This article describes a study in which a series of general education and introductory science courses were assessed using a Likert-scale instrument. As universities across the country have begun to make changes in their science curricula, especially with regards to non-science majors, assessment of courses and curricula has lagged behind implementation. The Likert-scale instrument, Attitudes and ... Full description.

This article describes a study in which changes in knowledge of science and attitudes regarding science among participants in a summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program were examined. It was discovered that existing survey instruments could not detect changes in participants' attitudes over the course of the program and also failed to detect differences between geoscience faculty ... Full description.

Reuse of educational materials is integral to many educator tasks, from designing a course to preparing for a lab or class. This article describes a study on the reuse of educational materials in the context of the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE), a community-owned and governed facility offering high-quality teaching and learning resources for Earth system education. The study noted ... Full description.

The constructivist approach to science education is recognized as being valuable for building deep student understanding of scientific content and inquiry. This article describes a study in which researchers introduced a constructivist approach in two teacher-training courses and assessed their resulting content knowledge with examination-based assessments. Contrary to expectations, the change in ... Full description.

This article discusses the use of a scenario-based assessment tool in two environmental geoscience in-service programs for middle school and high school teachers. This tool served both to guide instructional techniques and as a method to evaluate the success of the instructional approach. In each case, participants were assessed before the workshops to reveal misconceptions that could be addressed ... Full description.

This article discusses a model for academic excellence in the geosciences which can be used for K-12 and undergraduate education. The model combines criteria for excellence derived from studies of the National Research Council, the National Academy of Sciences, and other national professional organizations. It consists of two major components: opportunity for students to learn, and attainment at the ... Full description.

This article discusses the benefits of experiencing the process of Earth Science through active learning strategies, and how a simple assessment instrument was developed and used to evaluate a specific course in Earth Science for educators. The course itself was broad in scope and designed specifically to fulfill science requirements for elementary and middle-level education majors. The assessment ... Full description.

This article describes the benefits of research partnerships to scientists, students, and teachers. There is growing awareness that the way science is experienced in the K-16 classroom deviates greatly from the experiences of practicing researchers. Whereas researchers are immersed in more open-ended observation and inquiry, many K-16 students find themselves cramming to memorize core scientific content ... Full description.

This article describes the Nevada Science Teacher Enhancement Project (N-STEP), a three-year teacher enhancement program funded by the National Science Foundation. As part of the project, high school teachers worked closely with research scientists, education faculty, and high school students on authentic field-based research projects in geosciences, biological sciences or social sciences. Interviews ... Full description.

This is an overview of a field-based research experience in Earth Science teacher education program that was conducted for secondary science teachers from Prince George's County, Maryland. The goal of the program was to produce well-prepared, scientifically and technologically literate Earth Science teachers through a teaching- and research-oriented partnership between in-service teachers and a university ... Full description.