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Even though children are natural scientists, many preschools isolate and limit science, which can cause children to miss out on valuable learning experiences and school readiness skills. Additionally, minimizing science at the preschool level fails to set a solid foundation for K-12 science education. In this single case study, we focused on the experiences and daily work of one constructivist-oriented preschool teacher who utilized science-based guided play and emergent curriculum as vehicles for important aspects of preschool learning. Findings demonstrate that with careful planning and intention, science can be utilized as a context for nonscience preschool learning objectives outlined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, such as socioemotional development and early literacy. Further, being purposeful about taking up children's ideas about science can lead to rigorous engagement in the three dimensions of science found in the "A Framework for K-12 Education" as well as the Nature of Science. What is notable in this case study is that the teacher did not fundamentally alter her instruction, nor did she take up a prescribed science curriculum; rather, she utilized children's science noticings and wonderings about the world to build meaningful learning experiences. In this way, we see the efforts and outcomes of this teacher being attainable by other preschool teachers. From these findings, we put forward the Integrated Preschool Science Framework that can be used by researchers and teacher educators to think more deeply about how placing science at the center of preschoolers' learning can provide rich opportunities for supporting preschools in multiple learning domains.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of media literacy and attitudes towards socioscientific issues as two major predictors of informal reasoning. A sample of 208 preservice science teachers completed an open-ended informal reasoning questionnaire on hydroelectric power plant issue, media literacy level determination scale, and attitudes towards socio-scientific issues scale. In this study, descriptive research method was used. We used both qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze the data. Results indicated that the participants frequently used ecological-oriented arguments. The participants least used health-oriented arguments. Regarding reasoning qualities, the participants typically created supportive arguments, rather than counterarguments and rebuttals. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed validity and reliability evidence consistent with previous research. Multiple regression analyses revealed that perceived level of media literacy predicted informal reasoning. However, attitudes towards socioscientific issues did not explain informal reasoning. We offer implications for science teacher education programs.

Although research and new technologies have introduced different ways of observing microorganisms, including scanning and electron microscopy, these methods are expensive and require equipment that is typically not found in a middle school classroom. The transmission-through-dye technique (TTD; Gregg et al., 2010), a new optical microscopy method that can be used with current basic light microscopes, relies on the fairly simple mechanism of filtered light passing through a dyed medium to produce an image that reflects cell thickness. With this technique, living microorganisms look bright red against a dark background, and movement can be seen easily among dead microorganisms and debris that show up black. Since the technique is low-cost and easy to implement, it addresses the needs of practitioners and is appropriate for a wide array of school contexts. We describe a three-week, hands-on, inquiry-based unit on TTD microscopy for middle and high school students.

Electricity is an integral part of daily life. Children, like adults, infer the effects of electrical conductivity. They see the illumination of a lightbulb or feel the emission of warmth from an electric stovetop but may not understand the role electrical circuits play. Focusing on the concrete aspects of electrical energy transfer helps improve student experiences with the abstract concept of electricity. In this article the authors provide experiences for elementary-age children to explore electrical circuits. Their purposes for these lessons are for students to develop questions and connect their exploration of electrical energy to concrete observations of electrical effects found in trade books.

Research into the efficacy of modules featuring dynamic visualizations, case studies, and interactive learning environments is reported here. This quasi-experimental 2-year study examined the implementation of three interactive computer-based instructional modules within a curricular unit covering cellular biology concepts in an introductory high school biology course. The modules featured dynamic visualizations and focused on three processes that underlie much of cellular biology: diffusion, osmosis, and filtration. Pre-tests and post-tests were used to assess knowledge growth across the unit. A mixture Rasch model analysis of the post-test data revealed two groups of students. In both years of the study, a large proportion of the students were classified as low-achieving based on their pre-test scores. The use of the modules in the Cell Unit in year 2 was associated with a much larger proportion of the students having transitioned to the high-achieving group than in year 1. In year 2, the same teachers taught the same concepts as year 1 but incorporated the interactive computer-based modules into the cell biology unit of the curriculum. In year 2, 67% of students initially classified as low-achieving were classified as high-achieving at the end of the unit. Examination of responses to assessments embedded within the modules as well as post-test items linked transition to the high-achieving group with correct responses to items that both referenced the visualization and the contextualization of that visualization within the module. This study points to the importance of dynamic visualization within contextualized case studies as a means to support student knowledge acquisition in biology.

