National Science Education Standards Research Articles

It's Time to Stand Up for Earth Science

ABSTRACTThis commentary paper focuses upon the loss of respect for Earth Sciences on the part of many school districts across the United States. Too many Earth Science teachers are uncertified to teach Earth Science, or hold certificates to teach the subject merely because they took a test. The Earth Sciences have faced this problem for many years (Nuhfer, 1990). In 1996, the National Science Education Standards (National Resource Council) put Earth Science on equal footing with both the life and physical sciences, but after middle school, many high school students do not even have a chance to take an Earth Science course because their schools do not deem Earth Science as worthy or even as a necessary science. This is echoed by many colleges and universities when they do not accept Earth Science as a science unit for entrance. This must change! With the Next Generation Science Standards (Achieve, 2012) on the horizon, educators from kindergarten to the university level must make a strategic effort to put Earth Science back up upon a pedestal with sciences such as biology, chemistry, and physics—not just in a few states, but in all states!

Inquiry-Based Science Education Competencies of Primary School Teachers: A literature study and critical review of the American National Science Education Standards

Inquiry-based science education is an important innovation. Researchers and teachers consider it to be stimulating for pupils’ application of research skills, construction of meaning and acquiring scientific knowledge. However, there is ambiguity as to what competencies are required to teach inquiry-based science. Our purpose is to develop a profile of professional competence, required for effective inquiry-based science teaching in primary schools in the Netherlands. This article reviews literature and compares the outcomes to the American National Science Education Standards (NSES). In so doing, it seeks to answer the following research questions: What elements of competencies required by primary school teachers who teach inquiry-based science are mentioned, discussed and researched in recent literature? To what extent are the American NSES (introduced 15 years ago) consistent with elements of competencies found in recent literature? A comprehensive literature review was conducted using Educational Resources Information Centre and Google Scholar databases. Fifty-seven peer-reviewed scientific journal articles from 2004 to 2011 were found using keyword combinations. Analysis of these articles resulted in the identification and classification of 22 elements of competencies. This outcome was compared to the American NSES, revealing gaps in the standards with respect to a lack of focus on how teachers view science teaching and themselves as teachers. We also found that elements of competencies are connected and poor mastery of one may affect a teacher's mastery of another. Therefore, we propose that standards for the Netherlands should be presented in a non-linear, holistic, competence-based model.

Exploring Ovulation & Pregnancy Using Over-the-Counter Products: A Novel Guided Inquiry

In this guided inquiry, students explore the complex hormonal regulation of the female reproductive cycle using inexpensive ovulation and pregnancy detection kits that are readily available over the counter. This hands-on activity engages students in the practice of doing science as highlighted by the National Science Education Standards. The laboratory approach described is an effective alternative or complement to traditional lecture presentations of this challenging topic. The laboratory activities described are appropriate for both college and high school students, as reproductive physiology is covered in a wide variety of curricula.

Milestones…

Milestones…

A Guide to Writing a Scientific Paper: A Focus on High School Through Graduate Level Student Research

This article presents a detailed guide for high school through graduate level instructors that leads students to write effective and well-organized scientific papers. Interesting research emerges from the ability to ask questions, define problems, design experiments, analyze and interpret data, and make critical connections. This process is incomplete, unless new results are communicated to others because science fundamentally requires peer review and criticism to validate or discard proposed new knowledge. Thus, a concise and clearly written research paper is a critical step in the scientific process and is important for young researchers as they are mastering how to express scientific concepts and understanding. Moreover, learning to write a research paper provides a tool to improve science literacy as indicated in the National Research Council's National Science Education Standards (1996), and A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2011), the underlying foundation for the Next Generation Science Standards currently being developed. Background information explains the importance of peer review and communicating results, along with details of each critical component, the Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Specific steps essential to helping students write clear and coherent research papers that follow a logical format, use effective communication, and develop scientific inquiry are described.

