Suggestions for instructional improvement are offered for science teachers in this compilation of research summaries on specific areas of science education. This series includes the articles: (1) "Improving Students' Understanding of the Nature of Science" (discussing the relationship between teachers and students conceptions of science and identifying the classroom variables related to changes in students conceptions of science); (2) "Selecting and Using Science Textbooks" (presenting research-based guidelines for selecting science textbooks); (3) "Sequencing Learning Activities in High School Chemistry and Physics: the Learning Cycle Approach" (reviewing the characteristics and advantages of the Piagetian developmental theory that divides instruction into three phases); (4)"Using Wait Time to Improve the Quality of Classroom Discussions" (reporting the effects of increases in the pauses, i.e., wait time, of teachers and students in classroom interaction); and (5) "Pupil Behavior and Motivation in Eighth Grade Science" (reporting possible factors related to achievement and student involvement in active learning). (ML)