The addition of the arts to STEM education, now known as STEAM, adds a new dimension to problem-solving within those fields, offering students tools such as imagination and resourcefulness to incorporate into their designs. However, the shift from STEM to STEAM has changed what it means for students to learn within and across these disciplines.…

The purpose of this article is to suggest a research-based systemic plan for educational researchers, practitioners, and policymakers involved in the change process to implement successful technology integration in the context of teacher education. This article provides a background about reform efforts in science education in the United States in…

Presented is a criticism of Lawson's (1988) article on the development of misconceptions of biological concepts. Lawson's response to this criticism follows. (CW)

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two instructional approaches on mildly handicapped and nonhandicapped students' science achievement. Students were assigned at random to one of two conditions: (1) direct instruction; and (2) discovery teaching. The content of the lessons remained constant across conditions and focused…

Florida's Educational Reform Act of 1983 delineated a desired state for science K-12. In 1987, a study was conducted to determine the extent to which elementary school teachers were aware of the State's requirements and standards and were able to implement instruction to meet them. The format used to present and interpret the data was a…

This workshop is based upon work and findings of the Learning in Science Project, a research project which investigated problems and difficulties in the teaching and learning of science. The workshop program, including activities which have been shown to impact on teacher thinking, is designed to focus attention on learning problems in classrooms,…

This study was designed to determine whether a summer institute for elementary teachers could reduce or eliminate obstacles to teaching science. During summer, 1986, 10 primary teachers (K-3) participated in a month-long training session designed to help them improve their background knowledge of light and shadows and develop, teach, and revise a…

It is widely accepted among professionals that environmental education should be infused throughout the school curriculum at every grade level. This paper suggests that the failure to infuse environmental education equally throughout the curriculum may be related, in part, to the types of instructional materials available. (Author/CW)

The "Habitat" learning system was designed by TVOntario's Children's Programming department for junior-level students. It consists of 20 programs (each 15 minutes long), a teacher's guide, and a magazine for students. Three major objectives of the series were to (1) instruct children in scientific principles relating to habitats; (2)…

An analysis and comparison of science education in Japan and the United States is presented. Studies in comparative science education, including the first and second International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and the Japan and United States Cooperative Science Project, provide an empirical base for some of the…

The Learning in Science Project has adopted the view that science teaching might be improved if teachers can be given some appreciation of students' views of the world and the beliefs, expectations, and language that learners bring to new learning situations. This investigation compares and contrasts views that children and scientists have on…

The Learning in Science Project has adopted the view that science teaching might be improved if teachers can be given some appreciation of students' views of the world and the beliefs, expectations, and language that learners bring to new learning situations. This investigation compares and contrasts views that children and scientists have on…

The purpose of this study was to develop a conceptual framework concerning writings about the future of biology education. Methods, procedures, and results are presented. A list of 112 articles about the future found in the journal "The American Biology Teacher" from 1938-88 is included. (CW)

Examined is the relative status of school variables versus home variables to explain the variance in science achievement. The contribution of school variables was found to be both subject specific--larger in subjects taught in school and less dependent on general ability, and system specific--larger in low socioeconomic schools. (Author/CW)

Describes the Second International Science Study. Analyzes several variables mitigating the interpretative power of the study, including different needs and agendas, cultural bias, equivalence of data, data analysis, student retention rates, comparability of target populations, and test validity. (YP)