Teacher education programs have met with limited success in improving teachers' understanding of the nature of science (NOS). Research suggests that such efforts could be enhanced by addressing NOS in preservice teachers' science courses. We planned NOS instruction in a physical science content course for preservice elementary teachers. Our first…

This paper presents results from a study aimed at helping preservice elementary and middle school teachers incorporate model-centered scientific inquiry into their science teaching practices. Specifically, the authors studied the effect of using a guided inquiry and modeling instructional framework (EIMA) and accompanying science methods…

Curriculum analysis, modification, and enactment are core components of teacher practice. Beginning teachers rely heavily on curriculum materials that are often of poor quality to guide their practice. As a result, we argue that preservice teachers need to learn how to use curriculum materials for effective teaching. To address this concern, the…

This study explored preservice teachers' (n = 25) knowledge structures and their mastery of content knowledge in relation to their ability to diagnose the strengths and weaknesses of a fourth grader's videotaped explanations of a scientific phenomenon, i.e., molecular kinetic properties of air. Participants' knowledge structures were analyzed…

Describes and analyzes an action-research seminar for prospective elementary and secondary teachers in terms of how it facilitated prospective teachers' learning to teach for conceptual change. Contains 37 references. (Author/WRM)

Secondary science methods students' thinking on coteaching practice was studied for the development of conscious elements of practical teacher knowledge supporting the use of structured inquiry. Reflective dialogue on practice in an electronic forum was analyzed for elements of formal learning and biography (past and present) that informed…

Reform efforts in science education have focused on engaging students in authentic scientific practices. For these efforts to succeed, detailed articulations of scientific practice need to be linked to understandings of classroom practice. Here we characterize engagement in practice generally in terms of "3Rs": routines, roles, and…

In evaluating the success of teacher development programs, valid and scalable measures of teaching practice are needed. We have developed and validated the Science Lesson Plan Analysis Instrument (SLPAI) for quantitative evaluation of teacher-generated multiday lesson plans. This paper presents the SLPAI as a complement to surveys and classroom…

Reports on a study designed to document and interpret ways in which prospective teachers engage in pedagogical inquiries and use their findings as a basis for learning to teach courses on methods of teaching science in elementary schools. Suggests that these prospective elementary school teachers had prior knowledge of science learning and…

The purpose of this study was to understand how the professor, teaching assistant, and students experienced inquiry-based science instruction in an undergraduate physics course designed for elementary education majors. During the teaching of a 6-week electricity unit, the professor faced several challenges: knowing when and how to tell the…

One of a series (see SE 511 541 - 543) of articles dealing with views of individual science educators concerning the future of secondary school science education as exemplified by developments at the individual's college or university. Described in this paper is a program aimed at preparing science teachers for work in innercity schools. (PEB)

Delineates a rationale for the study of teacher beliefs about issues of culture and its impact on science teaching and learning. Asserts three major categories of teacher beliefs to examine for designing teacher education programs that aim to meet the challenges of increasingly culturally diverse classrooms. Discuss implications for science…

Presents a review of the literature concerning integrating the history and nature of science and technology in science and social studies curricula. Areas reviewed include the importance of these concepts in education, their place in the current curriculum, and efforts at integrating these concepts. (over 50 references) (PR)

Reports on a study designed to identify students whose attitudes had changed from negative to positive (i.e., attitude exchange had occurred) after participating in a one-semester elementary science education course, and to identify the course factors that were responsible. Identifies three main factors: (1) personal attributes of the tutor; (2)…

Presents a model science teacher education program developed from a consideration of exemplary science teacher characteristics. Advocates an increased emphasis on clinical experiences at a variety of levels. (GS)