Researchers and policy makers often use the metaphor of an ever-narrowing pipeline to describe the trajectory to a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) degree or career. This study interrogates the appropriateness of the STEM pipeline as the dominant frame for understanding and making policies related to STEM career trajectories.…

This review examines 105 empirical studies that investigate students' views of the nature of science (VNOS), effects of curricular interventions on changing students' VNOS, and relations between VNOS and demographics, majors, and learning of science. The reviewed studies can be categorized into three theoretical frameworks: the unidimension, the…

In this position paper, we examine the science teaching orientation component of the S. Magnusson, J. Krajcik, and H. Borko (1999) pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) model for science teaching. We trace the origin of the construct in the literature, identifying multiple definitions that have lead to ambiguity. After examining published studies…

Theoretical and empirical research on argument and argumentation in science education has intensified over the last two decades. The term argument in this review refers to the artifacts that a student or a group of students create when asked to articulate and justify claims or explanations whereas the term argumentation refers to the process of…

Models and modeling are a major issue in science studies and in science education. In addressing such an issue, we first propose an epistemological discussion based on the works of Cartwright (1983, 1999), Fleck (1935/1979), and Hacking (1983). This leads us to emphasize the transitions between the abstract and the concrete in the modeling…

Argumentation has become an increasingly recognized focus for science instruction--as a learning process, as an outcome associated with the appropriation of scientific discourse, and as a window onto the epistemic work of science. Only a small set of theoretical conceptualizations of argumentation have been deployed and investigated in science…

When lecturing, teachers make use of both verbal and nonverbal communication. What is called teaching, therefore, involves not only the words and sentences a teacher utters and writes on the board during a lesson, but also all the hands/arms gestures, body movements, and facial expressions a teacher "performs" in the classroom. All of these…

Context-based and science-technology-society (STS) approaches to teaching science in high school have become widely used over the past two decades. They aspire to foster more positive attitudes to science while, at the same time, provide a sound basis of scientific understanding for further study. This paper reviews the detailed research evidence…

The article grapples with the question of how much curriculum change is appropriate in a given context and in a given time frame. How can a balance be struck between stagnation, on the one hand, and the promotion of unrealistic innovation on the other? In answer to this dilemma, the concept of a zone of feasible innovation (ZFI) is proposed and…

Contemporary assessment practices in science education have undergone significant changes in recent decades. The basis for these changes and the resulting new assessment practices are the subject of this two-part paper. Part 1 considers the basis of assessment that, more than 25 years ago, was driven by the assumptions of decomposability and…

Analyzes the science frameworks of 49 states and the District of Columbia to determine the emphasis given to evolution in these documents at the middle and secondary levels. Collectively, the 50 frameworks emphasized evolution in a manner that suggests that if the public's support for standards-based curricula is a reality, the study of evolution…

Reviews the published literature in English on scientific literacy. Discusses the history and various factors that influence interpretations of the concept. (Contains 106 references.) (Author/WRM)

Explores many of the experiences that Black Americans have in science education in the United States and proposes changes so that Black Americans have an equitable opportunity to engage in and learn quality science. Suggestions include preparing multicultural science teachers, eliminating tracking in schools, equipping classes with science…

Explores the history and theoretical paradigms associated with writing to learn in science. Asserts that the unique features of writing in traditional scientific genres such as experiment, explanation, and report promote reflection and the production of new knowledge, especially through the formation of meaningful inferences for data. Recasts the…

Proposes four formulations of the commonplaces of science based on distinct views of the nature of science, and explores the consequences of each. Argues that although each formulation has strengths, some commonplaces prove more comprehensive than others in capturing the essence of science for the purposes of developing curriculum, educating…