Suggests that the college placement and recruitment profession may be in a unique position to find and implement solutions to the severe and growing shortage of high school math and science teachers. Examines the reasons for teachers' dissatisfaction and suggests needed interventions, including financial support. (JAC)

Used data from the Baccalaureate and Beyond study to examine different paths to teaching grades 6-12 math and science taken by recent U.S. college graduates and differences in experiences and commitment toward teaching. Only 46.6 percent of new teachers were minimally qualified. Those with math or science certification were most likely to be…

The Georgia Job Analysis Questionnaire was administered in January 1987 to all certified mathematics and science personnel identified by the State Department of Education. Ratings of task statements by 1,384 science and 1,600 mathematics teachers indicated significant differences associated with racial and gender differences. (TJH)

Seeks to identify the differences that may exist between teachers' and research scientists' perceptions of the nature of science, scientific method, and related aspects of science education. Suggests that the differences recognized may be the result of three factors: (1) processes of teachers' construction of their knowledge about how children…

Compares preservice teachers' and scientists' ratings of the credibility of 31 information sources that teachers might draw upon in teaching science lessons. Discusses differences between elementary and secondary preservice teachers as well as implications for science teacher education and scientific literacy. (Author/LRW)

The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation sponsors rigorous summer residential institutes in math and science that reinvigorate secondary teachers and encourage lifelong learning. Laboratory and field experiences that model student-centered approaches allow teachers to develop strong content knowledge and research skills. Participants…

This article presents a comparison between the professional and curricular conceptions of two samples of secondary education science teachers in Spain, who differed in their years of teaching experience and in whether or not they had participated in a long-duration scientific-pedagogical refresher course. Using the data from their responses to a…

The purpose of this study was to answer the following questions: 1) How well prepared are chemistry teachers in terms of content and pedagogy, 2) What are chemistry teachers trying to accomplish in their teaching and what activities do they use to meet their objectives and 3) What are the barriers to effective chemistry teaching identified by…

This study focuses on a beginning secondary science teacher and his efforts to establish a learning community in a large metropolitan school district. During the study, the teacher was enrolled in an alternative teacher-certification program for returned Peace Corps volunteers. After teaching full-time during the day, participants attend…

The literature on teaching thinking reflects a major controversy which results from two distinctive theoretical views about the nature of thinking. One focuses on content of thinking and the other emphasizes skills involved in thinking. However, an attempt to understand practitioners' perceptions of these theories is generally absent in the…

This case study explores the relationship between one chemistry teacher's conceptions of teaching science and his teaching practice. The teacher, Mr. Corrigan, comments on the researchers' interpretations of his thinking and practice. Mr. Corrigan exhibited a high level of disciplinary knowledge and clear views on teaching, learning, and content.…

This report presents a statistical analysis of the frequency of teacher misassignment, with some emphasis on science, bilingual, and computer science teachers. The data were collected on the Public School Teachers Questionnaire, one of seven questionnaires in the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), developed by the National Center for Education…

To determine the impact of Summer Institutes on the professional activities and competence of the participants, a questionnaire was sent to 5,452 participants of 1970 Summer Institutes approximately 16 months after they had returned to their classrooms. Completed questionnaires were returned by 4,476 participants. Several demographic…

Just as high school science is more complex than it is at lower grade levels, so are the safety issues teachers face in their classes and labs. Reduce the risks to people and place with Investigating Safely, the third and most advanced and detailed volume in NSTA's unique series of safety guidebooks for science teachers. Some of the guides 11…

The 1993 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education, which involved approximately 6,000 teachers in grades 1-12, was designed to provide up-to-date information and to identify trends in the areas of teacher background and experience, curriculum and instruction, and the availability and use of instructional resources. Some questions…