Theoretical Foundations of Science & Science Education (original) (raw)

What Research Says to the Science Teacher, Volume 4

1982

This volume was conceived as a review of basic research in science education and as a discussion of what the research findings mean for K-12 science teachers. The eight reports presented represent different dimensions of science education. Each provides a review of a given dimension and/or a goal of science teaching and suggests ways that current knowledge might affect practice. Reports focus on: (1) a review of some major studies in instruction, with suggestions for applications to science/mathematics curricula (J. Stallings); (2) information-processing psychology and a brief description of a science project using its methodology (J. Larkin); (3) role of instruction in the development of problem-solving skills in science (R. Ronning and D. McCurdy); (4) developing creativity as a result of science instruction (J. Penick); (5) deriving classroom applications from Piaget's model of intellectual development (D. Phillips); (6) the development of an attentive public for science: implications for science teaching (A. Voelker); (7) factors affecting minority participation and success in science (J. Kahle); and (8) status of graduate science education: implications for science teachers (J. Gallagher and R. Yager). Brief summaries of each report and background information are provided in an introduction. A list of six actions by educators that would serve to implement the research findings and set new directions for science education is presented in an epilogue.

Developments in style and purpose of research on the learning of science

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1988

Recent years have seen a substantial growth in research that probes children's ideas about natural phenomena. This article places the research in a context that enables comprehension of how it informs and influences the practice of science education. To this end, past, present, and developing styles of research are discussed. The predominant style of past research was based on elaborate experimental designs and complex statistical analyses of data. Studies employing that style helped focus concern on questions about individual learning which the studies did not actually seek to answer, e.g., why does the learning resulting from a particular treatment vary between individuals? What is understanding and how can it be assessed? Such questions lie at the heart of current probing of children's ideas. Some issues of importance in the probing of children's ideas are considered, as are ways in which these issues have influenced the development of a current style of research. From this present context, developing styles in the research field are described. These focus particularly on research on the strategies used by learners, and on the continued growth of interaction between research and practice.

Priorities for research in science education: A study committee report

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1978

Education deals with what, why, and how persons learn a particular set of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Science education is the part of this learning that is concerned with persons learning "science." Because we are concerned with people learning, education is the important part of "science education." While learning occurs 'internally in each person, the setting for input and stimulation may be directed toward individuals or groups of various sizes. We may study people during their learning; we may also study teachers, the teaching process, and other aspects of the setting for learning. In science teaching our social responsibility is to cause some changes in the what, why, and how of science learning in the current population. We do research to assess our effectiveness in meeting this social responsibility.

A summary of research in science education — 1986. Part I

Science Education, 1988

This volume represents a compilation and organization of more than 400 research efforts reported in 1986. Its objective was to organize the research in such a way that studies or related topics are easy to access by practitioners or researchers. It is organized around four major sections that reflect the process of teaching, learning, and schooling including: (1) "Teaching and the Teacher" (studies of teacher attitudes, perceptions, practices, repertoires and performance); (2) "Learning and the Learner" (the nature of learning and characteristics of the learner); (3) "Curriculum and Instruction" (the nature of curricula, instructional variabloJs, and characteristics of exemplary science programs); and (4) "Instrument Development and Analysis" (efforts to develop and/or validate instruments to measure the process of teaching, learning and schooling). Each major section begins with an overview of the research summarized and a context for review, and ends with a reference list appropriate to.that section. No effort to conduct an in-depth analysis of each research area was made. A discussion of the significance of the studies and implication for practice and future research is included in each major section. Three imperatives that were noted were the need for research to have a greater impact upon classroom procedures, greater teacher interaction, and teacher collaboration on research teams. (CW)

A Summary of Research in Science Education--1989

1990

This summary of research in science education for 1989 is organized around 15 major themes. These themes are: (1) criteria and ethics; (2) achievement in science; (3) affect; (4) classroom interactions; (5) cognitive processes; (6) computers; (7) curriculum; (8) instruction; (9) legislation and policy; (10) misconceptions; (11) scientific literacy; (12) teachers; (13) tests and assessments; (14) textbooks and text comprehension; and (15) women and minorities in science. Each of these sections contains a summary of the research and comments. A critical analysis of the quality of the research has not been done because most of the material presented in the summary has gone through at least one level of peer review as a publication or paper. Dissertations were reported from the abstracts. A 338-item bibliography is included. (KR)

Journal of Research in Science Teaching Volume 36 Issue 2 (Production # 0313) Guest Editorial

In the February 1996 JRST editorial, Pekarek, Krockover, and Shepardson despaired over the lack of teachers' application of research in informing their day-to-day practice. We agree that such a theory -practice (or research -practice) gap by science teachers deserves their concern. We would like the research community to know that some practitioners are listening. Researchers calling for greater participation in action-research: please keep calling.