From a science perspective, inquiry-oriented instruction engages students in the investigative nature of science. Inquiry involves activity and skills, but the focus is on the active search for knowledge or understanding to satisfy a curiosity. This digest further describes the distinguishing features of inquiry-oriented science instruction and…

This ERIC Digest concerns the fundamental science process skills of measurement. One only has to glance around the home or workplace to realize that measurement is fundamental to everyday life. International tests and student scores on measurement, measurement and curriculum standards, student difficulties and misconceptions, the challenge to…

This summary of research developed by the ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education contains two main sections: Research on Teaching and Research on Learning. The first section contains subsections on Curriculum and Instruction, Science Teacher Education. Curriculum and Instruction, Cognition and Achievement, and…

Advances in science and technology, information in philosophy and psychology, and changes in society have placed different demands on science education than was the case in the 1960's. Post-Sputnik era curricula in science were organized to reflect the structure of the discipline and were aimed primarily at encouraging students to pursue science…

Presented are analytical abstracts, prepared by science educators, of four research studies classified as relating to science curricula, four studies about learning, and one study on the evaluation of an instrument designed to measure students' orientation toward science. Three of the curriculum studies each relate to a specific curriculum project…

This digest discusses the inclusion of "sustainability" concept in environmental education. Topics included are: (1) definiton of sustainability; (2) inclusion of the concept in the curriculum using interdisciplinary approaches; and (3) a list of instructional materials containing the concept at the elementary, secondary, and college…

This ERIC Digest investigates the earth and space science guidelines of the National Science Education Standards. These guidelines are frequently referred to as the earth system and include components such as plate tectonics, the water cycle, and the carbon cycle. This Digest describes the development of earth systems science and earth systems…

The 1982 Yearbook of the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science (AETS) is the second in a series of three AETS yearbooks in which Ralph Tyler's 1949 curriculum rationale is used to analyze science curriculum. This publication is focused on the secondary school science curriculum (the 1981 yearbook was concerned with teaching science…

This annotated bibliography provides sources for information on science education for the handicapped. Listings are provided of general references and also those dealing with research in the three areas of the visually impaired, the hearing impaired, and other handicapping conditions. (CS)

In 1986, a total of 11 different populations involving more than 1000 schools and more than 20,000 students participated in the Second IEA Science Study (SISS). This digest discusses findings related to curricular patterns and student outcomes. Ratings were done at grades 5, 9, and 12, to ensure that the achievement tests reflected the science…

There are many ways in which science can be made culturally relevant: archeoastronomy, mathematics, geology, ethnobotany, chemistry, and art can all be taught from a perspective celebrating the accomplishments of Mexican American and American Indian science and encouraging exploration. A culturally relevant curriculum provides teachers with…

Problem solving has long been a concern of science educators, with many asserting that problem solving should be both the overriding method and valued outcome of science instruction in American schools. This information bulletin synthesizes studies that deal with the relationships between the teaching of problem solving and secondary school…

This book, one of a series, focuses on science seen every day in homes and neighborhoods. The message of the series of books urges parents and children to spend time together, talk about stories, and learn together. The first part of each book presents stories appropriate for varying grade levels, both younger children and those in grades three…

Developed to highlight the interrelationships between and among science, technology, society, and the environment, this guide offers educators ideas and activities, and identifies resources for instruction at the elementary and secondary school level. Introductory comments explain and support the role and importance of environmental education in…

There are ways in which elementary teachers in general and rural elementary teachers in particular can overcome inadequate science preparation and can upgrade the science program resources of their small schools. Parents and children should be involved in obtaining free and inexpensive science-related materials throughout the year. These can be…