This study explores the relationship, if any, between an individual's culturally based worldviews and conceptions of nature of science. In addition, the implications of this relationship (or lack of relationship) for science teaching and learning are discussed. Participants were 54 Taiwanese prospective science teachers. Their conceptions of…

This study assesses the influence of a set of activities developed based on preservice elementary science teachers' conceptions of the nature of science (NOS). It also compares the effectiveness of these activities when implemented using two approaches. The first approach was a direct explicit approach while the second featured additional…

This study attempted to assess the effectiveness of a science program implemented by two elementary science specialists in a school district in a Western state. The study aimed to compare the potential of elementary classroom teachers and elementary science specialists to implement the reform vision for elementary science education in grades 4-6.…

Describes an evaluation project that aimed to assess the potential of two elementary science specialists, as compared to elementary classroom teachers, to realize the reforms vision for science instruction in elementary classrooms. Indicates that specialists' views and practices were better aligned with those envisioned by current national reform…

This study examined views of the human relationship with the natural world and understandings about the nature of science (NOS) held by preservice elementary teachers in the context of Taiwan. The participants included 54 third-year students enrolled in the departments of science education and mathematics education at a teacher college. Data were…

Explores how children's ideas in science affect elementary science instruction by investigating whether and how three primary teachers recognize and react to student ideas. Finds that the experienced teacher with the highest level of content knowledge had the largest repertoire for eliciting and addressing student ideas, and the intern teacher's…

Discusses the influence of a reflective, explicit, activity-based approach to nature of science (NOS) instruction used in an elementary science methods course on preservice teachers' views of some aspects of the nature of science. Finds that participants made substantial gains in their views of some of the target NOS aspects. Advocates a…