Attempts to make explicit the recurrent tensions in debates about the purpose of science education and considers past frameworks for the aims of science education, arguing that no one element of the range of goals of science education should be over-emphasized at the expense of others. (Author/MM)

Focuses principally on the high school mathematics curriculum. Observes that it is, for most students, lifeless and ineffective. Proposes that the curriculum be implemented as a sequence of good examples designed to expose not content so much as method. (Author/MM)

Although science, technology, and society (STS) has been widely accepted as part of science curriculum policy, there is little evidence that it has made much impact on classroom practice, particularly in the academic stream of secondary schools. Suggests that supporters of STS should consider placing STS in occupational contexts in ways that would…

Describes the "A Question of Truth" exhibit at the Ontario Science Centre which examines several questions about the nature of science itself, how ideas are formed, and how cultural and political conditions affect the practice of science. Observation data indicate that science center visitors are interested in considering science and the…

Reports on a case study in which a high school teacher explored Multiple Intelligence (MI) theory using it as a conceptual framework to make decisions about structuring her grade 9 science curriculum. Describes the teacher's initial explorations of the theory, incorporation of the theory into daily teaching, and the outcomes of the study for both…

Provides a tentative framework for a new science curriculum. Draws on the work of John Dewey in stating that the principal task of public education, including science education, is the strengthening of democratic practice. Suggests a move away from curriculum wish lists and towards consensus documents such as the Benchmarks for Science Literacy…

Stresses a different non-traditional model of science: the looseness of the knowledge held, the idiosyncratic methods by which it is obtained, and the personal way in which it is used to solve problems. Further stresses the importance of tacit knowledge and the affective driving force. Argues for the inclusion of authentic science in school…

Draws on contemporary scholarship in the field of rhetoric and on recent research in science education conducted from a rhetorical perspective. Contends that such a perspective provides a useful insight into the aims and purposes of the science teacher. (Author/MM)

Explores some of the complexity of the influences that shape teacher practice in relation to teachers' theories, knowledge, and beliefs about the teaching of mathematics. Focuses on the relationships that exist between teachers' espoused theories and their theories-in-use. (Author/MM)

Would-be reformers in science education must focus on what appears to be a root cause of scientific illiteracy, namely a sort of "corporatist manifesto"--an unwritten ideology that transnational corporations use to control production and consumption to maximize profit. Suggests that this credo is manifested in take-for-granted practices such as…