Science education reform: Building on the research base

Abstract

Those concerned with science education are united in calling for reform, yet divided in specifying the nature of this reform. Several recent conferences (Gardner et al., 1990; Linn, 1987b; Shymansky & Kyle, 1992) have focused on reform as a joint collaborative process involving experts in cognition, science education, precollege teaching, the subject matter disciplines, teacher preparation, and curriculum design. This article (a) contrasts several perspectives on science education reform by examining recommendations for introductory science courses, (b) identifies research findings that can guide reform, (c) discusses the impact of research on national precollege curriculum reform, and (d) offers a set of recommendations to guide research and practice concerned with science education reform.

Sex differences in attitudes toward science among Northern Sotho speaking learners in South Africa

“…Research shows that attitude associated with science appear to have affected student participation in science as a subject (Ferreira, 2004;Koballa, Crawley & Shringley, 1990;Mahlomaholo & Sematle, 2004;Von Roten, 2004;Weinburgh, 2006) and impacting on performance in science (Banu, 1986;IAEP, 1992;Linn, 1992;Sanchez, Zimmerman, & Ye, 2004;Taiwo, 1981;Weiss, 1987). Some studies have shown that factors such as motivation and attitude have impacted on student achievement in mathematics and science (Cote & Levine, 2000;Singh, Granville, & Dika, 2002;Zeidan, 2009).…”

The Interaction Effects of Gender and Grade Level on Secondary School Students’ Attitude towards Learning Chemistry

“…Previous studies confirm that there is correlation between attitudes and academic performance (Cheung, 2011;Linn, 1992;Neathery, 1997;Osborne & Collins, 2000;Otor & Achor, 2013). Various researches have investigated students' attitude towards learning science and their science achievement (Freedman, 1997;Salta & State of the literature • A positive attitude towards learning chemistry will contribute towards the high achievement in the subject.…”

Nigerian Pre-Service Teachers’ Science Anxiety

“…Students' participation in science is affected by attitudes associated with science (Linn, 1992). International Assessment of Educational Progress (1992) reported that positive attitudes toward science influence students' performance and enrolment in science subjects.…”