The effects of recent moves toward national testing regimes are being felt at the classroom level, where teachers feel compelled to "teach to the tests." Thus, they are now accountable in two ways: to students (and their understandings) and to the public and to the school boards (for improving overall student test scores). It is important to…

Over the years, teachers and school leaders have engaged in some form of training beyond their formal preservice, university preparation programs. Whether referred to as in-service training, professional day, or staff or professional development, this activity normally had one purpose: to improve participant's knowledge or skills. With limited…

Issues facing schools abound from No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. In science and mathematics teacher pre-service and in-service preparation, these issues are paramount for institutions of higher education, especially in terms of the definition of a "highly qualified" teacher. Within this paper, the authors discuss the science and…

Diminishing "standards" and "alignment" to overused buzzwords or superficial checklists masks the dire need for truly systematic and operational standards-based alignment in science education. In this article, the authors report the findings of an ongoing collaborative effort between cognitive researchers and urban science teachers to align…

Half-way through this first decade of the 21st century, educators are working diligently to ensure that all students learn and schools demonstrate annual yearly progress. Schools are scrambling to find ways to reach students who are struggling. Once again professional development is being seen as a major tool to support improved practice and to…

The early drafts of the National Science Education Standards (NSES) did not include any mention of staff development; it was not considered as part of the needed visions for changing school science. It was when the final draft was offered to the leadership in the National Academy of Sciences that a section on Staff Development was added in…

Metaphors are used as a typical way to negotiate and to describe people's everyday experience. In the classroom, teachers commonly employ metaphors to engage students and to make abstract ideas appear more concrete. In particular, metaphors provide an effective means to help visualize abstract ideas. The study reported in this article describes…

The issue of teachers' efficacy is of importance as teacher preparation programs throughout the world attempt to address shortages of qualified, competent teachers. In the field of science education, monitoring and reacting to the issue of efficacy seems to be one way in which teacher preparation programs are evaluating the structure of programs.…

This study examines the experiences and knowledge of students who are participating in a recruitment course in a secondary science, mathematics, and computer science teacher education program. It looks at students who are participating in a recruitment course in a secondary science, mathematics, and computer science teacher education program at a…

This article offers a detailed description and discussion of Project TIES, a professional development program that allows K-8 teachers to make the transition from a traditional classroom to one where technology is embedded and becomes an integral part of teaching and learning. Project TIES (Technology Integration Enhancing Science), a four-year…

This article deals with brain research. It discusses how a growing understanding of the way the brain functions offers new insights into the minds of students at all stages of development. Brain-based research deals with classroom-relevant concerns, such as sensory perception, attention, memory, and how emotions affect learning. The goals for…

A case is made that professional development activities in science, when designed as generic programs, can limit pathways individual teachers may take or even select to meet their specific professional development needs. Teacher professional development programs in science have consistently been designed to address system wide needs. These needs…

This paper presents suggestions for leaders in science education to assist in developing effective stakeholder groups contributing to the reform in science education. In this political climate initiatives to reform science teacher education and science education for students K-16 are expected to involve stakeholders from a variety of sectors in…

In this paper, the authors contend that professional development often focuses on, and advocates, a particular instructional strategy, such as the use of hands-on instruction. In the lessons observed in the "Inside the Classroom Study," however, it was found that instructional strategy did not determine lesson quality. Consequently, the authors…

The purpose of this study was to develop a picture of how preservice science teachers? instructional concerns changed during a yearlong science methods program spanning initial classroom observations through student teaching. Another goal of this study was to determine the teachers? ideas about inquiry teaching and the influence of their methods…