The purpose of this study was to redefine and validate science education curricular goals for grades K-12 in the 1980s. Goals were obtained through a survey of recent educational literature. The goals were then compiled into an instrument, Science Education Curricular Goals for Validation, which was mailed to 100 science educators for validation by ranking each of the goals on a 1-7 scale (with 1 being the least important and 7 being the most important). The science educators were randomly selected from the membership of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, an organization dedicated to research in science education with a United States membership of 582 as of October 1980. The sample of 100 science educators represented 17% of the total United States membership. Medians and ranks for each of the 17 goals were calculated and the additional goals suggested by respondents, organized with minimal editing, were reported. The results of the study indicated that, although there was some agreement on the initial 17 goals in the instrument, there was also considerable disagreement as evidenced by the suggestions from respondents of 41 additional goals. The highest goal was one dealing with the processes, concepts, principles, and generalizations of sciences. The lowest ranked goal was one dealing with the integration of the humanities and the sciences. In the additional 41 goals suggested by respondents, there were several that were in direct opposition to those in the original 17 or to those additionally suggested by respondents. It was concluded that considerable further research is needed before a cohesive set of science education curricular goals can be established.

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The value of educational television as a teaching aid has been proven in recent years. How best to use this new medium in the classroom in order to realize its full potentialities, is a question that requires further research. The present enquiry is an attempt to solve one aspect of this problem: whether the same teacher can be as effective in presenting a particular body of facts on television as he can be when directly teaching a class with whom he is unfamiliar. A solution to this problem would be of value to local educational authorities as well as to teachers who may be involved in its use. [...]

The purpose of this study is to explore and document the nature of children's participation in elementary school science in British Columbia, Canada. Using an ethnographic approach, extensive fieldnotes provide the foundation addressing the question "What is the activity of science in an elementary school?" Although current science curriculum documents continue to cast science at school as a possible mirror of science in the 'real' world, this is a thesis about elementary school science and a community of inquiry that evolves at school. Instead of separating process and content, this thesis emphasizes their co-emergence. Drawing upon sociocultural and enactivist perspectives, the focus is on learning and context, learner and content as they co-evolve. This study was conducted in one elementary class at the intermediate level (Grade 6/7) across one school year. The teacher and I collaborated to plan and teach science with a focus on creating opportunities for children to participate. Children embarked on three extensive science adventures with their teacher, working in teams of four or five and learning as a community of inquiry. Using audio taped records of children's and the teacher's comments, children's creations, as well as my fieldnotes, I construct a narrative of one year of school science. Researcher, children, and teacher describe what it means to participate in a diversity of ways and, if we wish to understand how children learn science it is important to listen. Data analysis reveals the importance of contexts for participation in elementary school science. In particular, I identify "spaces of inquiry" that afforded students diverse opportunities to participate with science content in a community of inquiry. They are generative spaces, rehearsal spaces, and performative spaces. Spaces of inquiry are important because they provide an alternative way to think about learning and teaching science, they provide opportunities for designing collaborative group work, and they challenge educators to consider children's contributions to their science learning. Overall, this ethnographic study illustrates a dynamic interdependence of learners and their environment in this open-ended, creative adventure in and through school science.

Research indicates that conceptual knowledge and abstract thinking was deficient in South African learners (TIMMS, 1999, 2003; Gower 2008). The general poor performance of learners in Reading, Mathematics and Science has spurred the Department of Education to conduct a campaign to boost learner performances in these learning areas. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

The aim of this study was to evaluate a distance education programme and materials called 'Into Science', designed by the Open University in the United Kingdom. The perceptions of selected KwaZulu-Natal college students taking the course were used for this evaluation. The trialling took place in three KwaZulu-Natal colleges of education from February to June 1997. 120 students were involved, mostly year 3 primary teacher diploma students. Students' and lecturers' views were obtained through the use of oPen-ended questionnaires, 5 point Likert type questionnaires, focus group interviews, individual interviews with lecturers/tutors and participant observation during the tutorial sessions. The results show that 'Into Science' materials can be used for South African students, but with some recommended modifications. The language used in 'Into Science' was not a problem for most of the students who took part in the trialling; students' reactions to the materials and course were very positive; their confidence in handling the subject matter increased markedly; most students did not read everything contained in the study materials in the time specified; students did not say that their learning styles changed as a result ofusing these materials; students placed a low value on the practicals; the earth sciences is not recognised as one of the fields in science; lecturers had low expectations of their students; and finally, students and tutors or course providers will need extensive support in a variety of ways in order for the course to run successfully and to achieve desired outcomes in South Africa. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.

The original aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a teaching approach based on the Means of Assisting Performance (MAP) by Tharp and Gallimore (1988) in the teaching of science to Grade 5 (Standard three) level. The basic method was to compare performance of three Grade 5 classes using pretest and post-test. One class (Grade SA) was taught for three weeks using an intervention programme which was based on the MAP teaching approach. A second class (Grade 58), received a teaching approach which was based on a "traditional teaching" technique. 80th classes were taught by the researcher. A 3rd class (Grade Se) was not taught by the researcher and this class was included in order to measure test effect. The information obtained from these tests was supplemented by qualitative observation of the pupils at work, interviews with teachers and pupils at the school. A general science topic (soil) was chosen with a focus on proportional reasoning skills. Because of the difficulties which arose, the study concentrated on investigating the skill level which learners demonstrated when answering questions on proportional relationships in Grade 5 at Khwezi Primary, and looking at strategies that learners at this level of development use in solving proportional problems. The results obtained in this study suggest the following. (i) Learners tested in this study showed a low-level use of the intuitive skills which are needed in laying the necessary foundation for the development of advanced proportional reasoning abilities. (ii) The strategies which were used by the learners tested were those referred to as incomplete, qualitative, and additive strategies as well as guessing. (iii) Strategies used by the learners tested in this study were similar to the strategies used by similar learners tested by other researchers in other parts of the world. The intervention was short, and no substantial gains in the skill of proportional relationships were observed. The teaching methodology based on MAP brought about changes to the learning styles of the learners. Learners were not just recipients of information but were active role players in the learning process. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.