Oral exams are a fruitful and practical alternative to written exams in small-enrolment Science classes. In an oral exam, the instructor can assess conceptual understanding, problem-solving, scientific communication skills, and a student's philosophy of science. In contrast, a written exam gives a much poorer picture of how students learn and…

Australia State of the Environment 2011 (SoE 2011) is a comprehensive review of the Australian environment, providing an independent and authoritative snapshot of the state of our continent. The report presents relevant and useful information to the public and decision makers to improve understanding of environmental issues and support better…

This activity is an example of a hands-on task designed to help children develop a scientific understanding of the concept of wind, use science inquiry skills and explain an everyday phenomenon.

Many experienced teachers make rolling out a science class appear to be easy. In reality, there is usually deep and complex thinking behind their practice. This knowledge is sometimes so intrinsic and part of their everyday practice, that it remains hidden and unexplored. This article presents data from a study that attempted to draw out such…

Climate change and its effects are likely to present challenging problems for future generations of young people. It is important for Australian students to understand the mechanisms and consequences of climate change. If students are to develop a sophisticated understanding, then science teachers need to be well-informed about climate change…

A teacher-researcher in a primary school setting surveyed the middle years' teachers of her school and those in the local science hub group, to determine their confidence and satisfaction levels in relation to teaching science. Her results confirm feelings of inadequacy and reluctance to teach Science, but also indicate ways that schools can…

The implementation of the Australian Curriculum: Science across the compulsory years of schooling (F-10) in most Australian states this year, requires science teachers to address the teaching of scientific argumentation in their classrooms. To attend to this challenge, we conducted an argumentation professional development program with practicing…

The prestigious BHP Billiton Science Teacher Awards are awarded annually to one teacher from each state of Australia. The awards recognise and value the time and effort that teachers give to the profession and to students conducting scientific research projects. This paper examines the Science Award scheme to identify the characteristics common to…

This paper draws on a study of the BHP Billiton Science Awards to explore the ways in which open investigation work occurs in schools. The research used interviews with teachers and students and state organisers to develop a picture of what happens on the ground in running student open investigations, and to trace how schools have built a culture…

The purpose of this study is to explore and describe the essence of pupils' experiences of motivation in school. The empirical material has been gathered in Sweden through self-reports and focus groups and analysed by means of an empirical phenomenological method. The research results show that two constituents--interest and progress--are…

In 2001, the Australian Science Teachers Association's (ASTA's) Golden Jubilee year, a special commemorative combined issue of the then "Australian Science Teachers' Journal" (ASTJ) and "Investigating" (Australian Primary and Junior Science Journal), charted ASTA's beginnings and growth, from a "loose affiliation of four state associations to one…

It is often claimed, by science teachers at least, that whatever else science teaching in the future will consist of, it will certainly be representative of all science in mood and temper even if not in data presented. It will be taught to all students at the primary and secondary levels, be they girls or boys, be they intelligent or…

Various socioscientific issues (SSIs) are emerging in today's science--and technology--dominant society, e.g. genetically modified organisms and global warming. To achieve the goal of scientific literacy, more and more science educators have devoted their attention to enhancing students' understanding of the multidimensional aspects of SSIs as…

Pseudoscience is a ubiquitous aspect of popular culture which constitutes a direct challenge to science, and by association, to science education. With the exception of politically influential pseudosciences trying to impose themselves on official curricula such as creationism, science education authorities and professional organisations seem…

From effective learning research, there is a general consensus that hands-on experiences help students to learn. The question that this paper seeks to answer is what it is about these activities that fosters student learning. In a review of the literature, three factors have been identified as making a significant contribution to this strategy's…