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The article focuses on the challenges to the improvement of science education research in the U. S. It points out a few major difficulties with the present research efforts being done. It also tries to define good research, suggests possible ways of producing good research and examines alternative proposals for improving research in science education. The technical difficulties with present research are presented, including poor research design, improper statistical procedures, untenable assumptions, and ungeneralizability of hypotheses being tested.

The article discusses the problem of preparing the design for science education research. The author will attempt to give some observations from based on his own experience. He outlines approaches for the preparation of a research document and propose some factors which seem important in getting design and pattern into a work of research in science education. These factors may be helpful to those who are planning research in this area. According to the author research worker in the area of science education must not only have perspective and background within his chosen field, he must also be familiar with broad pattern of research study in other areas of curriculum.

The article discusses the national survey conducted in determining priorities in ocean science study as identified by the community of oceanographers. The study was conducted under the assumption that if priorities in any subject are to be set, there should be strong input into the priority decisions by persons active in the field. The study was solicited by questionnaire which are based on ocean science topics taught in introductory ocean science courses. The results of the study and other relevant information regarding the study are also presented.

The article addresses issues concerning the research methods used in science education. Research in science education is criticized for being noncumulative, nonreplicable and for making no important contributions to theory or practice. In spite of the analytical methods now available, researchers are continuing the practice of fitting research problems into standard designs. Thus, the relative effectiveness of two instructional methods in the presence of a noncomitant variable should be considered. The use of mathematical models is used to represent the relevant properties of reality.

The article discusses the major emphases in research in elementary science during the years 1929 to 1952 in the U.S. The vast majority of studies published may be categorized in four problem areas, namely, the status of elementary science, the grade placement of science topics, methods of enriching the curriculum, and the training of teachers. Elementary science has been the subject of a great number of status studies. These investigations attempt to determine the scope of elementary science, the topics taught, and the most common teaching techniques employed.