Asserts that science instruction should have students behaving as real scientists. Discusses benefits of high school science research programs for precocious youths. (PR)

Contends that an established collaboration with a local resource--whether it be a university or trained professionals from local industry--can enhance the enthusiasm, resources, and experimental design of science fair projects. Describes the nature of some interactions related to a high school science fair and details some successful student…

Presents detailed descriptions and diagrams for having students build their own syringe-powered rockets. Describes how the students can learn about variables that influence the stability of the rockets flight. (PR)

Research into effective pedagogy was a major strand of the science education research programme at the University of Waikato for the 20 years of the 1980s and 1990s, being done in all five Learning in Science Projects and related theses. The research was closely connected to constructivist and sociocultural views of learning, current national…

This article reports on findings from a two-year project--'Improving Science Together'--undertaken in 20 primary and four secondary schools in and around Bristol, UK. The project was funded by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca PLC as part of their national Science Teaching Trust initiative, and had as one of its aims the development of…

The Government's recently introduced national strategy for primary schools in England and Wales, "Excellence and enjoyment" (DfES, 2003), encourages teachers to be creative and innovative in how they teach the curriculum, whilst "All our futures" (NACCCE, 1999) urges teachers to look for creativity in all aspects of the…

Students in the Electronics Engineering Technology program at Pennsylvania College of Technology designed and built a computerized dynamometer platform for testing dc brushless motors. As the capstone experience for EET-320, Measurement and Tests course, students were divided into teams of four and were given three weeks to complete the project.…

The present study aims to identify the effectiveness of summer science camp experience on middle school students' content knowledge and interest towards biology. For this purpose, two instruments including reflective journal and pre-post questionnaire were developed by four researchers who are expert in science education. Besides, the instruction…

Oranges, flying disks, pool noodles, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe may seem like items discarded after a Rube Goldberg experiment, but in fact, these objects were used in teaching science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). This article describes a project in which The Center of Ocean Sciences Education Excellence SouthEast (COSEE SE)…

The distribution of science and technology resources in China has encountered a series of problems including, for example, scattered resources, unnecessary duplication and ineffective management. To facilitate access to these valuable resources, the Beijing Science and Technology Committee, a local government agency, established the Beijing…

Within the school library community, there have been persuasive calls for school librarians to contribute to science learning. We present a conceptual framework that links national standards of science education ("Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas," referred to as…

We hereby present the main conclusions and perspectives obtained by the Group of Teaching Innovation in Electronics (Grupo de Innovación Docente en Electrónica, GIDEN) of the University of Valladolid (UVa) with regard to its main areas of work. This group comprises teachers of the "Specialty in Industrial Electronics" degree, and the…

Engineering is being currently taught in the full spectrum of the P-12 system, with an emphasis on design-oriented teaching (Brophy, Klein, Portsmore, & Rogers, 2008). Due to only a small amount of research on the learning of engineering design in elementary and middle school settings, the community of practice lacks the necessary knowledge of the…

As a yearlong exploration of air quality and its relation to respiratory health, the "Air Toxics Under the Big Sky" program offers opportunities for students to learn and apply science process skills through self-designed inquiry-based research projects conducted within their communities. The program follows a systematic scope and sequence…

Professor Lesley Parker's career has moved from teaching and advising graduate students at Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia to leadership roles and advocacy positions in state and national governments and in international organizations. Throughout her distinguished career, she has been committed to social justice,…