This study aimed at exploring the practices and beliefs physics teachers have about introducing reform-based instruction into the physics class. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews held with 11 experienced physics teachers. The results revealed that the teachers occasionally introduced a small number of enhanced instructional strategies explicitly required by the formal curriculum into their class, such as presenting, analyzing and generalizing experimental results in different forms. However, the teachers used much fewer other strategies aimed at enhancing higher-order thinking, such as asking students to formulate their own questions or introducing them to problem-solving strategies used in class. Although physics is considered a relatively well-established subject in Israeli schools, extensive differences have been identified among teachers in issues such as using rich instructional strategies in class, their self-confidence in utilizing progressive instruction, and their beliefs about students’ abilities to develop higher-order thinking. Teachers often regard reform-based instruction as an idealistic view rather than a clear schooling practice; further work is required in teachers’ pre-service and in-service training to make the fostering of higher-order thinking a common ingredient in science teaching.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences of pre-service elementary school teachers’ attitudes towards mathematics according to their learning styles. Two hundreds eighty one pre-service elementary school teachers were involved in this study. The researchers employed two types of instruments, Learning Style Inventory and Scale of Mathematics Attitude Questionnaire, to collect the data. The learning style inventory was designed to detect the participants’ learning styles, Divergent, Assimilator, Convergent, and Accommodator, and the scale of mathematics attitude questionnaire was used to find the participants’ attitudes towards mathematics. After the collection of the data, the researchers run the one-way ANOVA to show the attitude differences based on the learning styles. The study concluded that there were statistically significant differences found between the attitudes of learners, convergent and assimilator, and that the convergent learners had more positive attitudes towards mathematics than the assimilator learners.

The study investigated the effects of mathematics anxiety on matriculation students as related to motivation and achievement. Subjects included 88 students who were at the end of their second semester of study. Anxiety and motivation were measured using the Fennema-Sherman Math Anxiety Scale (MAS) and Effectance Motivation Scale (EMS) respectively. The instrument used to measure achievement was the Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT). The ANOVA results showed that the mean achievement scores and motivation scores of low, moderate and high anxiety groups were significantly different. Findings also revealed a low (r=-0.32) but significant (p < 0.05) negative correlation between mathematics anxiety and achievement and also a strong (r=-0.72) significant (p<0.05) negative correlation between mathematics anxiety and motivation. The study also revealed a significant low positive correlation (r=0.31) between motivation and achievement.

High quality teachers are essential to improving the teaching and learning of mathematics and science, necessitating effective professional development (PD) and learning environments for teachers.  However, many PD programs for science and mathematics teachers fall short because they fail to consider teacher background, experience, knowledge, beliefs, and needs (Loucks-Horsley, Love, Stiles, Mundry, & Hewson, 2003). To develop more effective PD systems, it is necessary to assess and identify teachers’ PD needs, expectations, experiences and constraints.  In this manuscript, we describe the findings from a study that examined the PD experiences, needs, expectations, and constraints of middle and high school science and mathematics teachers in one state in the U.S.  We examine similarities and differences between science and mathematics teachers and among teachers from urban, suburban and rural schools.  The findings from this study suggest that mathematics and science teachers participate in a minimal amount of PD and that a number of factors contribute to this reality.  Furthermore, science and mathematics teachers do not experience effective PD learning environments described by Bransford, Brown & Cocking (2000) and there is a mismatch between teachers’ PD needs and experiences. 

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the teaching practice on pre-service elementary teachers’ science teaching efficacy and classroom management beliefs. The subjects were 185 pre-service elementary teachers from two different universities in Izmir. In this study, Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI-B) and the Attitudes and Beliefs on Classroom Control (ABCC) instruments were utilized to collect data. Results of the study indicated that almost all pre-service elementary teachers had high self-efficacy beliefs regarding science teaching. In addition, teaching experience did not affect pre-service elementary teachers’ science teaching efficacy beliefs. However, pre-service elementary teachers’ classroom management beliefs tended to change with the teaching practice. While pre-service teachers’ beliefs related to instructional management decrease with teaching practice, their People Management beliefs increase with teaching practice.

Students' views of science and scientists have been widely studied. The purpose of this study is to analyze image of scientist from drawn picture of scientists using The Draw-a-Scientist Test (DAST) by 5th grade students and to analyze where this image comes from students’ minds in changing Turkish educational perspective. Two hundred eighty seven students from sixteen different primary schools, located in the same city, participated in this study. Like previous studies, the findings generally showed that scientists are male, Caucasians, elderly-aged, working indoors with chemistry. On the contrary, the image of scientists, having glasses and facial hair and/or crazy hair, wearing lab coats, and doing dangerous and secrecy things decreased but smiling scientists and indicator of technology increased in young Turkish students’ drawings. Eventually, stereotypical images of the scientist are a slightly lesser than revealed in previous studies. The impact of science teachers and textbooks has shaped what a scientist is and what a scientist does to young students’ minds. Notwithstanding, the influence of media (movies, magazines, television, etc.) has been pointed to as not significant source of information by students.

This study was aimed at finding out if the level of performance of selected Jamaican Grade 12 students on an achievement test on the concept of genetics was satisfactory; if there were statistically significant differences in their performance on the concept linked to their gender, self-esteem, cognitive abilities in biology, school-type and socioeconomic background (SEB); and if there were significant correlations among the five variables and the students’ performance. The sample (n = 357, 102 males and 255 females) was chosen from two all-boys’ schools, four all-girls’ schools, and 13 mixed schools in rural and urban Jamaica. The results indicated that the students’ level of performance (mean = 22.81 or 45.62%) was unsatisfactory; there were statistically significant differences in the students’ performance on the genetics test based on their self-esteem, cognitive abilities in biology and school-type in favour of students with a high self-esteem, high cognitive abilities, and students in the coeducational schools respectively; there was a positive, statistically significant but weak relationship between the students’ (a) self-esteem, (b) cognitive abilities, and (c) school type and their performance on the genetics test.

The conversation between Sandra Abell and Patricia Friedrichsen took place at the University of Missouri, U.S., on December 19, 2007. The purpose of this dialogue was to reflect on Dr. Abell's career in science education and her research on science teacher learning. During the conversation, Sandra Abell discussed changes in research in this field, the usefulness of the pedagogical content knowledge construct, as well as directions for future research. The text includes a brief summary of Sandra Abell's career achievements, a list of our conversation topics, the transcript of the audio-taped conversation, as well as a list of Dr. Abell's selected publications.