In August, IES worked with the National Science Foundation and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to convene a technical working group to discuss research objectives related to college- and career-ready standards in English language arts and mathematics. Forty people (including researchers,…

On August 9, 2012, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) convened a meeting of researchers and U.S. Department of Education (ED) and IES staff to discuss recent advances in measuring teacher effectiveness. The objectives of the meeting were to: (1) Identify and discuss recent advances in the use of value-added models (VAMs) and student growth…

On August 9, 2012, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) convened a meeting of researchers and U.S. Department of Education (ED) and IES staff to discuss recent advances in measuring teacher effectiveness. The objectives of the meeting were to: (1) Identify and discuss recent advances in the use of value-added models (VAMs) and student growth…

In today's world, scientific literacy has become essential to full participation of citizens. Certainly, important components of scientific literacy include resource use and environmental quality. The 2006 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) centered on scientific literacy and included resources and environments as two contexts for…

Paul F-Brandwein was a visionary who looked at education broadly. He left us with an insightful view of the ecology of education in which he identified three ecological systems: school-family-community, postsecondary, and cultural. The first part of this lecture, by Dean B. Bennett, examines Brandwein's ideas related to environmental education and…

Argues that there is an urgent need to renew, expand, and diversify basic science education in schools. Calls for policy that endorses science education as an essential part of the general education of all young people at the primary and secondary levels, and claims that the public and private sectors must find the means to make this policy a…

Discusses the role of science education in light of the needs of developing countries. Presents the Early Learning Science Series for Africa (ELSSA) project as an example of a developing country's attempt to produce students who are scientifically and technologically literate. (WRM)

Summarizes theories of intelligence leading to Paul F-Brandewein's theory of the three-ring conception of giftedness and how that theory led to the development of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model. Explains how the Schoolwide Enrichment Model can be customized based on local resources, student population, school leadership dynamics, and faculty…

Reviews science education research over the past decades, examining trends in research and noting emphases and gaps in the coverage of science teaching and learning issues addressed by the research. Areas addressed include the content (antecedent conditions), transaction (interactions), and outcomes (results of instruction) for the domain of…

Discusses problems reflecting the crisis in education, presenting general approaches for resolving the problems. Also discusses the California Earthquake Education Project (CALEEP), a program which provides education of current concern (including personal emergency preparedness) to the public. CALEEP activities are successful due to many social,…

Propositions expressed by students during interviews prior to and after audiovisual instruction served as the basis for Concept Propositional Analysis (CPA) to assess cognitive structure. CPAs for two students are reported and aspects of Ausubelian principles are discussed. The method showed that new learning can be linked to previous…

Discusses reasons why good teaching of science is indispensible to the education of people to continue their quest for a more meaningful and more benevolent life. Areas explored include the role of science, misuses of science, and "science" in Verlikovsky's "Worlds in Collision" and Von Daniken's "Chariots of the Gods." (JN)

Tested the effectiveness of a program designed to teach children how to conduct and interpret a controlled experiment. Results indicate that the ability to control variables can be taught using the program (which consists of activities related to designing, building, and launching model rockets). (JN)

Addresses the power held by persons who construct curricula, teach, and do research from a frame of reference that includes definite purposes for and theories about science education. Suggests the purpose of science education as a discipline is to improve existing procedures and establish new and verified procedures for teaching science.…

Presents a philosophical analysis of the creation/evolution conflict in which a deliberate attempt is made to highlight its wider curricular dimension. Argues that literature on the conflict focuses primarily on questions concerning nature of science and avoids discussing of equally pressing curricular/instructional issues, particularly…