Competencies for designing and evaluating scientific inquiries are a key emphasis in national curriculums worldwide and a focus of international large-scale assessment. Teachers globally are encouraged to provide learning opportunities for their students to explore and practice asking and conducting researchable questions. This study focused on…

Science curriculum and pedagogy offer ideal avenues for teaching young people the critical thinking skills they need to live in a post-truth world. Drawing on the theory of epistemic cognition, we present a selection of research-based pedagogies that have been shown to be effective in developing school students' understanding of knowledge and how…

This paper offers a conceptually novel contribution to the understanding of the distinctive governance challenges arising from the increasing reliance on formalized knowledge in the governance of research activities. It uses the current Australian research governance system as an example--a system which exhibits a comparatively strong degree of…

This article is the guest editors' introduction to the special issue "Language in Epistemic Access: Mobilising Multilingualism and Literacy Development for More Equitable Education in South Africa". The issue offers complementary perspectives on improving epistemic access for all learners but especially those whose home language does not…

This article reports on two research projects (one in Malaysia and one in Australia) that studied the experiences of Islamic background learners studying western science. Conceptually, this research program is conducted within a socially constructivist discourse and employs both quantitative and qualitative forms of data collection. The article…

In this article, the author describes his intellectual growing-up and how Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (PESA) entered into his intellectual frame and became more prominent in his philosophical-educational world. He states that for someone who set out to be a classroom science teacher, he has been inordinately fortunate in, so to…

Describes extent to which the conflicting ideas of Popper and Kuhn on the nature of science and scientific progress have penetrated South Australian educational system as evidenced by responses to a questionnaire provided by 300 faculty/students from two South Australian universities. (Author/SK)

The interest in making science and technology more relevant and more accessible to all secondary students in Australia is discussed, focusing on some of the difficulties anticipated in taking such an approach. (MSE)

Recounts an experience of developing a new course for school physics in the state of Victoria in Australia at the end of the 1980s. Represents a significant departure from traditional physics courses and was intended to broaden participation and improve the quality of student learning. Explores the reasons for this outcome. (Contains 55…

Analyzed metaphors used by science teachers in their classroom discourse and their influence on the image of science constructed by students. The use of role-determining objectivist metaphors signifies teachers' pedagogies being governed by an objectivist epistemology. Teachers need to reflect critically on their use of metaphors to develop a…

The paper identifies possible factors associated with changes in style and presentation of diagrams of lunar phases and eclipses in school textbooks and other resources. Science curriculum resource materials used extensively during the past two hundred and fifty years in North America and Australia provide insights into teaching and learning of…

Describes a study of a range of challenging activities centered on evaporation and condensation done with elementary school children. Analyzes children's explanations in light of the existing literature. Finds that older children display a surer sense of ontological categories, greater epistemological sophistication, greater precision in language…

The calls for the transformation of how science is taught (and what is taught) are numerous and show no sign of abating. Common amongst these calls is the need to shift from the traditional teaching and learning towards a model that represents the social constructivist epistemology. These calls have coincided with the Internet revolution. Through…

Reviews literature in the field of science education that aids in the mapping of the interface between language and science. Lists six categories of disputes regarding the status and value of science and scientific ideas. Contains 181 references. (DDR)

Describes initiatives such as project-based learning, student-generated examinations, and peer assessment that have been implemented at Queensland University of Technology to prepare graduates for professional practice and equip students with attributes for lifelong learning. Also states that assessment procedures should promote and reward the…