This article provides commentary on the five articles in this issue on large-scale interventions in science education for diverse student groups in varied educational settings. Using these articles as a point of departure, I discuss three challenges to science education research and practice. The first concerns the changed meaning of science…

In these days of the achievement gap, evidence-based practices, and accountability issues, Julie Allan's "Complicating, not explicating: Taking up philosophy in learning disability research" challenges everyone to think seriously about how well the field is meeting the mission of providing for the academic and social needs of students with…

In the ongoing national conversation about science education in America, there is a new consensus that people have entered a time of crisis in their relationship to the international scientific and engineering community. When the science committee of the House of Representatives asked the National Academies, the nation's leading scientific…

This article presents the authors' response to the commentaries on their article. They focus on two important issues raised by most of the reviewers: (a) the curricular dependence of the proposed learning progression and the daunting (twin) challenges of bringing about changes in curriculum and assessment and consolidating and validating the…

Discusses the importance of research and development in physics education and describes investigations on the effectiveness of some instructional strategies for physics teaching. (YDS)

Presents the views of Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale on various science issues. Major areas examined include: science policy goals; science education; adequate research and development funding; importance of research activities; role of science and technology in solving national problems; and other issues. (JN)

The author demonstrates that the interface between technology education and mathematics and science may be achieved through five different approaches: an innovation study approach, a systems study approach, a process study approach, a construction study approach, and a research and experimentation approach. (CT)

Discusses the need for the integration of scientific research and science education, graduate education in astronomy, the current status of federally funded research and education, and the impact of budget cuts on scientific research and education. (JRH)

Proposes that full automation is the best current option for the United States' manufacturing industries. Advocates increased use of electronics, robotics, and computers in the establishment of unmanned factories. Implications of this movement are examined in terms of labor, management, and the structure of the economy. (ML)

Research universities may pay for their share of research expenditures out of any unrestricted funds accounts including tuition. A subsidy of research by tuition cannot be ruled out and might contribute to the persistently higher tuition of research universities. Arguments for and against this view are offered. (PVD)

Presents an interview with R. Stanley Williams, director of Hewlett-Packard's basic research lab. Williams discusses the limits of silicon computing and the future of the computing industry. (WRM)

Without continued technical innovation and rapid conversion of these innovations to quality products and processes, America cannot remain a viable competitor in today's global markets. This volume contains five presentations at a symposium convened by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine,…

Reviews the status of high energy physics and the contributions resulting from research with particle accelerators. Supports the value of supercolliders and discusses its potential impact on scientific research. Also reviews and analyzes the basic components of the Standard Model. (ML)

Viewpoints are expressed about the Whitehead Biomedical Research Institute at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and possible conflict of interest issues. (SK)

Presents an interview with Jeff Hawkins, creator of the Palm Pilot technology. Hawkins discusses his interest in neurobiology and how it has shaped and will shape the technology he designs. (WRM)