Technology is changing the way students interact with knowledge, and open-ended activities are one of the main types of tasks that students engage with in technology-rich environments. However, the amount of guidance needed to promote learning in these environments remains unknown. We explore this issue by focusing on the effects of step-by-step…

This dissertation explored the roles schools can play in the successful outcomes of large carnivore or keystone reintroduction projects. Schools are more than centers for knowledge acquisition--they connect their community and disseminate information quickly to a wide audience. This study took place in California's Eastern Sierra Nevada, a…

Although studies examining student understanding of key concepts are common throughout the science education literature, few have examined science concepts linked to conservation or environmental issues such as global warming and alternative energy. How students make sense of these complex concepts has the potential to influence their role as…

The study reported here investigated the impacts of participation in 4-H on young people's interest and participation in science. Survey data were collected from relatively large and ethnically diverse samples of elementary and high school-aged students in California. Results indicated that although elementary-grade 4-H members are not more…

Given California's role in the Pacific economy, its historic Asian heritage, and the strong and growing presence of Asian communities and businesses in the state, it is imperative that students statewide understand the history of Asia. Unfortunately, the California state curricular framework and standards in history and social science limit the…

The California history and social science standards-based reform has been touted as the "gold standard" for state history curricula. But the standards, framework, and tests that constitute this reform provide inconsistent and contradictory criteria for teaching and assessing history and social science. An examination of the political…

Presents a complete outline of the critical thinking skills taught in grades 3, 6, 8, 10, and 12. Categories are clarifying issues and terms, judging and utilizing information, and drawing conclusions. (JDH)

This paper describes how a university outreach program promotes academic achievement and identity development among culturally diverse tenth-grade students. The primary goal of the outreach program is to advance students' engagement and competency in mathematics and science learning. A secondary goal of the program is to promote the development of…

An investigation of biology matriculation tests in Israel was undertaken to assess the use of justifications with multiple-choice items and to compare the effect of three item formats on students' performance. More specifically, the study was designed to determine the: (1) extent to which justifications will differ if the correct answer is made…

Beginning in 2003, there will be no standardized or norm-referenced test in history-social science for California students. That test is being replaced by assessments at grades 8, 10, and 11 based on California History-Social Science (H-SS) Content Standards. The H-SS standards tests at grades 10 and 11 count for 20% of the Academic Performance…