1) Philosophy and…