Discusses problems reflecting the crisis in education, presenting general approaches for resolving the problems. Also discusses the California Earthquake Education Project (CALEEP), a program which provides education of current concern (including personal emergency preparedness) to the public. CALEEP activities are successful due to many social,…

Determined that graphic organizers are effective in increasing the achievement of sixth-grade (N=235) and seventh-grade (N=220) middle school students who used the organizers. Reasons why the graphic organizer enhances student learning and is an effective and practical teaching strategy are also discussed. (JN)

Investigated sex-related differences in science achievement from a science assessment project in British Columbia. Findings (obtained from students in grades 4, 8, and 12) confirm earlier findings that boys outscore girls on items testing understanding and application of scientific knowledge. No sex-related differences on process skills were…

Compares the effectiveness of interactive free choice learning experiences to and combined with the lecture-demonstration approach in teaching sixth-grade children (N=50) to criticize and control experiments. Results contradict Piagetian theory regarding the importance of interactive experiences and exposure to materials in fostering these…

Discusses five major objectives projected for science education based on current literature regarding science curriculum and development. Literature sources include "Small is Beautiful,""Education and the Spirit of Science," and the works of two curriculum developers, Theodore Brameld and Ralph Tyler. (CS)

Investigated was the status of the science attitude of elementary teachers in Trinidad and Tobago as measured by a Likert-type instrument. Six variables, which included the effects of gender difference, teaching level, school type attended, geographic location, and mathematics and science courses taken, were analyzed. (DS)

Describes the contributions of Anna Botsford Comstock to the development of elementary-school science. She played a major role as one of the developers of the nature-study program for children at Cornell University. Her biography and a list of her publications are also included. (HM)

Documents the patterns of coherence and persistence in energy conceptions. Describes the derivation of the Interview Vee technique and the procedure for putting an interview on the Vee. Discusses the production of Vee maps to help understand childrens' learning of concepts. (CW)

Examines childrens' (age 8-14) conceptions of shadow formation through interviews. Identifies "the trigger model" of shadows and finds that there are multiple roles that children attribute to light. (YP)

Compared is the modern science center and the traditional museum. The science center was evaluated through systematic observations which described visitors activities not as random manipulations, but as learning activities that lead to both enjoyment and understanding. (KR)

Described is the key teacher strategy for inservice compared to an all teacher strategy, in which inservice is given directly to all the target teachers. Student achievement in both situations is considered. (KR)

Summarizes the results of three related studies whose overall purpose was to determine elementary students' conceptions about earthquakes at two widely separated locations in the United States. Certain topics, such as the cause of earthquakes, seemed to cause difficulty for students. New definitional responses emerged in the studies that took…

The understandings of properties that children develop in the context of rock and mineral identification point to the challenges of observing in a manner authentic to the discipline of geology. The notebook entries of 34 third graders written during the enactment of a commercial unit on earth materials were investigated for their descriptions of…

Described is a pilot program initiated at Purdue University and designed to provide experiences for prospective elementary teachers in which scientific knowledge was presented in an inquiry manner. A goal of the project is a three-year escalating, prospective elementary-teacher involvement with elementary children. (Authors/PEB)

Reviews techniques available for measuring student skills with the processes of science at the elementary and secondary levels. (SL)