This book is a collection of essays about science-technology-society (STS) education for school science that examines new challenges and new questions in the domain of STS education. The book does not employ a purely academic approach found in science studies, yet almost every chapter shows some reflection on the historical, philosophical, or…

Investigated was the nature of science-technology-society (STS) education as perceived by science teachers. Reports that teachers indicated weaknesses of current STS education and wanted more workshops and curriculum materials. Provides recommendations to educational practitioners based on the findings. (YP)

The premise of this report is that only the science-technology-society (STS) effort offers the potential for meeting the challenge of science for a general education. Presents the goals of STS issue-based instruction. (PR)

In this response to commentaries by Ali Sammel, Jhumki Basu and Alberto Rodriguez, I present my perspective on three important issues raised by the commentators. These issues relate to the role of a researcher in her field settings and society, the critique of science and science education as oppressive dominant discourses, and co-opting…

Argues that the alliance between the government and the scientific establishment has resulted in reforms that do not help future citizens in understanding the complexities of the social relations of science and technology. Presents evidence of a return to a conception of scientific literacy in which the central mythology of value-free science is…

Examines the rise of the general science course and its implications for the reform of secondary science education. Concludes that while recent reforms emphasize the personal and social character of science and the use of the scientific method, they will not necessarily make students more scientifically literate or train them to think about…

The Iowa-Scope, Sequence, and Coordination (SS&C) Program assists schools with reform of their entire middle school programs, grades 6-8, and features the science, technology, and society (STS) instructional approach. This reform translates to the creation of new frameworks for the school program and aims to produce "constructivist"…

This volume of papers includes 21 of the 38 presentations given at the Forum on Global Change and Our Common Future. The objectives of the forum were threefold: (1) to present to the public a balanced and authoritative view of the wide range of global change issues, including the science of the earth system, the impacts of global change on…

Describes the Microelectronics Education Programme (MEP), a plan developed to help British secondary school students learn about microcomputers and the role of technology in society, and its successor, the Microelectronics Support Unit (MESU). Highlights include curriculum development, teacher training, computer assisted instruction and the…

Reviews the reform of secondary school physics in the United States from the 1930s through the mid-1960s. Describes the impact of progressive education, World War II, and the post-Sputnik reforms. Points out differences between past reform efforts and the current Project 2061 of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). (CFR)

In the mid to late 1980s, observers of education in Western Australia witnessed considerable educational change. Following an inquiry into education in Western Australia (Beazley, 1984), several major changes were made in secondary school curricula, procedures of assessment, and methods of certification. This paper explores some of the…

Summarizes the findings of 22 case studies of environmental studies and environmental education programs at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Compares the changes in these programs with respect to similar case studies written a decade earlier. (TW)

Suggests a reorientation within science in terms of morals, ethics, and higher values. Argues that science and science-education should encourage a deep-based relation to, and respect for, the object of study as part of a larger orientation to life. Recommends unification between objective and scientific fact. (MJP)

Discusses the origin of theories in geography and particularly the development of location theories. Considers the influence of economic theory on agricultural land use, industrial location, and geographic location theories. Explores a set of interrelated activities that show how the marketing process illustrates process theory. (MJP)

Reviews the development of technology education in North America and discusses its emerging replacement of industrial arts. Highlights some of the trends and issues defining curriculum development and classroom instruction. Details various approaches to curriculum design, program implementation, and administration. Examines differences between…