With creativity and innovation, environmental educators have begun wielding the ever increasing power of computers to promote and enhance environmental education. These pioneering programs and applications are the focus of this publication. This monograph is a sampling of the potential, problems and promises of this field. The four major content…

Many feel that an advantage to using computer simulations in science teaching is that they give students the opportunity to witness or perform experiments which might otherwise be too expensive, time consuming, or dangerous for them to do. Simulations attempt to mimic the kind of experience students get in a laboratory and help students learn new…

Policy documents in the past have called for a science education policy which specifically targets major areas of identified need. This document details three recommendations specifically emphasizing programs which do not require significant new funds. These include: (1) "Federal Leadership: Using the 'Bully Pulpit'," which suggests priorities for…

Argues that the failure of modern courses to achieve their declared goals in relation to children's understanding of science has two causes, namely teachers views about the nature of science, and a degree of confusion in the philosophical stance implicit in many science curricula. Presents a philosophical model for curricula. (CW)

Surveys the current status of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Discusses intelligent tutoring systems, robotics, and applications for educators. Likens the status of AI at present to that of aviation in the very early 1900s. States that educators need to be involved in future debates concerning AI. (CW)

The dialogical relationship between Confucianism and Taoism serves as a framework for examining the interplay between learning as socioculturally mediated activity and critical reflection in preservice teacher education. Article highlights a summer elementary school science program that involves preservice teachers, university faculty, and a local…

Investigates superintendents' needs in mathematics and science instruction. Used was a Likert-type questionnaire covering teacher quality, teacher supply, minority access, materials and equipment, and curriculum for non-academic students. A follow-up telephone survey examined the types of materials and equipment most needed. (YP)

This document traces the history of Japanese education since World War II and explains how the Japanese educational system operates today. Included in the discussion is information about: (1) the 1947 Fundamental Law of Education (which called for equal educational opportunities and compulsory education for nine years); (2) the development of the…

This paper attempts to explore how developing nations can best respond to the request of the United Nations General Assembly to examine their ongoing programs and policies for environmental impact, and to report regularly to the General Assembly on the progress being made towards the objectives of "environmentally sound and sustainable…

Questions of ethics and social responsibility are considered by many to be important issues in science education. Teachers are being exposed to the difficult task of dealing with global problems and values. This book contains papers which deal with this apparent dilemma, raising questions about the responsibilities of science educators in the…

Science education has received increasing attention during the 1980s in both professional and public forums. This paper addresses three questions having to do with science teaching. The first question concerns student learning in science classes. The document proposes that science achievement is generally disappointing, especially if student…

The Task Force on Women, Minorities, and the Handicapped in Science and Technology was established by the U.S. Congress in Public Law 99-383 with the purpose of developing a long-range plan for broadening participation in science and engineering. Public hearings were held in Albuquerque (New Mexico), Atlanta (Georgia), Baltimore (Maryland), Boston…

Ten examples of innovative and outstanding middle school/junior high science programs are described. These programs were selected using state criteria and at least four independent reviewers. While Project Synthesis offered a desired state, these examples of excellence provided views of what is already a reality. The goals of an exemplary science…

Students make many choices over a long period, and choose a career through a complicated process. This process includes formal instruction in mathematics and science, and the opportunity for informal education in museums, science centers, and recreational programs. The influence of family, teachers, peers, and the electronic media can make an…

This paper outlines the rationale and basic design for the development of a state-based network for improving indicators of precollege science and mathematics education. The historical background for improving the indicators of the federal and state levels are described. Five elements of a conceptual framework for the network are discussed. These…