The manner of use of instructional language during teaching by the science teacher as a factor in the quality of learning of school science is still a rare focus in science education research. This article reports and discusses findings in an investigation of Kenyan physics teachers’ perspectives on and approaches to the use of instructional language during teaching. Data were collected by use of direct classroom observations, interviews with school physics teachers (n=9) and content analyses of their verbatim classroom talk.

The purpose of this study was to examine pre-service first-year primary teachers’ perceptions about teaching science and words used in primary science. The study utilised a questionnaire to examine their perceptions before they had received any formal science education training at the tertiary level. Perceptions of their self-competence to teach primary science correlated with their perceptions to explain selected words used in primary science. Similar correlations existed between their explained meanings of these words and their ability to explain selected phenomena.

Writing has been recommended as a powerful strategy to enhance students' learning of science and mathematics. However, content-area educators may be reluctant to include writing because of the demands imposed by traditional writing activities on both instructional and grading/feedback time.

This paper describes an interdisciplinary study where science/math and English methods preservice teachers were trained through experiencing an open-ended, project-enhanced learning environment. Due to the fact that most preservice teachers have never had any experience at performing project-enhanced investigations, our study centered on teacher training that allowed preservice teachers the opportunity to explore various "investigable" realms of mathematics and science phenomena.

This study identified effective instructional strategies for the promotion of constructivist teaching of elementary science for English Learners. An expert review, pilot study and classroom observations were conducted in fifth grade classrooms of Hispanic and Filipino English Learners in a multicultural school district in the Southern San Joaquin Valley of California to identify and verify the effectiveness of particular English Language Development (ELD), constructivist instructional techniques in science instruction.

This paper reports on a collaborative classroom intervention involving a university science education lecturer, a classroom practitioner and 30 students aged 12 -13 years in a city comprehensive school in the UK. The intervention used socio cultural theories of learning to inform medium term planning and staged increased opportunities for discursive activities within a sequence of chemistry lessons. The impact of the intervention was monitored using student test scores, written outcomes and qualitative interview data.

From a “feminisms” theoretical perspective my exploratory research examines the challenges involved in the linguistic border crossing of an English-speaking science educator who volunteered to become a “teacher as second language learner”. Specifically, through narrative inquiry I examined the challenges I encountered as a second language learner at a Spanish speaking elementary school in Guatemala.

One hundred fifty three fifth grade students found to have misconceptions about seasonal change were randomly assigned to either a video-print or print-video group. In Study One, each group read or viewed content about seasonal change and a free recall, multiple choice and application task were administered within the week following the treatment. Two weeks later, Study Two replicated the procedures with the groups receiving content in the alternate media. There were no significant differences found between media after each study. Exposure to both media favored the video-print order.