This Month’s Feature Article & A New ABT Department

This month’s editorial is an opportunity for me to point out two important entries in this issue. The first is Rodger Bybee’s Feature Article on the next generation of national biology standards. Many NABT members know Rodger as an active biology educator, a member of the staff and later Executive Director of the BSCS. Rodger was also later called upon to lead in the development of the National Science Education Standards (NSES) at the National Academy of Sciences. About a year ago, I asked Rodger (whom I have known well for over 30 years and …

An Analysis Study of Omani Physics Textbooks in View of the National Science Education Standards

An Analysis Study of Omani Physics Textbooks in View of the National Science Education Standards

Using Biological-Control Research in the Classroom to Promote Scientific Inquiry & Literacy

Scientists researching biological control should engage in education because translating research programs into classroom activities is a pathway to increase scientific literacy among students. Classroom activities focused on biological control target all levels of biological organization and can be cross-disciplinary by drawing from subject areas such as ecology, molecular biology, physiology, and chemistry. We evaluate published “how-to” biological-control activities to determine whether they meet National Science Education Standards and use a constructivist pedagogical approach. We also provide an example classroom activity developed from our research that scientists can use as a template to develop their science-education activities.

Geoscience Education in the Boy Scouts of America

ABSTRACTBoy Scout geoscience education is not “desk” education—it is an informal, hands-on, real-world education where Scouts learn through activities, trips, and the outdoors, as well as in meetings and in the merit badge program. Merit badge requirements, many of which meet National Science Education Standards for Earth and Space Science, give boys foundational experiences and familiarity with geoscience topics. Earning a Geology merit badge at any location resulted in a significant gain of content knowledge (P < 0.001). The combined treatment groups for all location types had a 9.2% gain in content knowledge, but the amount of content knowledge acquired through the merit badge program varied with location. The longitudinal posttest scores, with a 15.0% increase from the attributed average pretest score, were higher than the posttest scores from any location except summer camp. No gains were seen in the control group; age and grade were not significant factors. Combining interview data with quantitative data indicates that Scouts who participate in the Geology merit badge are better prepared for school geoscience classes. Participation in the Geology merit badge provides geoscience experiences and “familiarity” with geoscience concepts that allow Scouts to create and retain geoscience knowledge.

Anatomy and Physiology/Forensic Science

Forensic Pig Dissection (Carolina Biological. One student group, $55. Kit for class of 32, $200.) I have been teaching Anatomy and Physiology for the past 13 years, and one of the underlying themes in the semester is forensic science. This is an introductory course, so I have a lot of freedom to select activities to pique my students’ interest. I was looking for an activity that could introduce students to dissection before the much more detailed cat dissection, which occurs at the end of the course. I was also looking for a new way to have my students explore the steps of autopsy. In the past, I had done the virtual autopsies available on the Internet, but I really wanted an activity in which the students could be more active in the process. The Carolina Forensic Dissection Kit, as I discovered, does a great job of meeting both of my needs. It engages students in the process of a forensic autopsy, while using a new approach to teach mammalian anatomy. The kit is designed for middle and high school students, with the overarching learning goal of students conducting a fetal pig dissection using the protocol for a human autopsy. If you are like me and have to check off every indicator and benchmark, Carolina Biological has designed the product in such a way that it is effortless to modify the investigation to match your goals …

A Case Study of the Alignment between Curriculum and Assessment in the New York State Earth Science Standards-Based System

In a standards-based system, it is important for all components of the system to align in order to achieve the intended goals. No Child Left Behind law mandates that assessments be fully aligned with state standards, be valid, reliable and fair, be reported to all stakeholders, and provide evidence that all students in the state are meeting the standards. This study reports an analysis of the alignment between the National Science Education Standards (NSES), New York State Physical Setting/Earth Science Core Curriculum (Core Curriculum) and New York State Physical Setting/Earth Science Regents Examination (Regents Exam)—the sources teachers use for creating Earth Science curricula in New York State. The NSES were found to have a 49 % overlap with the Core Curriculum and a 27 % overlap with the Regents Exam. The Core Curriculum and Regents Exam, represented by matrices consisting of performance indicators and cognitive demands, were compared using the Porter Alignment Index. The alignment was 0.35, categorized as slightly aligned, due to the different emphases on cognitive levels. The Core focused on cognitive skills of Understand and Apply while the Regents concentrated more on Apply followed by Understand and Remember. It is suggested that the NSES be revised and the Core updated to include quantifiable emphasis on the major understandings such as percentage of time.

