Compared are the levels of attainment for the Science in the National Curriculum assessment in Great Britain in 1989 and the performance of students on the application of science concepts part of the Assessment of Performance Unit-Science carried out in 1980-84. (KR)

The purpose of this study is to elaborate the issue of exemplary teaching in chemistry in the context of a centralized educational system, in which chemistry curriculum development and implementation are also centrally controlled. Students' perceptions of the learning environment were also investigated. (KR)

Describes several environmental education activities. Introduces educational materials and two environmental education programs. Provides demographic and geographic data of the region. (YP)

Describes the Science for Early Adolescence Teachers (Science FEAT) program, a three-year teacher enhancement program for middle-grade teachers of science based at the Florida State University. Discusses the courses for the teacher-participants as well as the activities for administrators. (JRH)

Describes a unit for teaching exponential change in a noncalculus physics course by having students write recursive procedures in LOGO to graphically represent linear and exponential change. Summarizes the experience of implementing the unit in a segment on radioactive decay. Modifications to the unit are suggested for teaching exponential change…

Discusses how to reform science education in light of individual and societal needs for science literacy. Science education standards, curriculum changes, hands-on and computer-based projects, telecommunications for teacher training, and technology for student assessment are described. A sidebar article presents a model science teacher development…

Describes a longitudinal statewide study of Ohio fifth and ninth graders' knowledge about and attitude toward the oceans and Great Lakes. Results indicate a knowledge score increase except for humanities items. Among science items, earth science topics showed the greatest deficiencies, and oceanic attitudes declined over the period. (15…

Reviews research from the past 40 years on students' and teachers' conceptions of the nature of science, clarifies the basic assumptions and logic which have guided earlier research efforts, contrasts the results from qualitative and quantitative research, makes recommendations about research methods, and suggests avenues for future research about…

Presents the experience of a Canadian Science-Technology-Society (STS) curriculum project as an indication of the problems that likely follow from attempts to introduce a STS curriculum piecemeal. These problems include redundancy within school curriculum and reduced time for science concept and term acceptability of the STS proposals. (PR)

Outlines the use of concept maps as a tool for science curriculum development and discusses the changes that occur in the teacher's view of the curriculum with successive revisions of the maps. Describes and analyzes the maps created by sixth-grade teachers. (PR)

Reports a study (n=27) concerning the knowledge about image formation exhibited by students following instruction in geometrical optics in an activity-based college physics course for prospective elementary teachers. Student diagrams and verbal comments indicate their knowledge can be described as an intermediate state: a hybridization of…

Describes two basic types of software for beginning geology classes: general programs used to illustrate geologic phenomena (for example superposition) and programs written for specifically for geologic applications. (PR)

Three years after end of 2-year intervention program intended to promote formal operational thinking, achievement of students initially age 11 was tested by their results on British National examinations, taken at age 16 (experimental group n=88, control group n=103). In comparison with control classes, the effect size for science was 0.67,…

Describes the use of the computer in the laboratory for data acquisition and analysis--specifically a method to measure the respiration rate in aquatic organisms. Demonstrates the use of computer-interfaced pH measurement in the introductory biology laboratory. (PR)

Investigation found that instruction through the use of the sociocultural mode has a positive effect on students' attitudes toward learning science (n=600 Nigerian students). The findings also indicate that anthropomorphic and mechanistic views can be presented in such a way as to promote positive attitudes toward the study of science in…