Proposes that content- or skill-based labs can be revised to explicitly involve the scientific method by asking students to propose hypotheses before making observations. Students' self-assessment showed they felt that they learned a great deal from this style of labs and found the labs to be fun; however, students felt that they learned little…

Suggests that instructors can foster the growth of thinking skills and promote science literacy by incorporating active learning strategies into the classroom. Describes situations in which a variety of learning strategies were incorporated into large earth science courses for non-majors. Improvements in student achievement, retention, and logical…

Describes using the evolution-creation controversy to introduce students to the scientific method by having them write a paper that summarizes arguments used by those who took a viewpoint opposite their own. Results indicate that most students learned about the controversy, focused their views on where they stood, and valued the learning…

Investigates the effectiveness of inquiry-based teaching modules for instructing high school physics students. All modules were in accordance with the South Carolina High School Science standards. Results indicate a significant increase in knowledge level as shown as the difference score between pre- and post-test results. (Author/NB)

Regards Student-Scientist Partnerships (SSPs) as beneficial collaborations for both students and researchers. Introduces the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI), which developed and pilot tested an SSP that involved grade 4-9 students in paleontological research on Devonian marine fossil assemblages. Reports formative data assessment and…

Presents the Collaboration to Advance Teaching Technology and Science (CATIS) Program that supports a variety of partnerships bringing faculty and students at the university level together with K-12 teachers and their students to promote research projects as well as inquiry science and mathematics lessons. Discusses the impact of the program on…

Suggests an integrated approach to make science teaching and learning more effective, interesting and motivating to students. Argues that team teaching by physics and geology departments enables students to learn concepts and principles of physics and apply them to solve geological problems facing the local community. Reports that a typical…

Reports on the development of a program preparing graduate students to teach in the School of Oceanography, University of Washington, in response to repeated graduate student complaints about the lack of a program. Describes the program which is based on surveys of groups affected by the program and research on teaching assistant preparation,…

Reports on a one semester course, "Earth Systems Science for Educators" designed to use an active learning approach to improve student knowledge of basic Earth science concepts. Reports that, based on pre- and post-course assessments of 108 elementary and middle-level education majors who took the class from 1998 to 2000, there was an average…

Introduces the concepts and terminology of qualitative research methodologies in the context of science education. Discusses interviewing, observing, validity, reliability, and confirmability. (Author/MM)

Investigates student learning that occurred with a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based module on plate tectonics and geologic hazards. Examines factors in the design and implementation of the materials that impacted student learning. Reports positive correlations between student' spatial ability and performance. Includes 17 references.…

Studies the reuse of educational materials in the context of the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE). Suggests that the 'findability' and reusability of community-created digital educational resources is highly dependent on the presentational and structural design of the resources themselves. Includes 15 references. (Author/YDS)

Analyzes narrative essays--stories of rock formation--written by pre-service elementary school teachers. Reports startling misconceptions among preservice teachers on pebbles that grow, human involvement in rock formation, and sedimentary rocks forming as puddles as dry up, even though these students had completed a college level course on Earth…

Presents the methods and results of an assessment of students' scientific writing. Studies an introductory oceanography course in a large public university that used an interactive CD-ROM, "Our Dynamic Planet". Analyzes the quality of students' written arguments by using a grading rubric and an argumentation analysis model. Includes 18 references.…

Points out that constructivist approach to science education is recognized as a valuable approach for building deep student understanding of scientific content and inquiry. Introduces a constructivist approach in two teacher training courses in the Spring 2000 semester and assessed their resulting content knowledge with examination-based…