Given the prevalence of bullying in schools, it is imperative that preservice secondary science teachers (PSSTs) know how to deal with this issue in the classroom. This is especially important in science, as the content covered in classes can sometimes lead to discussions of race, religion, and sexual orientation, which can be sensitive topics. In this qualitative study, we conducted four focus group interviews in order to examine PSSTs' conceptions of school bullying, their roles as science teachers in relation to bullying, and potential instigative areas within the science curriculum. The research findings indicate that PSSTs are not prepared to effectively deal with classroom bullying and have differing conceptions of what constitutes bullying. In terms of science content, the topics of evolution and genetics surfaced multiple times as instigative topics. When asked what they would do if instigative topics arise in class, the PSSTs were split, with half of them saying they would avoid these topics, while the other half would address them through teaching science as a body of facts. In light of this data, it may be appropriate to include strategies for dealing with instigative topics in preservice science education programs. In addition, there is a need for more research and discussion in this area.

Science learning is inextricably tied to two aspects of students' lives: literacy and culture. While English Learners (ELs) who speak a non-English native language are typically the focus in this line of scholarly inquiry, deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students occupy a distinct space in this conversation. For DHH learners, literacy levels can be hindered by an early dependence on a more survival-based language learning model that postpones basic scientific inquiry. The vocabulary for curiosity is limited, which in turn affects the educational culture. DHH learners have a unique culture that demands an appropriate science curriculum, which thus far has not been explored or attempted for either DHH learners or their educators. Data collected consisted of interviews with teachers of DHH students, as well as observational data collected from a high-minority urban K-8 school for DHH students. The analysis revealed that, first, many of the teachers had limited preparation to teach science content. Second, DHH teachers used inconsistent instructional strategies ranging from drawing pictures to building models. Third, the modifications provided to DHH science learners were mostly limited to visual support and repetition. Implications for teacher education programs include instruction focused on specific supports for DHH students and co-teaching methods, and deeper investigation of inquiry-based science practices. Implications for classroom practices include providing hands-on, inquiry-based instruction, working closely with parents, and developing students' and teachers' understanding of scientific inquiry.

Children are natural engineers. Engineering design activities for preschoolers introduce practices and encourage scientific habits of mind. The "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013) highlight that crosscutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas can not be mastered without engaging in scientific investigations and engineering practices. In light of this, the authors designed a series of activities, that are presented in this article, to introduce engineering practices and the engineering design process to preschool-age children. In this unit, the authors focus on engineering design as the main disciplinary core idea and chose Structure and Function as their main crosscutting concept. They heavily rely on the engineering design process and science and engineering practices to provide an opportunity for students to engage in authentic real-world applications. This series of activities is supported by the National Science Teachers Association's (NSTA's) key principles that guide science learning among young children. Specifically, that: (1) Children have the capacity to engage in scientific practices and develop understanding at a conceptual level; (2) Young children need multiple and varied opportunities to engage in science exploration and discovery; and (3) Young children develop science skills by engaging in experiential learning.

Many standards documents and learning progressions recommend evolution learning in elementary grades. Given young children's interest in dinosaurs and other fossils, fossil investigations can provide a rich entry into evolutionary biology for young learners. Educational psychology literature has addressed children's reasoning about foundational concepts related to fossils such as living/nonliving distinctions, causation, origins of objects, and conceptions of time. This exploratory qualitative case study explored preschool children's ideas about fossils and these foundational concepts as children moved through a 1-week science camp devoted to fossils. Research participants consisted of 15 preschool children aged 3-6 enrolled in a university-affiliated summer camp. Data sources included daily assessments and postcamp individual interviews. Data analysis yielded several main findings. Children were successful at determining where fossils could be found, identifying familiar fossils and fossil tracks, ascertaining that familiar and unfamiliar fossils were nonliving, and determining that rocks have natural origins. Children struggled more often at understanding how fossils differ from recent bones and skulls, properties uniting fossils, and the natural origins of plants and unfamiliar fossils. We also noted clear age- and object-related trends for living/nonliving distinctions, teleological reasoning, origins, and object ages. Implications for future research and practice are offered.

Schools that teach within the context of the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Middle Years Program approach learning through a global lens. They focus on how subjects relate to a larger, international context and connect topics together so that students can have a deeper understanding of knowledge. To further support and promote this approach to teaching, some undergraduate teacher education programs have integrated the IB model into their curriculum which results in their candidates being eligible for the IB teaching and learning certificate. For those programs interested in taking this path, the first step in this journey is to examine the Association for Middle Level Education's essential characteristics of a middle school alongside IB's principles and practices. This article examines the intersection of these two foundations and how they can be incorporated into an existing middle level teacher education program.

