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;…

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)

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)

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)

The study investigated the extent of process skill achievement among a sample of recent Malaysian high school graduates, and the relationship of these scores to science scores. Among the conclusions is that the science tests placed little emphasis on the assessment of process skills. (MNS)

Seven checklists were developed to provide precise feedback to students on their teaching performance during secondary science methods microteaching sessions. These checklists measure performance related to: (1) lesson plans; (2) communications skills; (3) generic teaching; (4) concept demonstration; (5) manipulative skills; (6)…

Support for science instruction has been increasing in Jordanian schools within the past two decades. Science is studied throughout all three levels of schooling. Corresponding with this growth in science education are improved programs for science teacher training. Inservice programs are offered to raise levels of teacher competence and…

Reports on the development and validation of an inventory designed to identify the needs of science teachers in developing nations, particularly the Arab countries. The instrument, Science Teacher Inventory of Need, consists of 83 items arranged under seven categories. (JN)

Determined degree to which Malaysian biology teachers (N=26) perceived they understood and used inquiry teaching. Data indicated that these teachers perceived they had a moderate amount of knowledge about inquiry and occasionally used the 21 inquiry-related behaviors assessed by "A Generic Problem Solving (Inquiry) Model" (Hungerford,…

The purpose of this study was to characterize high school chemistry students' (n=42) ability to make translations between three representations of the structure of matter, and to determine the degree to which the students' ability to make these translations is related to reasoning ability, spatial reasoning ability, gender, and specific knowledge…

Interviews of (n=10) science coordinators about their views of science/technology/society (STS) education found that, although they saw the value and need to integrate STS into science, they saw academic preparation as the only goal for academic high school science courses. (21 references) (MKR)

Six sixth-grade science textbooks were examined for conceptual structure and readability. Hierarchical concept maps were composed on text segments for chosen topics and maps were scored. Reading analyses were also computed. Two trends were visually but not statistically evident. The Fry readability scores were higher than sixth grade, but no…

Reports on a study of seventh-grade life science students who received Science-Technology-Society (STS) instruction in their life science classes (n=264) versus students who received only instruction in life science content (n=136). Finds that the model of STS instruction employed significantly increased students' participation in citizenship…

Results of a multiple choice instrument, (sample of convenience, n=45 education students), indicate that preservice and inservice science teachers had similar views. Views are classified as "Naive,""Has Merit," and "Realistic." The majority (79%) of the inservice teachers and the largest percentage of the preservice…