The purposes of this study were to investigate students' conceptual learning outcomes and the effect of motivation on students' conceptual learning outcomes in two different contexts: a Web-based and a classroom-based instruction, which incorporated the Dual Situation Learning Model (DSLM). Nine classes of Grade eight students (N = 190) were…

Lack of confidence towards science is a major factor in the avoidance of teaching science at elementary school. This paper reports the results of a survey that asked 28 pre-service elementary teachers what they believed contributed to their confidence towards science and the teaching of science during a second year science unit where an holistic…

This article employs the concept of community to interpret teacher professional learning in the context of the school science department. Using the transcripts of staff meetings, lesson observations and the conversations of school administrators, the departmental community is examined in terms of three metaphors: subject, relationships and…

Introductory electromagnetism is a central part of undergraduate physics. Although there has been some research into student conceptions of electromagnetism, studies have been sparse and separated. This study sought to explore second year physics students' conceptions of electromagnetism, to investigate to what extent the results from the present…

The importance of argumentation in science education is outlined and the relatively low level of argumentation typically observed in classrooms in the UK is noted, along with possible reasons for this. The research sets out to determine the extent to which primary school pupils engage in argumentation and to characterise their arguments in primary…

A collaborative curriculum development project was set up to address the lack of good examples of teaching about ideas and evidence and the nature of science encountered by student teachers training to teach in the age range 11-16 in schools in England. Student and teacher-mentor pairs devised, taught and evaluated novel lessons and approaches.…

"School Innovation in Science" represents a model, developed through working with more than 200 Victorian schools, to improve science teaching and learning. SIS works at the level of the science team and the teacher, providing resources to challenge and support the change process. Its emphasis is on strategic planning supported by a…

As teachers' knowledge determines to a large extent how they respond to educational innovation, it is necessary for innovators to take this knowledge into account when implementing educational changes. This study aimed at identifying patterns in the content and the structure of science teachers' knowledge, at a point in time when they still had…

In the past several years a number of authors have suggested that science education could benefit from insights gained by research in the social studies of science that documents and theorises science as it is actually done. There currently exist two gaps in the literature. First, most research in science studies are concerned with the practices…

The aim of this study was to compare the achievement of prospective primary science teachers in a problem-based curriculum with those in a conventional primary science teacher preparation program with regard to success in learning about gases and developing positive attitudes towards chemistry. The subjects of the study were 101 first year…

With the growing emphasis on the development of scientific inquiry skills, there is a strong need for more research on students' ability to collect and interpret evidence. This paper calls attention to the notion of evidentiary competence that refers to the concepts and reasoning skills involved in the collection, organization, and interpretation…

A CD-ROM consisting of videos of two lessons by different teachers demonstrating exemplary science teaching was used to elicit, develop and track the changing conceptions of good science teaching of student teachers enrolled for the one-year Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) at several stages during the programme. It was found that the…

Results of various studies suggest that multimedia "case methods" (activities associated with case documentaries) have many benefits in university-based teacher education contexts. They can, for example, help to "bridge the gap" between perspectives and practices held by academic teacher educators and those held by student-teachers--who may adhere…

The main goal of this study is to understand the teacher's thoughts and action when he/she is immersed in the activity of teaching. To do so, it describes the procedures used to model two teachers' practice with respect to the topic of Plant Diversity. Starting from a consideration of the theoretical constructs of script, routine and…

The products of modern biotechnology processes such as genetic engineering, DNA testing and cloning will increasingly impact on society. It is essential that young people have a well-developed scientific understanding of biotechnology and associated processes so that they are able to contribute to public debate and make informed personal…