Backyard Botany: Using GPS Technology in the Science Classroom

Global Positioning System (GPS) technology can be used to connect students to the natural world and improve their skills in observation, identification, and classification. Using GPS devices in the classroom increases student interest in science, encourages team-building skills, and improves biology content knowledge. Additionally, it helps educators meet the ISTE’s Educational Technology Standards and the National Science Education Standards while increasing the environmental literacy of their students. This paper provides suggestions for utilizing GPS technology in student-led explorations of the local flora, as well as other innovative ideas for using these devices in science instruction.

Hannah's Prior Knowledge About Chemicals: A Case Study of One Fourth‐Grade Child

Chemical principles are taught in elementary education across much of the United States because the National Science Education Standards include concepts about the nature of matter, states of matter, and changes in matter among other science concepts within the first to fifth grade levels. “Chemicals” is a word related to the nature of matter that is used not only in formal instruction, but also in everyday conversations. Children's prior knowledge about chemicals gained from everyday experiences will influence how they learn about chemical principles. The research described herein reveals insights into one child's conceptual structure related to the word “chemical,” which includes how she uses the word both inside and outside of school. Hannah was purposefully chosen for this case study because she exemplified “children's science.” Her understanding of chemicals as cleaners, in foods, and used for a purpose were primarily gained from everyday experiences. The implications of these findings are discussed with respect to both future research and elementary science education.

Measuring Me: Using Nutrition Education Curriculum Activities to Teach Elementary Mathematics

Understanding basic functions of mathematics can greatly improve individuals’ future health risk.1 Numeracy skills help people understand medication prescriptions, nutrition plans, and which treatment option is best for them.2 However, one of the largest obstacles health professionals face is patient compliance to interventions; one reason being, lack of mathematical proficiency among the population.1,2,3, Teachers in K-12 learning environments have the greatest opportunity to lay core foundations in mathematics.5 A mastery of mathematics skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, proportions, and fractions is important for children to learn early to assist them in addressing health issues later in life.2, 6 School-based health promotion interventions focusing on nutrition and physical activity can also aid children in making connections between mathematics learned in the classroom and healthy living.7 Therefore, the authors developed an introductory activity called Measuring Me for the Food Math and Science Teacher Enhancement Resource (FoodMASTER) Initiative (Figure 1) to be used while collecting pre-study anthropometric data for the FoodMASTER study. The educational and developmentally appropriate interactive activity allows students to apply mathematics while becoming familiar with simple anthropometric measurements in the classroom. Figure 1 Measuring Me activity sheets. Program Description FoodMASTER Intermediate is a 3rd–5th grade curriculum that uses food as a tool to integrate nutrition concepts into the standard course of study for math and science.6 There are 10 units that make-up the FoodMASTER curriculum, each containing two or three activities (24 activities total). It meets national school standards for mathematics and science education and is also easily adaptable to each state’s standards. During the 2009–2010 school year, self-selected teachers in North Carolina (N=18) implemented the Measuring Me activity in their 4th grade classrooms as an introduction to FoodMASTER. Researchers from the program visited each classroom in the fall of 2009 to collect pretest data including students’ heights, weights, waist circumference, and food frequency. Other pretest data included nutrition, science, and mathematics knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy. Led by program researchers, Measuring Me was piloted in classrooms to allow children to become familiar with body measurements and connect abstract numbers to concrete applications such as health. Measurement plays an especially crucial role in helping children to identify relationships among objects.5 In using their own height measurement, students are able to identify items that are shorter, taller or the same height as them and make comparisons.5 Independent comparisons about other anthropometric measures, such as weight, can also be applied by students. Connecting comparisons students make about length and mass with nutrition and health concepts can be beneficial to improving students’ long term health literacy as adults.2 In intermediate grades, three core competencies children must learn are standard units of metric and customary measurement; collect, organize, analyze, and report data; and perform standard computations, all of which are included as components of Measuring Me.5 The Lesson Like other FoodMASTER activities, Measuring Me took one class period (30–45 minutes) to complete and is straightforward enough for teachers to pick-up quickly and implement in their classrooms. Eighteen classrooms and 298 students participated in the activity. Measuring Me followed a similar format as other FoodMASTER hands-on lessons. First, elementary student volunteers read a short passage about why health professionals measure height and weight. Next, each student completed the threereading comprehension questions independently and then answers were reviewed as a class. Subsequently, students participated in Height Math, the hands-on component of Measuring Me. A demonstration in how to measure height with yardsticks was shown to the class. The class was then divided into teams of 3–4 students to measure each others’ height using two yard sticks. The first student removed his/her shoes and stood straight. Limited wall space was available in most classrooms, so students estimated using free-standing heights. A second student held the yard sticks, one on top of the other, and the third student read the height in inches. Students switched roles until everyone in the group had been measured. Heights were recorded after each measurement. Students used individual results within teams to order heights from least to greatest; to calculate the sum, difference between the minimum and maximum height, mean, and median; and to perform several measurement conversions. Anonymous class results were used to make conclusions about students’ heights and to determine the class mode for height. The math concepts covered provided teachers with an opportunity to either review topics or introduce the topic for the first time depending on the teacher’s curriculum schedule. It also gives teachers an opportunity to discuss the nutrition concept of energy balance and how it relates to anthropometric measures.

