Reports on a study of preference for 9 curriculum subjects by 93 British middle school students. Finds significant gender differences in the rankings of English and humanities courses, which were preferred by girls, and of physical education and science, which were preferred by boys. (CFR)

A unit designed to cover the topic of genetic engineering and its ethical considerations is presented. Students are expected to learn the material while using a debate format. A list of objectives for the unit, the debate format, and the results from an opinion questionnaire are described. (KR)

Reports a sample of Houston's middle school science teachers (n=227) perceived level of need for and acceptance of (1) science-technology-society (STS) goal levels; (2) STS curricular materials, (3) inservice related to STS instructional methods; and (4) inservice focused on STS-related content. (23 references) (MDH)

Providing support focused on real challenges is critical in retaining highly qualified new science teachers, but the field lacks a systematic description of these teachers' needs. The authors of this article examine the areas that science teachers are expected to understand: (1) the content and disciplines of science; (2) learners; (3)…

The science achievement of 226 5th graders from districts that have a kit-based inquiry science curriculum supported by intensive professional development (PD) is compared with data from a group of 173 5th graders from other districts that use nonkit science materials and do not have systematic science PD for teachers. Within the kit-based…

Early adolescents may lack the cognitive and metacognitive skills necessary for effective inquiry learning. In particular, they are likely to have a nonnormative mental model of multivariable causality in which effects of individual variables are neither additive nor consistent. Described here is a software-based intervention designed to…

Teachers and researchers alike have advocated over the last decade writing across the curriculum, which has tremendous potential both for improving the writing process and as a tool for helping students develop subject matter understandings. In particular, evidence shows that writing-to-learn has promise as a powerful tool for supporting students…

Efforts to address the problems of access and achievement for minorities and women in mathematics and science have been focused primarily at the secondary level. However, it has become increasingly apparent that intervention needs to begin earlier. This directory identifies and briefly characterizes intervention programs serving young minority…

Efforts to reform and restructure science and mathematics education need to be based on a sound assessment of current conditions, the rate of improvement, and problems in the system. This report focuses on indicators of the condition of science and mathematics education at state and national levels. The 1995 report presents new state indicators…

Project 2061 was initiated in 1985 with the goal of making Americans science literate. This report presents an update on the progress of Project 2061 and supplements the book "Science for All Americans" (SFAA). In the section of this report entitled "Background" is a brief overview of the project, an outline of purposes and…

For many Head Start teachers and staff, the word "science" conjures up uncomfortable feelings and memories. The purpose of this project--a collaborative effort of California State University, Long Beach and the Head Start Program of Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD)--was to prepare Head Start staff to become more capable,…

This report from The Nation's Report Card provides further information about students' lack of preparation in science, their apparent disinclination to enroll in challenging science courses, and the comparatively low achievement of Back and Hispanic students, females, economically disadvantaged students, and non-college bound students. These…

This study was conducted to determine the status of tracking and ability grouping for mathematics and science courses in the public secondary schools of Virginia as required by the General Assembly of Virginia. Guided by Virginia's standards for accrediting public schools that deal with instructional programs, the study team sought to determine if…

This study examined whether there were significant differences in the level of knowledge regarding curriculum reform efforts in mathematics and science and the level of incorporation of these new standards and recommendations into the curriculum among districts of varying size in Iowa. Data were gathered from respondents to school surveys of…

This course of study is aligned with the California State Science Framework and provides students with the physics content needed to become scientifically and technologically literate and prepared for post-secondary science education. Framework themes incorporated into the course of study include patterns of change, evolution, energy, stability,…