Early experiences, extending throughout the school age years, often instill in the disabled student the idea that his or her role is one of passive observer in an active learning setting. Discusses specific in-class activities appropriate for science methods courses and science educator responsibilities. (LZ)

Describes a qualitative study in which eight elementary school teachers read research articles in children's science and were interviewed. Results fall in three categories: comments relating to the teachers' need to verify the findings of research reports, expressions of self-doubts and questions raised as teachers read the articles, and…

Describes a theory of metaphor and analogy and discusses its implications for enhancing teacher understanding of scientific inquiry and inquiry teaching at the elementary level. Discusses uses of analogy in classrooms: Scientific Theory, Learning Styles and Modes, Children's Ideas, Generative Teaching Strategies, Graphic Organizers, and…

Discusses teacher knowledge of nature of science. Asserts this is aspect of science content knowledge frequently neglected in teacher education. Differentiates between positivism and postpositivism. Describes textbook's role in fostering student misconceptions of nature of science. Suggests students be given chance to carry out their own…

Compares science preparation requirements of preservice elementary teachers with standards set by NSTA. Questionnaire was sent to 321 AACTE institutions. Most colleges do not require recommended 12 semester hours (18 quarter hours) of science, and only 20 percent of schools have science content courses designed for elementary education majors.…

Describes in-service course that used the learning cycle to involve teachers in consumption and production of science education literature. Students read and prepared summaries of NSTA journals, content journals, and research journals. Students developed their own article for publication. The process validates teaching ideas, promotes a sense of…

Provides guidelines for translating university science laboratories into middle school science activities. The need for guidelines is based on the authors' discovery that teachers teach what they were taught. Discusses six expected outcomes of middle school science activities: developing science concepts; practicing process skills; quantitative…

The importance of including multicultural education as a component of science teacher education programs is discussed. A definition of multicultural education, multicultural competencies of preservice science teachers, selected activities designed to focus on stereotyping, racism, classroom environment, and characteristics of a multicultural…

A mechanism for introducing elementary science methods students to the learning cycle and providing them with a technique for integrating the learning cycle approach with the use of elementary science textbooks is described. An example of a modified lesson, a publication list, a learning cycle checklist for students, and student perceptions…

A model for using an interviewing process that provides preservice teachers with an experiential base as they learn to value the importance of questioning, planning, and assessment is described. The process provides a method for determining what children know. A sample interviewing assignment and teacher perceptions of the process are included.…

Described are how invitations to inquiry have been used in presentations to effectively demonstrate and explain the notion of inquiry and its role in science teaching and how they can be used in teacher education. An initial segment of an invitation to inquiry script and a list of topics that have been used as invitations to inquiry are included.…

A list of reflective strategies that can be used in elementary science methods classes is presented and includes science education autobiography, critical incidents, reaction papers, scenarios, role playing/peer teaching, journal, instructor-student dialogue, and self-evaluation. The reflective approach to teacher education and science, a…

Critical background references on the problems related to comprehension of science text material, a conceptual framework on which to base instructional decisions, and some specific activities designed to enhance science reading comprehension are presented. (36 references) (KR)

Two inquiry-based teaching activities that are structured to cause cognitive disequilibrium and enable the student to alleviate the disequilibrium with the resultant equilibration at a higher cognitive level are presented. The first activity uses a Cartesian diver and the second a short film in which students are asked to determine the main idea…

A card exchange activity that can be used to draw students into consideration of the philosophy of science is described. Over 30 statements representing the categories of theoretical emphasis, empirical emphasis, antiscience view, scientism, and balanced view are included. (KR)