Technology permeates the lives of most Americans: voice mail, personal computers, and the ever-blinking VCR clock have become commonplace. In schools, it is creating educational opportunities at a dizzying pace and, within and beyond the classroom, it is providing unprecedented access to a universe of ideas and resources. As a next step, the…

This report focuses on standards for the teaching and learning of biology in the state of Mississippi. It contains sections on interpreting the Mississippi subject area score reports, an overview of the Mississippi Biology I curriculum, suggested test strategies, additional teaching strategies with sample assessment items, and skills needed for…

The literature is rich with studies investigating gender differences in math, science, and technology. While some inequities have been evidenced and studied for years, we are still finding out many new sources of gender bias in the classroom. That girls think and learn differently as well as interact with equipment differently from boys is a major…

A study examined the effects of a new Hong Kong policy requiring Chinese as the language of instruction on secondary students' learning of science. Science achievement test scores at 100 secondary schools indicate that previous use of English to teach science may have hampered students' ability to grasp material due to the high-level thinking…

Examined the performance of Irish students on multiple-choice, short-answer, and extended-response item sets from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study to determine whether Ireland's relative rank among the more than 40 countries involved remained stable. Findings provide additional evidence that comparing student achievement…

Advocates the use of summary writing to enhance science learning. Presents a strategy to teach students how to identify and condense important information. (DDR)

Computer technology has afforded opportunities to design science curriculum experiences that capitalize on hypertext environments. Though these settings may provide students with flexibility as they explore science, the question remains, Does science inherently favor sequential approaches to curriculum? Addresses the tension this creates using an…

Examines the dip in achievement and interest in science that many students experience as they move into secondary schools. Explores the reasons for this phenomenon and possible solutions. (DDR)

Describes the achievement gap between minority and non-minority students in science and mathematics. Provides advice to parents, educators, and students on how to raise minority-group achievement. Describes the Meyerhoff Scholars Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, which recruits and supports minority students who excel in…

The use of computers in science assessment is examined for six considerations: (1) purpose of computer use in assessment; (2) value of program evaluation models; (3) possible harmful side effects of assessment; (4) nature of imbedded questions; (5) definition of treatment; and (6) computers and the classroom context. (LZ)

Discusses the place of authentic assessment in science education and presents one strategy, the Views on Science Technology and Society instrument, for helping teachers understand the extent to which students have achieved the complex learning that modern curricula demand. (11 references) (MKR)

The quite average performance of children in Canada and the United States on the International Assessment of Educational Progress is consistent with the foundations of school systems in both countries, which emphasize a sociocultural rather than academic purpose. Recent changes in Quebec stress education for academic reasons, with resulting…

An interactive computer/videodisc learning approach to the conventional laboratory approach for learning biology concepts and science process skills were compared. The two approaches appear equivalent when evaluated by traditional learning outcomes, but the interactive videodisc strategy was significantly more time efficient than a traditional…

Discusses case studies of the United States, Germany, and Japan included in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Highlights national standards, teacher training and working conditions, attitudes toward dealing with ability differences, and the place of school in adolescents' lives. Compared to Japanese and German…

The 12 chapters of this special issue focus on national findings and analyses from five Western European countries that participated in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), an international comparative study of mathematics and science achievement. Focuses on populations of 9- and 13-year olds in England, Germany, Sweden,…