This report reviews some goals for laboratory activities in contemporary science teaching, discusses an investigation that analyzed and compared laboratory activities from two major physics guides, and discusses the implications of the goals and analysis for physics teaching. Six major deficiencies in the two laboratory handbooks are identified.…

In evaluating whether the laboratory guides for Project Physics and for PSSC are consistent with the goals of their designers in demonstrating the interplay between experiment and theory in the development of physics, a system was developed for analyzing physics laboratory investigations, and the laboratory activities in the "PSSC Physics…

Presented is a study designed to describe the characteristics, goals, and instructional strategies of high school science teachers in Israel. The study also attempted to identify factors which explain differences between teachers of different science content and provide explanations for the differential implementation of curricula in biology,…

This study, an extension of previous studies, compared the views of freshmen college biology, chemistry, and physics students (N=229) with those of high school seniors (N=437), focusing on: (1) interest in different high school topics; (2) nature of high school laboratory experiences; (3) use of innovative instructional strategies in high school;…

This book presents multiple assessment formats and strategies appropriate for inquiry activities for both indoor and outdoor education. Chapters 5-8 feature examples of disciplinary assessment practices for biology, chemistry, physics, and earth sciences. Other contents include: (1) "A Rationale for Assessment"; (2) "Developing New Assessment";…

Discusses how laboratory activities can match science teaching goals. Analysis of two commonly used laboratory investigations in high school physics and biology are presented using a list of 24 skills and behaviors which are related to the processes of scientific inquiry and problem solving. (HM)

Investigated are the reasons why eleventh-grade Israeli students intend to enroll for a biology, chemistry, or physics course. Topics, activities, motives, attitudes, and grades in the subjects in year 10 are used as predictor variables for correlational analysis. (YP)

This book presents assessment formats, strategies, models, and templates appropriate for learning outcomes in inquiry activities undertaken in the classroom and the laboratory as well as outdoors. The designs of these assessment formats and strategies are based on the most recent research on assessment, instruction, and learning, and include many…

A questionnaire was administered to first-year biology, physics and chemistry students in an Israeli university to assess their views on the nature of the contribution made by their high school courses to college achievement. Results indicate that high school curriculum influences attitudes, knowledge retention, expectations, and achievement in…

The relationships and possible effects of various personal home and school variables on the acquisition of functional biological, chemical, and physical scientific knowledge by tenth grade Israeli students (n=544) was investigated. Biology was the only subject in which functional knowledge was significantly related to nonformal science activities.…