The "community of inquiry" as formulated by C. S. Peirce is grounded in the notion of communities of discipline-based inquiry engaged in the construction of knowledge. The phrase "transforming the classroom into a community of inquiry" is commonly understood as a pedagogical activity with a philosophical focus to guide…

I respond to Zeyer and Roth's ("Cultural Studies of Science Education," 2009) paper on their use of interpretive repertoire analysis to explicate Swiss middle school students' dialogic responses to environmental issues. I focus on the strategy of interpretive repertoire analysis, making sense of the stance Zeyer and Roth take with this analysis by…

This webinar explored how the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) provide an instructional framework to support professional growth and inform teacher evaluation systems for science instruction. This Q&A addressed the questions participants had for Dr. Wilson and Jody Bintz following the webinar. The webinar recording and PowerPoint…

American science teachers in elementary and middle school face a dilemma as they prepare students for high school physics and advanced placement classes. The dilemma lies in ensuring that these students are equipped with the high-level science content they need to thrive in such classes. Aside from life sciences and chemistry sciences, how are our…

Discusses the importance of enthusiastic, knowledgeable teachers in teaching science to middle school students. Maintains that when teachers create environments that foster curiosity, encourage risk-taking, and involve students as co-learners, the textbook is included as a guide and resource with several other materials. Questions the notion that…

Examines level at which gender issues are addressed in middle school science classes. Argues that in the crucial area of science education, particularly for girls at the middle school level, "equal" rather than "equitable" as a dominant teacher attitude may be inadequate to ensure that gender imbalances are rectified. (SD)

Addresses the hypothesis that girls must receive advantaged treatment to achieve a level playing field in the area of science education. Expresses concern that: (1) the result of advantaged treatment is unknown; (2) too much emphasis is placed on the power of textbooks; and (3) too much emphasis is placed on sexism in science versus science in…

Argues that Chattin's criticism in fact illustrates the authors' stand that people are extremely uncomfortable with the idea of a proactive stance toward equity for groups that have traditionally held less than equal status. Addresses each concern, and reiterates that disadvantaged groups must now receive advantaged treatment to catch up. (SD)

Discusses methodological concerns raised by Kesidou and Roseman (2002) regarding textbook evaluations and the training of rating teams. (Contains 16 references.) (Author/YDS)

Responds to the comments of Holliday on the analysis of middle school science textbooks with regard to the methods used in the evaluation of curriculum materials. (Contains 22 references.) (Author/YDS)

Explains the importance of integrating bioethics into the science curriculum for student learning. Introduces a workshop designed for middle and high school science teachers teaching bioethics, its application to case studies, and how teachers can fit bioethics into their classroom. (YDS)

Explains the inquiry teaching strategy and how the learning process occurs with inquiry-based instruction. Discusses how teachers can facilitate the development of science understanding and maintain inquiry-oriented classrooms. (Contains 31 references.) (YDS)

In the sixth-grade science program at Peterson Middle School in Sunnyvale, California, grants and donated labor and materials were used to build a simulated space center. One of the capsules is devoted to growing vegetables hydroponically. Eighth-grade students serve as teaching assistants in the program, and biology and chemistry enrollments are…

The conflict between the standards for student learning in evolution and what students actually learn is highlighted. It is vital that standards be written so that the outlined goals are practically attainable, as are used to design the state tests, and the standards for each grade level are written to coincide with results from the educational…

From the start of the year, the author's goal is to teach his students to be metacognitive thinkers. This means that they will think about what they are doing during each step of the inquiry process. The author uses a variety of methods to enculturate students into using the thinking processes and developing the dispositions necessary for them to…