Most Aboriginal people in Australia lack the background qualifications to enter higher education courses in science and mathematics. In 1984, the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT) (now Curtin University of Technology) developed a project which created and evaluated bridging courses for Aboriginal people seeking to gain access into…

This document provides a unit of lessons and activities on thunder storms and blizzards that are intended to provide students with a basic understanding of the causes and consequences of these natural disasters. The booklet is designed to be used in correlation with a science unit or as a supplement to an elementary science curriculum. The lessons…

In an effort to improve students' interests in science and science courses, a study was conducted in Israel to evaluate students' attitudes towards science relative to two chemistry curricula. These curricula were Chemistry for High Schools (CFH), and Chemistry--A Challenge (CAC). The CFH program was mainly designed for science-oriented students…

One in a series of publications on Illinois' State Goals for Learning, this report identifies what students are expected to know in the biological and physical sciences by the time they complete their elementary and secondary education. A sample set of learning objectives is provided to assist districts in the development of their own objectives.…

This report is a compilation of presentations made at a symposium which focused on various topics and issues related to the current status of science and mathematics education at the national, state, and local levels. These presentations are: (1) "Growing Recognition of a Serious National Problem in Science Education" by M. Joan Parent…

The environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s caused an increase in special interest magazines on the market and in environmental education programs in the schools. These magazines communicated science and environmental information, which often could not be found anywhere else, to an increasingly sophisticated audience. However, the field of…

This report is based on a study of professional education and career directions in the field of Science, Engineering and Public Policy (SEPP). It used data collected from surveys of 21 SEPP graduate programs, approximately 550 alumni from 16 of these programs, and employees and professionals who entered the field without formal SEPP education.…

The unified science approach to instruction is one in which the concepts and processes of science are presented to emphasize the fundamental unity of scientific thought rather than the distinctions among the various scientific disciplines. The general thrust of this program is to provide students with motivating, meaningful units that will…

This paper examines the effect of using a systems thinking approach in existing secondary school curricula to teach content-specific knowledge as well as general problem solving skills, and the effect of using STELLA (Structural Thinking Experimental Learning Laboratory with Animation), a simulation-modeling software program, as a tool by which to…

This conference was designed to provide information on the development and implementation of seven undergraduate science courses primarily for non-science majors at Lehigh University, to examine what ought to be the objectives of courses such as these in the liberal arts curriculum, and to describe parallel efforts with similar educational…

A major study of Canadian science education was undertaken in 1980 to establish a documented basis for describing the present purposes and general characteristics of science teaching in Canadian schools, to provide an historical analysis of science education in Canada, and to stimulate active deliberation concerning future options for science…

Interest in the relationship between self-image and occupational choice and concern over the low representation of women and minorities in science provided the impetus for this study of 2,442 high school and junior high school students. Self-image ratings were examined with respect to the student's interest in taking science courses. Particular…

Questionnaires were sent to 2,000 public and independent elementary, middle, and junior high schools in New Jersey to determine the status of K-8 science teaching. Survey results (with 21 percent response) are reported for: organization (grade ranges, school location, total number of elementary teachers, number of elementary teachers teaching…

Written for science teachers of elementary and secondary Native American students, the guide offers 18 science-related activities that integrate science with Indian culture and life. A teacher preparation exercise is presented first to allow the teacher to look at him/herself and use the information as a tool to understanding the students'…

An alternative teaching model has been proposed by the Learning in Science Project (Primary)--LISP(P). The model uses a six-step approach (outlined in an appendix) which fosters an environment in which children can ask questions about a situation, offer explanations, carry out investigations, and report their findings. This paper reports on the…