In Wales the national curriculum programmes of study for key stages 1 to 4 are broadly similar to those of England, as is the current statutory assessment system, although pupils at key stage 1 no longer take national tests in science. At key stage 1, pupils' work is assessed by their teachers to provide an end-of-key-stage level. The statutory…

Sex differences in performance of year-11 British students in science are being explored in an ongoing study. Some early results and tentative conclusions are reported. Double award science was introduced in England to improve scientific literacy, to reduce sex imbalances in later science pursuits by females, and to encourage generally greater…

Reports on 18 months of action research that examined the effectiveness of using the history of science to promote British students' understanding of the nature of science. Both quantitative and interview data offer substantial evidence of a strategic movement away from serendipitous empiricism and toward an appreciation of the interactive nature…

Discussed are the Caribbean experiences with school-based assessment in science, considering the general education background against which the strategy was adopted, some school conditions that appeared to be critical to its implementation, and its apparent impact on the teaching and learning of science. (Author)

Discussed is the idea that students come into their lessons with already preformed notions for many basic astronomical events. Examples of students' responses during an astronomy lesson are included. Suggestions for uncovering students' alternative frameworks are presented. (KR)

Presents evidence that a limited range of scientific ideas are seen as essential by employers and tutors in higher education. Discusses the implications of noting employment and higher education needs for secondary science education. (DDR)

Discusses some crucial issues raised by the proposed national teacher-education curriculum in Great Britain. Considers what knowledge and understanding of science and science education teachers of primary and secondary science need upon entry to, and exit from, a teacher education program. (DDR)

Reviewed are the various purposes that discussion may serve for science education--for carrying out practical work, for interpreting results, and for understanding social issues. The importance of students contributing their own experiences to a discussion is discussed. (KR)

The idea of assessment driving the curriculum and the importance of assessing students constantly instead of using only standardized tests are discussed. Informal observations used by teachers as a way of assessing student progress is emphasized. The United Kingdom's National Curriculum assessment program are described. (KR)

Reports on a study that explores student perspectives on the transfer to A-level chemistry from GCSE chemistry. Explores the attitudes of groups of new A-level chemistry students at a sixth-form college. (DDR)

This paper deals with a required methods course, based on the national curriculum of science and technology for junior high schools. The course participants are pre-service teachers who study towards a B.Sc. degree in education in science and technology parallel to their studies in one of the faculties of sciences or engineering. Working in small…

Proposes that once the elements of procedural understanding have been explicitly defined, appropriate teaching strategies can then be used to enable student understanding. Argues that explicitly teaching these concepts may add rigor to GNVQ assignments. (DDR)

Summaries of the interim report of the working groups for mathematics and science are presented. Describes the list of attainment targets for science 5 to 16, assessment proposals, the attainment targets for technology 5 to 11, and a timetable. (YP)

Provided is a perspective on the teaching of a unit on the Earth in space. The themes to be found within the unit, approaches and resources that can be used for teaching and learning the subject, and some of the typical ideas that children hold about astronomical subjects are provided. (KR)

Survey results contrast teachers' (n=159) knowledge and understanding with the understanding levels expected by England's science National Curriculum. Teacher's understanding with respect to the concepts of force, energy, and changes in materials are discussed. (Contains 29 references.) (MDH)