The purposes of the Colorado Science Teaching Enhancement Program (CO-STEP) are to improve the background in science content and the instructional skills of teachers in grades four through six throughout Colorado and to support the implementation of effective instruction. A network of six Teacher Development Centers in Colorado coordinate teacher…

A growing body of evidence indicates that activity-based approaches to teaching science are more effective than traditional methods in producing a wide range of desirable student outcomes at all grade levels. The Elementary Science Education Institute (ESEI) was designed to train elementary science teachers in the use of hands-on science…

In an effort to improve the science education program in the Washington School District (Phoenix, Arizona) the school system focused its efforts in the 1983-84 school year on the development of an activity oriented laboratory science program for grades 4-6. This document describes the plan for implementing that program. The implementation…

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…

A group of scientists and science educators at Washington State University has developed and pilot tested an integrated physical science program designed for preservice elementary school teachers. This document includes the syllabus and class materials for the Astronomy block of the physical science courses developed by the group. Included are…

A group of scientists and science educators has developed and pilot tested an integrated physical science program designed for preservice elementary school teachers. This document includes the syllabus and class materials for the Physics block of the physical science courses developed by the group. Included are diagrams, lecture notes, homework…

A group of scientists and science educators of Washington State University has developed and pilot tested an integrated physical science program designed for preservice elementary school teachers. This document includes the syllabus and class materials for the Chemistry block of the physical science courses developed by the group. Included are…

A group of scientists and science educators at Washington State University has developed and pilot tested an integrated physical science program designed for preservice elementary school teachers. This document includes the syllabus and class materials for the Geology block of the physical science courses developed by the group. Included are…

Designed to assist science educators in improving preservice/inservice teacher education, this yearbook contains resources and ideas addressing the application of recent research into a format suitable for practitioners. The eight chapters comprising the document deal with: the history and philosophy of science; the psychosocial environment of the…

This report summarizes the characteristics of physics education in 12 countries: Argentina; Brazil; Canada; Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; Guatemala; Jamaica; Mexico; the United States; and Venezuela. An introductory chapter describes the goals of the Council on Inter-American Conferences on Physics Education, historical background,…

Policy documents in the past have called for a science education policy which specifically targets major areas of identified need. This document details three recommendations specifically emphasizing programs which do not require significant new funds. These include: (1) "Federal Leadership: Using the 'Bully Pulpit'," which suggests priorities for…

This guide is designed to provide a rationale and structure which can enable educational planners and decision makers in Kansas to develop and select science curricula. The content of the publication is intended to be used by administrators in charge of curriculum, departmental and district science chairpersons, and all teachers, citizens and…

The discrepancy between educators' expectations for inquiry behavior and the actual status of such behavior (teachers feeling more comfortable teaching facts and feeling ill-prepared to guide students in inquiry learning) prompted a quantitative assessment of the existing research (reported between 1965 and 1980 in doctoral dissertations and…

Results are presented of a 1977 survey of 257 Papua New Guinea science teachers on: (1) teacher qualifications; (2) teaching experience; (3) science periods taught per week; (4) other subjects taught by these teachers; (5) distribution of teaching time; (6) difficulties with the new science syllabus; (7) inservice needs; and (8) improvements in…

This book reviews the literature on effective science teaching, examining research from the United Kingdom and other countries. The studies included were those that made comparisons between two or more groups differing in science education experiences; those that involved upper elementary or lower secondary students; those that made comparisons in…