Reports on two inter-related studies that examined the use of non-traditional writing strategies within secondary school science classrooms. The first study involved Year 10 students who incorporated one letter writing experience into the learning sequence when studying genetics. The second study was with Year 9 students who used both a…

Positioning theory was used in my interpretation of the social interactions between Year 6 children during science activities. By examining the unproductive journey taken by students in one female dyad as they interacted with students in both mixed-gender and same-gender groups, it was possible to consider how gender, status, and power relations…

Based on key word counts from summaries in the ERIC database and article analysis of the 1975, 1985, and 1995 volumes of Research in Science Education, certain trends appear in the style of research in science education. Trends include the move from brief, controlled, laboratory-style experiments to lengthy observations and descriptions of…

Finds that collaborative group work among pre-service elementary teachers stimulated increased levels of discussion and fostered deeper conceptual understanding than did traditional instructional methods. Discusses implications for science education in Fiji and similar places. (Contains 37 references.) (Author/WRM)

The article is addressing how students reason about the origin and development of the universe. Students' own views as well as their descriptions of physical models are analysed. Data consists of written surveys, and interviews of a subset of the students. Most of the students relate to the Big Bang model when describing the origin of the…

Reports perceptions of (n=207) first-year physics students about how they should learn physics, what is intended they should learn, and what they believe to be the functions of the various teaching situations in which they are placed. Appendix includes questionnaire. (Author/MKR)

Investigates the relationship between students' views of the nature of scientific knowledge and their own learning of physics, and the evolution of this relationship over time. Uses two intensive case studies to illustrate students' views over time. Discusses the changes in students' views concerning the nature of scientific knowledge and the…

The Israeli high school biology curriculum comprises the Biomind program, in which students are engaged in an open inquiry learning process. The dynamic features of open inquiry often pose challenges to teachers in implementing the Biomind program. The current qualitative research shows that facilitating students in a dynamic open inquiry process…

There is movement in Australia towards requiring an initial degree for entry into teacher education programs in hopes of improving science teaching in primary schools. Upon entry into preservice education degree programs, Australian and Canadian student teachers were interviewed to determine whether first degrees influenced perceptions about…

Describes action research on the efficacy of problem-based learning using a hermeneutic dialectic methodology. Focuses on the emergence of students' critical-thinking skills, the relevance of science concepts taught, the interdisciplinary nature of the problems addressed, and the changing roles of the teacher and students. Reports that the course…

Explores the experiences of one teacher as she used the Internet on her own as a tool for changing her practice, and used it as part of a unit on nuclear chemistry. Suggests that reform by way of the Internet is complex and challenging and makes huge demands on teacher knowledge and time. (Contains 47 references.) (Author/YDS)

Studies career choice and retention of 19 secondary science education graduates using a biographical approach. Compares autobiographical papers written as preservice teachers and rewritten as career teachers for intrinsic reasons for vocational choice. Involves early vocation teachers and those who chose science teaching later in their higher…

Discusses some of the available frameworks for the pedagogical analysis of school science textbooks. Discusses three approaches to the analysis of science textbooks: the sociocognitive, the sociolinguistic, and the socioepistemic. Considers the relative merits of the third approach using some examples from Greek science textbooks. Contains 18…

Examines how chemistry/science textbooks from different countries and written at different levels of education deal with physical and chemical change. Results indicate that the ideas concerning the teaching and learning of physical and chemical change evident in textbooks are not complete and textbooks seldom justify the content they cover in…

Focuses on teachers' research in their own classrooms and how teachers make sense of what they see and hear during open-ended technology construction projects. Traces aspects of learning trajectory as a teacher researcher in a year 6 classroom and aspects of improved classroom outcomes. (Contains 41 references.) (Author/YDS)