The goal of the study was to compare how visual representations were integrated into the contents of the U.S. and Turkish textbooks used in life science. Data was collected from 6th, 7th, and 8th grade middle school topics common to both countries. Content analysis was used to analyse visual representations in textbooks. The visual representations…

This qualitative study examined the building of a beloved community in a seventh grade life science classroom while teaching and learning in a constricting institutional context (U.S. public school). Guided by a Critical Race Praxis for Educational Research lens (CRP-Ed), the findings demonstrated how building a beloved community while situated…

A student's middle school science experience strongly impacts their future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics interest. The Japanese lesson study (JLS) model strengthens the student's experience through a research-based, collaborative, multistep, teaching-centered process focused on transforming local instructional practices. The…

Teachers are highly reliant on textbooks for teaching. In the Republic of Korea, science textbooks help students to understand scientific terms through inquiry activities. However, there is a lack of analysis on whether the inquiry activities suggested in these textbooks appropriately cover the terms included in the main text. Therefore, this…

The choice of which language strategies to use in schools in Africa is the subject of much debate. In the Life Sciences, cultural issues associated with the use of biological terminology add to this debate. In our study, we examined the language choices made by Grade 7 Natural Sciences teachers in South Africa during their teaching of human…

In many countries around the world, there has been an increasing emphasis on improving science education. Recent reform efforts in the USA call for teachers to integrate scientific and engineering practices into science teaching; for example, science teachers are asked to provide learning experiences for students that apply crosscutting concepts…

The purpose of this design-based research case study was to apply a networked learning approach to a seventh grade science class at a public school in the southeastern United States. Students adapted Web applications to construct personal learning environments for in-depth scientific inquiry of poisonous and venomous life forms. API widgets were…

This study examined the mental models of the desert environment held by fourth- and seventh-grade students in the USA and whether those mental models could be affected by: (1) classroom field trips to a desert riparian preserve, and (2) interaction with family members at the same preserve. Results generally indicated that students in this study…

Reports on a year-long study implemented in grade seven life-science classes with the students' regular teacher serving as a teacher researcher. Results suggest that concept mapping may be useful in assessing declarative and procedural knowledge. Contains 43 references. (DDR)

This study attempted to determine which combinations of student, teacher, curricular, and task factors characterize effective life science instruction, where effectiveness is defined as the acquisition of scientific literacy. The framework of scientific literacy used includes five teacher behavior components: (1) explaining science content; (2)…

Eleven teachers of inclusive seventh-grade life science classes were trained to use a teaching routine that stressed finding and using mnemonic devices to enhance students' recall of information. Evaluation indicated that trained teachers who used the method and their students, especially students with learning disabilities, were better than…

Reports on a study of seventh-grade life science students who received Science-Technology-Society (STS) instruction in their life science classes (n=264) versus students who received only instruction in life science content (n=136). Finds that the model of STS instruction employed significantly increased students' participation in citizenship…

Two classroom case studies are used to investigate common concerns about the use and value of Science-Technology-Society (STS) themes as curriculum organizers. The author discusses the fear that a focus on STS may de-emphasize science concept learning in the overall curriculum, and suggests that this may be appropriate at the middle school level.…

The lessons of 11 seventh-grade life science teachers were observed to determine the extent to which they made linkages between science content and its societal, reasoning, historical, or attitudinal implications. Results indicate a gap between scientific literacy as a normative goal of science instruction and current teaching practice. (TJH)

Assessed the level of cognitive demand inherent in the manner in which students were held accountable for activities and tasks in seventh grade life science classes. Notes that most tasks placed minimal cognitive demand on students, as they involved copying or simple step-by-step procedures. (SKC)