Trends in Practical Work in German Science Education

By the 1970s a fundamental shift had taken place in German science education. This was a shift away from the learning of more-or-less isolated facts and facets in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics towards a restructuring of science teaching along the general principles of the respective science domains. The changes included also the addition of dimensions such as problem-based learning, understanding the basics of the Nature of Science, and engaging students in the methods of science. Since then, practical work has been solidly built into German science syllabi for each one of the separate teaching domains in school science. However, research evidence shows that practical work is still limited in many science classrooms. In many cases, hands-on work is only present as either teacher demonstrations or as cookbook-style recipe experiments for pupils. The shortcomings of such practice have also become evident in the TIMSS and PISA studies conducted since 1997. However, the outcomes published by PISA 2000 also initiated further change in Germany. For the first time ever, national science education standards were introduced for lower secondary science education. In 2004, these standards sharpened the focus of learning more prominently on how to practically carry out science tasks. The resulting reform led to research and development activity in different fields of innovation, among them science education practical work. This paper gives an account of the development of practical science work in German schools and it discusses the most prominent trends in practical science efforts in German secondary science education, which have taken place in recent years.

An Interdisciplinary Guided Inquiry on Estuarine Transport Using a Computer Model in High School Classrooms

The National Science Education Standards have highlighted the importance of active learning and reflection for contemporary scientific methods in K–12 classrooms, including the use of models. Computer modeling and visualization are tools that researchers employ in their scientific inquiry process, and often computer models are used in collaborative projects across disciplines. The goal of this project was to develop and field-test a module that used a computer model to teach marine sciences content in an applied, inquiry-based, and collaborative manner. Students used an estuarine transport model to explore the question of how circulation patterns affect planktonic organisms, demonstrating the interdisciplinary interaction of physics and biology. Our experience suggests that computer models, when used for inquiry, can help foster students' understanding of the nature of science and critical-thinking skills.

The Taphonomy Experiment: Reinforcing Science Process Skills with a Class-Based Student Independent Research Project

Since the mid-20thcentury, science education has focused on active inquiry rather than direct transmission of knowledge. The National Research Council's National Science Education Standards direct that inquiry-based activities be incorporated at all levels of education. The application of inquiry-based activities at the college level should include faculty-student research programs. This paper presents a class-based faculty-student research project conducted by teams of students over the course of a semester. The advantage of inquiry-based learning for undergraduates is outlined in a review of the educational literature. While there has not been much in the way of quantitative assessments of inquiry-based learning, it is clear that students with a good foundation in the subject benefit from open-ended inquiry. This information was used to create an inquiry-based approach to teaching science-process skills, which was used successfully in an upper-level undergraduate paleontology course at Missouri Western State University, a four-year institution located in northwest Missouri. Students worked in groups to design an original experiment addressing some aspect of taphonomic processes. After online class discussions of the research proposals and final approval from the instructor, students independently ran the experiments, monitoring and collecting data outside of class. During the final week of classes, the groups presented their experiments in a 20-minute, conference-style PowerPoint presentation that placed their experiment within the context of the literature.

