Search

The article reviews seven research reports related to high school general sciences. One researcher tested the relationship between student's cerebral lateralization for the Arabic language and their achievement in science. A secondary purpose was to investigate handedness as a factor in that relationship. Another researcher attempted to identify and describe the nature of verbal behavior in 24 randomly selected teachers. A study by another researcher was designed to determine the relationship among teacher classroom management behavior, student engagement and student achievement of middle and high school science students.

The article comments on the attempts to redefine science education as the interface between science and society. The author accepts the definition of science created by Roller; science education involves the process of educating students on how to quest or search for knowledge. Articles by Hofstein and Yager and Yager have defined science education as the discipline concerned with the study of the interaction of science and society, the study of the impact of science upon society as well as the impact of society upon science. A central concern of science education should be developing a better understanding of how scientists and people in general learn to quest for knowledge in order to help children learn. The major concern of science education researchers, however, should be in identifying those factors which help people learn science; science as defined by scientists, not by sociologically and/or politically oriented observers.

The article comments on a report about a series of lessons designed to teach fourth-grade students of theoretical concepts of electrostatics. With an investigator-developed pencil-and-paper test and individual interviews as posttest measures of achievement, the proponents of the study found significant overall pre- to posttest gains by student learners. The proponents said that it is reasonable to teach theoretical concepts such as electrostatics to young children, a concept that is being disputed. The statements presented by the proponents as definitions of theoretical concepts is believed to not constitute formal conceptualizations. Students who have not yet developed formal operational reasoning patterns cannot meaningfully comprehend theoretical concepts and principles of science.

The article discusses a response by the author to the comment regarding his call of a unified theory for the methods in science teaching. The author argues that science educators must agree on the goals of science education, the techniques of effective teaching, and the multitude of science content. He stated that the Arizona Board of Education recently directed a select committee which is established to achieve these objectives.

The article presents the response of the writer regarding the comments of the other author pertaining to the nature of advanced reasoning and science education. The writer agreed that the answer to the 4-card problem are right, that the q(7) card should have been q(7) and the q(4) card should have been q(4). He remarked that it is a matter of symbolism. He also agreed that operator (⊃) does not symbolize causality in standard propositional logic. He added the importance of the components' relationship with the content. He noted that advanced reasoning that the other authors studied and applied in the sciences is intricate with causal situations, while standard propositional is not. He concluded that propositional logic is not related to the comprehension of advanced naturalistic reasoning. It makes no sense to use problems of the four-card type.

The article presents a response by William G. Lamb about his article the acquisition of propositional logic and formal operational schemata in secondary education. In terms of his stand as to the relationship between 'advanced reasoning' and propositional logic, he include awareness of the probabilistic nature of natural phenomena.

Provides a set of criteria used to better understand what is the meaning of inquiry. Importance of inquiry in the classroom activity; Categories of an evaluative criteria; Factors affecting the student behavior.