The Early Years: More than Messing Around with Magnets

Journal Article | September 2005

This article focuses on magnets and teaching the nature of science. The predicting and testing students do in this month's activity also relate to Science and Children's theme in this issue, teaching the nature of…

Speedway Science: NASCAR helps enhance a teacher education program

Journal Article | April 2003

In the beginning, the New Visions Education Program did not include science as part of its curriculum. In this article, a teacher teams up with NASCAR and Cornell University to develop a challenging science curriculum…

Fostering Science Education in an Online Environment: Are We There Yet?

Journal Article | October 2012

This article describes how science and science education faculty at the University of Massachusetts and veteran K–12 science teachers designed Science Education Online—an online, graduate-level program for elementary…

Guest Editorial: Inquiry, Process Skills, and Thinking in Science

Journal Article | September 2010

Inquiry is central to science education today. But understanding its many nuances is still an issue according to research (Flick and Lederman 2004). And understanding is the first step to implementations. In this…

Editorial: Research and Teaching Column

Journal Article | February 2008

The JCST Research and Teaching column will feature sound research on curriculum, pedagogy, and student learning at the college level. Topics of interest include all fields of science: chemistry, biology, geology,…

After-School Science

Journal Article | February 2003

EXPLORE!, an after-school program, helps inner-city high school students understand ecological concepts. The program builds on students' school experiences and engages students with quality science activities and…

Adding SPICE to Science

Journal Article | March 2005

Spice up your science curriculum by partnering with a local university to bring talent and resources into your classroom-- it's not as daunting as you think! This article raises awareness of GK-12 programs by sharing…

Scope on the Skies: Star light, star bright

Journal Article | February 2009

In astronomy, the brightness of a star is described in terms of a star’s magnitude. Stellar magnitude is expressed two different ways, using the terms apparent magnitude and absolute magnitude. For both magnitudes, the…

Science Shorts: Wind at Work

Journal Article | March 2008

Many children enjoy evaluating products and designing improvements. Activities that promote investigation and product design lend themselves to assessments that demonstrate communication skills, focus on reasoning…

Society for College Science Teachers: Stepping Back from the Picture to See More than the Dots—Making Critical Thinking an Examination Requirement

Journal Article | January 1998

In this column the leadership of SCST shares its views with JCST readers. This month’s issue focues on teaching critical thinking—not just memorized statements. As soon as students see your test questions and realize…

Methods and Strategies: An Institute for Inquiry

Journal Article | December 2004

The programs at the Institute of Math, Science, and Technology Education at Texas Christian University at Fort Worth, Texas, provide an array of professional development programs and workshops to benefit area teachers…

Career of the Month: An Interview with Diabetes Educator Donna Rice

Journal Article | June 2006

Diabetes can develop at any age and lead to a lot of health problems. But with the help of a Diabetes Educator--such as Donna Rice--individuals can learn the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to gain control of…

What Research Says: What Have Researchers Been Saying About Science Fairs?

Journal Article | April 1999

To help stimulate more interest in science fairs, this article offers a brief history and rationale of the science fair, discusses the research that has been done on science fairs, and describes how science fairs have…

It's NOT Just a Theory: Why teachers need to address the nature of science and the "hidden" curriculum

Journal Article | March 2002

As science educators we are faced with some issues associated with our choice of words and their implications for learning outcomes. Because the “hidden” curriculum influences student learning, it is important that…

Making Science Relevant

Journal Article | March 2008

By connecting science learning to important societal issues, teachers can motivate students to both enjoy and engage in relevant science (Bennet, Lubben, and Hogarth 2007). To develop that connection, teachers can help…