Students’ and Teachers’ Application of Surface Area to Volume Relationships

The National Science Education Standards emphasize teaching unifying concepts and processes such as basic functions of living organisms, the living environment, and scale (NRC 2011). Scale includes understanding that different characteristics, properties, or relationships within a system might change as its dimensions are increased or decreased (NRC 2011). One such relationship involves surface area to volume which is a pervasive concept that can be found throughout different sciences. This concept is important for students to not only understand the association of the two, but to also be able to apply this relationship in science contexts. The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that influence the understanding surface area to volume relationships. This study examined middle school students’, high school students’, and science teachers’ logical thinking skills (including proportional reasoning), visual-spatial skills, and understandings of surface area to volume relationships. Regression results indicated that participants’ reasoning abilities and components of visual-spatial skills could be possible predictors for one’s ability to understand surface area to volume relationships. Implications for teaching scale concepts such as surface area to volume relationships in the science classroom are discussed.

Measuring instructional practice in science using classroom artifacts: lessons learned from two validation studies

AbstractWith growing interest in the role of teachers as the key mediators between educational policies and outcomes, the importance of developing good measures of classroom processes has become increasingly apparent. Yet, collecting reliable and valid information about a construct as complex as instruction poses important conceptual and technical challenges. This article summarizes the results of two studies that investigated the properties of measures of instruction based on a teacher‐generated instrument (the Scoop Notebook) that combines features of portfolios and self‐report. Classroom artifacts and teacher reflections were collected from samples of middle school science classrooms and rated along 10 dimensions of science instruction derived from the National Science Education Standards; ratings based on direct classroom observations were used as comparison. The results suggest that instruments that combine artifacts and self‐reports hold promise for measuring science instruction with reliability similar to, and sizeable correlations with, measures based on classroom observation. We discuss the implications and lessons learned from this work for the conceptualization, design, and use of artifact‐based instruments for measuring instructional practice in different contexts and for different purposes. Artifact‐based instruments may illuminate features of instruction not apparent even through direct classroom observation; moreover, the process of structured collection and reflection on artifacts may have value for professional development. However, their potential value and applicability on a larger scale depends on careful consideration of the match between the instrument and the model of instruction, the intended uses of the measures, and the aspects of classroom practice most amenable to reliable scoring through artifacts. We outline a research agenda for addressing unresolved questions and advancing theoretical and practical knowledge around the measurement of instructional practice. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 49: 38–67, 2012

Food Science Education Publications and Websites

The authors show how a familiar lesson on milk's surface tension can be transformed into an elementary student activity that allows students to explore the nature of a scientific experiment, its design, variables and analysis, and the support of conclusions. Also included is an assessment rubric. Assessment standards from the National Science Education Standards are noted. Although not a food science article in the strictest sense, Clary and Wandersee note that plants are often taken for granted in our environment. They briefly detail how plants can enhance almost any classroom curriculum including botany, chemistry, climate change, cloth, history of science, and ecology. The authors encourage the use of plants in all curriculum areas. Perhaps reading this article will spark ideas about novel ways to use plants in the food science classroom at all levels of education. Jeffries discusses the use of discovery boxes “…to stimulate problem solving, exploration, creativity, literacy, and inquiry.” (p. 30) in the area of nutrition for preschool children. The boxes were used over a two week period. The contents of each box are detailed. As in all good lesson plans, caution areas are noted. Using discovery boxes proved successful based on pre-and post interviews with the children. This site was included in a previous JSFE “Food Science Education Publications and Websites” column. It is included again because of its great use in finding online lessons and animations concerning food science and nutrition. If you have not visited this site before, please take a look. This is one of the sites I use to find resources for this column. Rowat and others use chocolate to teach basic scientific concepts for persons aged 6 and up. Table 1 details the 3 main questions asked during the hour-long presentation, noting the “motivating question” and the “specific question”. Questions concern melting, feel, and breakage of chocolate. Extensive background information is given about each experiment. A table correlates the lecture to the National Science Education Standards. This group of authors published a related article on pizza in JFSE 9(4), October 2010, accessible at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1541-4329.2010.00101.x/full As with all activities presented in the Journal of Chemical Education, details on experimental procedure and hazards are given in a clear and concise manner. This activity introduces undergraduate students to microfluidics. The literature cited section provides the reader with detailed background information. Food and Nutrition Information Center, National Agricultural Library, USDA http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=2&tax_subject=270&topic_id=1337 Accessed 8/16/2011 American Dietetic Association, National Nutrition Month, Nutrition Education and Information Campaign http://www.eatright.org/NNM/content.aspx?id=5342 Accessed 8/16/2011