Studies show that children may not be able to conceptualize some of the topics associated with anatomy, including internal organs and involuntary muscles, because the concepts are too abstract and are not easily visualized. Thus, this article presents activities that incorporate a variety of models and hands-on activities designed to provide preschool-age children with tactile experiences and investigations focusing on the human body. The activities build on each other in a learning progression, with more complex and abstract systems (i.e., the cardiovascular system) coming after students develop understandings of less abstract systems (i.e., musculoskeletal system). The lessons address three main ideas about the human body, focusing on how parts of our body help us by: (1) collecting information about the world around us (i.e., eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin); (2) moving, playing, and growing (i.e., muscles and bones); and (3) breathing and eating (i.e., heart, lungs, stomach, and intestines).

Argumentation has long been promoted as a core scientific practice in which students should engage, yet science classrooms still often omit it. One remedy is to incorporate socioscientific issues (SSIs) in the curricula. SSIs are open-ended and complex, typically subject to multiple perspectives and solutions. These issues, influenced by science and society, are relevant to students' lives and promote classroom argumentation. Engaging in argumentation on SSIs requires students to discuss science content with their peers and teachers without setting out to defeat an opponent. Collaboration becomes important as students establish criteria to distinguish among multiple distinct ideas and work together to build a sound argument. The authors recommend using critical friend pairs, in which two students discuss and critique each other's arguments, to promote collaboration and critical-thinking skills. This article presents a lesson plan using critical friend pairs that promotes argumentation and evaluating evidence. Using the four-part activity design described in this article, students have multiple opportunities to revise a scientific argument based on evidential reasoning. Additionally, rather than declare a "winning" position, the critical friend pairs allow students to reach a consensus position, which is more realistic and useful. With this goal in mind, students will learn to evaluate claims for accuracy and read for evidence, rather than just comprehension. By pairing students into critical friend pairs, they can begin to differentiate between disagreeing based on emotion without evidence and being critical of a position. This practical ability can help in a variety of situations.

Background: Studies have shown that students' knowledge of osmosis and diffusion and the concepts associated with these processes is often inaccurate. This is important to address, as these concepts not only provide the foundation for more advanced topics in biology and chemistry, but are also threaded throughout both state and national science standards. Purpose: In this study, designed to determine the completeness and accuracy of three specific students' knowledge of molecule movement, concentration gradients, and equilibrium, I sought to address the following question: Using multiple evaluative methods, how can students' knowledge of molecule movement, concentration gradients, and equilibrium be characterized? Sample: This study focuses on data gathered from three students--Emma, Henry, and Riley--all of whom were gifted/honors ninth-grade biology students at a suburban high school in the southeast United States. Design and Methods: Using various qualitative data analysis techniques, I analyzed multiple sources of data from the three students, including multiple-choice test results, written free-response answers, think-aloud interview responses, and student drawings. Results: Results of the analysis showed that students maintained misconceptions about molecule movement, concentration gradients, and equilibrium. The conceptual knowledge students demonstrated differed depending on the assessment method, with the most distinct differences appearing on the multiple-choice versus the free-response questions, and in verbal versus written formats. Conclusions: Multiple levels of assessment may be required to obtain an accurate picture of content knowledge, as free-response and illustrative tasks made it difficult for students to conceal any misconceptions. Using a variety of assessment methods within a section of the curriculum can arguably help to provide a deeper understanding of student knowledge and learning, as well as illuminate misconceptions that may have remained unknown if only one assessment method was used. Furthermore, beyond simply evaluating past learning, multiple assessment methods may aid in student comprehension of key concepts.

As a graduate student earning a doctorate in science education and a certificate in women's studies, I often found myself torn between two worthwhile fields that used two very distinct approaches to pedagogy and content. My experiences granted me an opportunity to explore the differences between these two fields and how the incorporation of feminist pedagogy could positively shape future science education courses. Exploring this topic through literature and my own experiences, I first focus on the differences between classic (science education) and feminist epistemology, and the importance of framing science education within feminist epistemology. I then discuss how we can model and enact feminist pedagogy in science education. I conclude with my thoughts on the potential intersection of feminist pedagogy with science education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]