A methodological weakness of recent studies on teacher shortages is the degree to which respondents in these surveys were removed from the school environment, and consequently from science and mathematics teacher hiring. An attempt was made to resolve this problem by assessing Illinois public school principals (grades 6 to 12) on science and…

The Science Teacher Inventory of Need (STIN) is an 83-item instrument which assesses science teachers' perceptions of their professional needs. Items on the STIN are organized under seven categories: (1) specifying objectives for science instruction; (2) diagnosing and evaluating learners for science instruction; (3) planning science instruction;…

Reports results of an inservice needs assessment on a random sample (N=929) of 4,965 Illinois science teachers in grades 6-12. Identifies 12 top inservice needs using the Moore Assessment Profile. Tables rank these needs and provide statistical analyses comparing chemistry teachers' (N=87) needs to all science teachers surveyed. (CS)

Data from 79 physics teachers are analyzed to determine: (1) what were the inservice needs identified by at least 65 percent of this group; and (2) if physics teachers' inservice needs differ from science teachers in general. The top 13 needs appeared consistent with recent efforts to make physics more humanistic. (MP)

Presents results from a secondary school science teacher needs assessment for the state of Illinois. The Moore Assessment Profile, developed specifically to identify the needs of secondary school science teachers, was used to survey a random sample of 4965 Illinois science teachers in grades 6-12. (CS)

Lists biology teachers' top 11 inservice needs, as revealed from a survey of Illinois science teachers (N=403). Compares needs of biology teachers (N=93) with those of science teachers in general. (CS)

Discusses studies done on science/technology/society (STS) education and lessons that may be drawn for teachers. Maintains that issue investigation and action-based units focusing on locally relevant and student-relevant issues are clearly supported and encouraged by STS research. (DB)

A learning cycle lesson consists of three phases: concept exploration, concept introduction, and concept application. Describes the application of the learning cycle model to the design of inservice and preservice teacher education curriculum. (MDH)

This study examined the impact of college general education science-technology-society (STS) and Physics courses on students' views about STS interactions. Two samples of convenience took part in the investigation, one consisting of 138 students enrolled in an STS course, and the other of 122 students enrolled in a physics course. Data were…

Reviews the initiatives taken by six states in promoting precollege Science, Technology, Society (STS) education. Discusses the exemplary efforts undertaken in Florida, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Washington, and Wisconsin. (ML)

Reports a study to determine the degree to which junior high school students (N=102) adhere to myth and fable, and what differences exist in the degree of adherence among subgroups established by sex and grade level. Findings indicated no adherence to either myth or fable. (DS)

Results of a study investigating the effects of three high school courses (science fiction literature course, biology course, and English composition course) on students' (N = 55) attitudes toward science indicated that none of the courses had a measurable effect when pretest scores were compared to posttest scores. (SK)

This study compares inservice (n=30) and preservice (n=30) earth and space science teachers on general mental abilities, content knowledge, Gagnean levels of content knowledge, and procedural knowledge in solving earth and space science problems. Results support Norman's theory of learning that inservice teachers function at the tuning mode of…

Discusses students' awareness of science/technology/society (STS) issues, the importance students assign to STS issues, and students' achievement in a genetics unit after infusing STS vignettes into class discussions. Recommendations are made on the use of STS vignettes by science teachers. (KR)

This study was part of a project to develop science and technology (STS) issue investigation and action materials with the potential for use across science and social studies classes at the secondary level. Special emphasis was given to learning teachers' perspectives on the development of a unit on the impact of pesticides on society. Seven areas…