Research states that elementary educators do not possess the adequate pedagogical content knowledge necessary to teach science effectively (Baumgartner, 2010; Lewis, 2017) The purpose of this mixed method study that took place at a public land-grant university in a large metropolitan city in the southern area of the United States was to gather the…

Business leaders in Tennessee cannot find the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent they need to stay competitive. Students' lagging performance in K-12 is a critical reason why. The good news is that the nation's most effective STEM education programs can help turn the tide. Students have made progress in math over the…

To improve elementary science instruction in rural and small schools, the University of Tennessee at Martin developed a successful research-based model for inservice teacher education that included teacher developed curricular materials, multidisciplinary content, hands-on science instruction, local team leadership development, and joint training…

To study the perceived needs of the rural science teacher a random sampling of rural and non-rural Tennessee teachers (200) responded to a survey which addressed several areas of concern. This paper deals only with questions concerning microcomputer use--the availability of computers for teachers' use, frequency of student computer use, frequency…

In a sweeping effort to improve science education in Tennessee, a new curriculum framework was developed that mandated "hands-on" experiences for students, beginning in kindergarten. To smooth out problems in elementary science instruction arising from the mandate, the Center of Excellence for the Enrichment of Science and Mathematics…