Cell size is an important variable in the study of cellular growth, metabolism, and the cell cycle. The large size of "Amoeba proteus" and the ease with which it can be collected and cultured have made it a star in biology education--and it was a model for research on cell biology before the introduction of molecular genetic methods.…

Fengshui was originally a methodology for nurture of both spirit and fertility based on the relationship between water, wind, and qi, and was first used in the selection of sites of habitation on the loess plateau of northern China. An analysis of this methodology for nurture of the physical is the purpose of this paper. Its prism is the history…

The history and philosophy of science course is among the very important courses for prospective teachers in terms of understanding the development of science, evaluating its social and cultural context, developing scientific thinking skills, and better understanding and teaching scientific knowledge. Studies on this subject are important in terms…

The philosophy of science (POS) has gained recognition for its contributions to science education, particularly in integrating the history and philosophy of science (HPS). However, the existing literature lacks a comprehensive review that systematically investigates the implications and limitations of POS in science education research. This study…

The world faces complex and entangled environmental, health and social problems that can only be effectively grappled with if the research sector harnesses the knowledges and understandings of diverse cultures. Research education is a key site where more democratic and equitable processes of knowledge creation can take place. Drawing on de Sousa…

This lesson used the correspondence of Charles Darwin as an exploration of nature of science (NOS) in a historical context. Specifically, we used his original correspondence about his "provisional hypothesis" of pangenesis as a novel way to explore a scientist's social community. Darwin's community of friends and colleagues in the…

Most educational literature on conceptual change concerns the process by which introductory students acquire scientific knowledge. However, with modern developments in science and technology, the social significance of learning successive theories is steadily increasing, thus opening new areas of interest to discipline-based education research,…

Science and mathematics are universal endeavors. However, the historical perspective of science and mathematics has been westernized across the curriculum in the USA. There is a limited number of textbook analyses centered on exploring the representation of science and mathematics under a historical standpoint. This research seeks to discuss the…

It is well known that Newton's work on mechanics depended in a crucial way on the previous observations of Galileo. The key insight of Galileo was that one can analyze the motion of bodies using experiments and mathematical equations. One experimental observation that roughly emerges from this work in modern terms is that two objects of different…

Drawing from a review of literature that has explored the history of scientific racism, this article considers how understanding the history of race, as an 18th- and 19th-century invention of Western Europe and the United States, can enhance Canadian anti-racist teacher education. I begin with a review of key conceptual building blocks of race --…

The theory of the Big Bang is accepted nearly universally among the scientific community. However, there is a small cadre of individuals who dispute this consensus and they point to a handful of datums that don't fit into the picture. One such datum is the existence of a star with an age reported to be older than the cosmos itself. This star is…

Issues associated with nature of science (NOS) have long been recognized as an essential component of scientific literacy. While consensus exists regarding the importance of an explicit reflective approach, precisely how to teach NOS remains elusive. The present study explores one particularly promising approach, namely the use of historical…

Most physics teachers have observed the majestic swings of a monumental pendulum at a science museum and have watched long enough to see the plane of oscillation slowly changing direction as Earth turns. The purpose of Don Olson's article is to describe visits to Paris sites related to Jean Bernard Léon Foucault (1819-1868), with a special focus…

"American Biology Teacher" has published over seven dozen articles relevant to the history of biology in biology teaching. They are cataloged here and indexed by topic. As reflected in this archive, teachers adopt a historical approach for many pragmatic motivations: (1) to engage students, by contextualizing science culturally; (2) to…

A popular introductory physics laboratory experiment is one focusing on Snell's law. This is straightforward to complete with lasers and prisms, but here we present an alternative version that guides the students through some of the major historical developments, recreating and analyzing significant experiments. The discovery of Snell's law has a…