The Journal of College Science Teaching (JCST), an award-winning peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary periodical published by the National Science Teachers Association, invites the submission of original manuscripts reporting innovations or investigations in the teaching of science at the college level. Successful general submission manuscripts may report interdisciplinary efforts or be of a sufficiently broad nature to be of interest to those centered in related disciplines. Manuscripts reporting innovations or collaborations leading to enhancements in college science learning and teaching are of particular interest to JCST.
Other topics of interest include, but are by no means limited to, the following:
- New approaches to the assessment of student learning
- Unique programs or departmental structures
- Novel collaborations between schools or departments
- Collaborations with those beyond the college environment
- Professional development for college science faculty
- Gender and diversity issues in the college science classroom
- Undergraduate research experiences and learning outcomes
- Innovative use of technology in the classroom or laboratory
- Online course development, implementation, and assessment
All articles judged suitable for consideration will be peer-reviewed in a double-blind process by members of JCST’s General Submissions Review Board. Manuscript length is limited to 3,000 words, exclusive of tables, figures, and references. Full author guidelines can be found at www.nsta.org. Further information can be obtained from Caroline Barnes, Managing Editor, at cbarnes@nsta.org.
The Research and Teaching Section of JCST: The Research and Teaching section of JCST, invites submissions reporting the results of exemplary systematic educational research in college science teaching. Successful manuscripts typically center on student outcomes in multicenter and/or multicourse studies. As a part of JCST, the research reported should be interdisciplinary in nature or be broadly applicable to more than one area of science. Manuscripts are limited to 4,000 words or less in length, exclusive of tables, figures, and references.
All manuscripts deemed suitable for consideration will be double-blind peer-reviewed by members of the Research and Teaching Review Board. Each of these reviewers is an expert in the area of science education research.
Column Submissions
JCST regularly publishes a series of columns that focus on specific aspects of college science teaching.
Case Studies: Dr. Clyde Freeman Herreid, Director of the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, edits the Case Studies column published in JCST. The column publishes original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies themselves along with teaching notes for classroom instruction. All material is peer-reviewed in a double-blind process. Submissions should be limited to 2,500 words and submitted directly to herreid@buffalo.edu.
The Two-Year Community: Dr. David M. Majerich, in the Design and Intelligence Laboratory at the Georgia Institute of Technology, edits the Two-Year Community column published in JCST. Successful contributions to this column center on aspects of teaching and learning of special importance in the community college environment. Coordination of science education efforts in the community college classroom with subsequent educational and/or workforce expectations and professional issues of science instructors at community colleges are of particular interest.
Submissions are limited to 3,000 words exclusive of tables, figures, and references. Submissions reporting on investigations or those that review other literature will be double-blind peer- reviewed. Editorial submissions will be assessed for their level of novel contribution. Accepted editorials will be designated as such (and therefore nonpeer-reviewed) in the journal and should be limited to 1,000 words. Submissions should be submitted directly to dmajerich@nsta.org.
Point of View: JCST serves as a point of professional contact and community discussion for instructors of college level science. The Point of View column published in most issues of JCST presents considered reflections or thoughtful opinions on issues of broad interest to the community.
Unlike other columns and feature articles in each issue, submissions to Point of View are not peer-reviewed. The Field Editor chooses to publish submissions based upon their relevancy, and upon the level of potential contribution to the conversation on teaching and learning in college-level science. Submissions should be limited to 900 words and submitted directly to our electronic submission system (http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/nsta) with an indication that the manuscript is to be considered for the Point of View column.