This summary of research in science education for 1989 is organized around 15 major themes. These themes are: (1) criteria and ethics; (2) achievement in science; (3) affect; (4) classroom interactions; (5) cognitive processes; (6) computers; (7) curriculum; (8) instruction; (9) legislation and policy; (10) misconceptions; (11) scientific literacy; (12) teachers; (13) tests and assessments; (14) textbooks and text comprehension; and (15) women and minorities in science. Each of these sections contains a summary of the research and comments. A critical analysis of the quality of the research has not been done because most of the material presented in the summary has gone through at least one level of peer review as a publication or paper. Dissertations were reported from the abstracts. A 338-item bibliography is included. (KR)