Theoretical perspectives and empirical research suggest that acceptance of evolution may be contingent upon what is evolving (e.g., plants vs. humans) and the scale of change (microevolution vs. macroevolution). The Inventory of Student Evolution Acceptance (I-SEA) is the only instrument designed to measure acceptance at different evolutionary…

Lack of time for teaching science in traditional classroom placements in the United States has led some science teacher educators to provide practice teaching time for elementary education students in informal science settings. The purposes of this study were to describe the culture of one science methods course taught in conjunction with a K-7…

Owing to their potential impact on students' cognitive and noncognitive outcomes, the negative attitudes toward science held by many elementary teachers are a critical issue that needs to be addressed. This study focuses on the science education of preservice elementary teachers with the goal of improving their attitudes "before" they…

This critical analysis examined research on evolution in the United States between the years 2000-2014, spanning early classroom implementation of the National Science Education Standards to current research findings. First, we sought to understand how the research literature published between 2000 and 2014 contributed to knowledge of evolution…

This 3-year longitudinal study explores the evolving beliefs of five prospective secondary science teachers in a university preparation program from recruitment through their first year in the classroom. As an interpretive qualitative study, data were collected through semistructured interviews and an array of artifacts. The data sources were used…

This paper reports on the findings of a case study that investigated the interaction of the agendas and practices of students, teachers, and zoo educators during a class field trip to a zoo. The study reports on findings of the analysis of two case classes of students and their perceptions of their learning experiences during the field trip. The…

This research examined the nature of parent-child conversations at an informal science education center housed in an active gravitational-wave observatory. Each of 20 parent-child dyads explored an interactive exhibit hall privately, without the distraction of other visitors. Parents employed a variety of strategies to support their children's…

Taking into consideration the characteristics of several types of attitude scales, a Thurstone-Chave type scale was developed and administered to secondary school pupils, university students, and science teachers. Comparisons were made between groups and correlations between scientific attitudes of secondary school pupils and achievement in…

Describes improvements and extensions made to a battery of the five attitude scales for science teaching to form a seven-scale Test of Science-Related Attitudes (TOSRA). (GA)

This article is the first of a four part series of a study of Canadian high-school graduates' views on science-technology-society (STS) topics. It describes the research scope and methodology and discusses research issues associated with use of the specially constructed survey instrument, Views on Science-Technology-Society (VOSTS). (ML)

This is the second article of a four part series of a study of Canadian high-school graduates' views on science-technology-society topics. It reports student perceptions of the interaction of science technology and society. Science and technology were viewed as a unified enterprise and their roles were indistinguishable. (ML)

Discusses in detail the rationale and construction of an instrument entitled "Test on Scientific Attitudes," and includes a copy of the cognitive component subtest. (MLH)

Reviews sociopsychological literature as a means of defining attitude. Several explicit subcomponents (key elements) of the attitude concept were generated. This composite definition was used to generate conceptually sound approaches to research design and attitude measurement in science education and, in particular, science teacher education. (JN)

Examines the role of affective behavioral objectives in science education. Includes a survey of what "affective" means from various perspectives. Defines "scientific attitudes" versus "attitudes to science" to clarify a conceptual framework for research. Presents problems with previous research and raises basic…

"Draw-A-Scientist Test" was administered to 4807 students (grades K-5) to determine age when children first develop distinct images of scientists. Also examined influence of population variables (socio-economic class, intelligence, sex, Anglophone/Francophone culture) on formation of the image and stereotype variations which may indicate…