Science Education
Program at Penn State
Science Education
Science Education is an option area at the graduate level in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. At the master's level two degrees are offered. They are the Master of Science (M.S.), and the Master of Education (M.Ed.). In both degrees, students study science education theory and practice, contemporary learning theories, and science content. While the M.Ed. focuses on promoting exemplary science education practices, the M.S. focuses on producing research and preparing students for the doctoral program. At the doctoral level, two degrees are awarded - the Doctor of Education (D.Ed.) and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). The emphasis of both degrees is science education. Graduates from the master's programs fill positions in the elementary, middle/junior high, and high schools. Graduates who earn the Ph.D. degree pursue academic careers in research and teach at universities and large colleges. Those who earn the D.Ed. degree occupy positions involving the generation of research and its application to practice.
http://www.ed.psu.edu/ci/ciOptionSciEd/about.html
Professional Associations
American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT)
Supports the advancement, quality, and effectiveness of physics education in the U.S. and throughout the world.
http://www.aapt.org/
American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS)
Serves as the premier forum for the exchange of information and expertise in the care and use of laboratory animals.
http://www.aalas.org/
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Dedicated to the advancement of scientific and technological excellence and to the public's understanding of science and technology across all disciplines.
http://www.aaas.org/
The Association for Science Education (ASE)
Supports the development of science education from primary to tertiary levels.
http://www.ase.org.uk/
Association for the Foundations of Science, Language and Cognition (AFOS)
Brings together scientists and those interested in scientific method to discuss foundational issues in a precise and rigorous manner.
http://www.vub.ac.be/CLEA/AFOS/
Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC)
Supports and stimulates excellence and innovation in science museums and strengthens their capacity to serve as effective community resources in promoting public understanding of science and technology.
http://www.astc.org/about/index.htm
The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)
Promotes excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.
http://www.nsta.org/
Section of Science and Technology - American Bar Association
Explores the legal implications raised by new technical and scientific discoveries and developments.
http://www.abanet.org/scitech/sciintro.html
Selected Reference Sources
The Concise Encyclopedia of the Human Body
Explains over 2,000 key words in the study of cells, bones, muscles, nerves,
blood, digestion, reproduction, and growth, and provides users access to information
by subject.
QP37.B964 1995 Reference Educ & Behav Sci Lib 5th Floor Paterno
DK Nature Encyclopedia
Provides a comprehensive guide to the extraordinary world of plants and animals.
QH48.D56 1998 Reference Educ & Behav Sci Lib 5th Floor Paterno
Dictionary of the Earth
Provides concise definitions and full explanations, and serves as a first
stop reference guide that answers all questions about the fascinating world
of earth science.
QE5.F35 1994 Reference Educ & Behav Sci Lib 5th Floor Paterno
The Dinosaur Society's Dinosaur Encyclopedia
Provides a comprehensive and lavishly illustrated guide to the world of the
dinosaur.
QE862.D5L495 1993 Reference Educ & Behav Sci Lib 5th Floor Paterno
Dorling Kindersley Visual Timeline of Transportation
Charts the development of all kinds of transportation on land, water, and
in the air from the prehistoric time to the present day.
TA1015.W55 1995 Q Reference Educ & Behav Sci Lib 5th Floor Paterno
The Henry Holt Guide to Astronomy
Provides a highly informative and illustrated guide to the stars and planets,
and also provides fascinating details of the physical processes at work in
the universe.
QB45.B145 1990 Reference Educ & Behav Sci Lib 5th Floor Paterno
The Henry Holt Guide to Minerals, Rocks and Fossils
Serves as an authoritative and practical identification guide to minerals,
rocks, and fossils of the world.
QE366.8.H35 1989 Reference Educ & Behav Sci Lib 5th Floor Paterno
The Random House Book of 1001 Questions and Answers about the Human
Body
Presents facts about the curiosities and wonders of the human body and how
it works.
QP37.D34 1994 Reference Educ & Behav Sci Lib 5th Floor Paterno
Smithsonian Visual Timeline of Inventions
Charts the entire history of human ingenuity from the first prehistoric tools
and weapons to video phones and virtual reality.
T15.P63 1994 Reference Educ & Behav Sci Lib 5th Floor Paterno
The Visual Dictionary of Chemistry
Provides an instant access to the specialized vocabulary relating to chemistry
in a way that is clear, informative, and easy to understand.
QD7.C45 1996 Q Reference Educ & Behav Sci Lib 5th Floor Paterno
The Visual Dictionary of the Skeleton
Looks at the structure and function of all types of animal and plant skeletons
from inside out.
QL821.W17 1995 Q Reference Educ & Behav Sci Lib 5th Floor Paterno
The Way Things Work
Provides a comprehensive and entertaining reference guide to the principles
and workings of hundreds of machines and devices from the simplest lever to
the most sophisticated computer.
T47.M18 1988 Reference Educ & Behav Sci Lib 5th Floor Paterno
Indexes and Abstracts
ACS E-Journals
Provides full text access to over twenty American Chemical Society journals.
Access to ACS E-Journals is available only to authorized Penn State authorized
users.
http://pubs.acs.org/about.html
AGRICOLA
(1979-Present)
Over 3.3 million bibliographic records of journal articles, theses, patents,
software, and technical reports related to agriculture and related subjects.
The LIAS Web-based AGRICOLA is available only to authorized Penn State users
http://www.lias.psu.edu/scripts/linklias.exe?where=Go+There&what=AGRICOLA0
Ed
Abstracts
http://web5.silverplatter.com/webspirs/start.ws?customer=c150119&databases=(FT)
ERIC
-- Educational Resources Information Center
ERIC, (Education Resources Information Center),
is a premier database of journal and non-journal education literature, with
more than 1.1 million citations since 1966. Sponsored by the Institute of
Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Dept. of Education.
ERIC covers two types of literature:
Journals [over 1000 scholarly, professional
and practitioner journals]
ERIC Documents [non-journal literature, such
as conference papers, standards reports, etc. Not peer-reviewed].
The recommended ERIC search interface for PSU users is Cambridge Scientific
Abstracts.
What Works Clearinghouse
Created in 2002, the goal of the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) is to identify
findings of scientific evidence. The WWC collects, screens, and identifies
studies of the effectiveness of educational interventions (programs, products,
practices, and policies); reviews studies that have the strongest design;
and reports on the strengths and weaknesses of those studies against the WWC
Evidence Standards. Study
reports [ratings of individual studies and designs for reliability];
intervention reports [findings that meet WWC Evidence Standards for a
particular intervention]; topic
reports [description of topic and each intervention that the WWC reviewed]
http://www.w-w-c.org/
INSPEC
(Physics)
Provides indexing and abstracts for journal articles and conference proceedings
in the subject areas of physics, astronomy, information technology, computer
science, electrical engineering, and some areas of chemistry.
http://www.iee.org/publish/inspec/
Meteorological and
Geoastrophysical Abstracts
International access to the world's meteorological and climatological literature,
including atmospheric chemistry and physics, physical oceanography, hydrology,
glaciology, and related environmental sciences.
http://www.lias.psu.edu/dball.html#METEOR
NTIS
(National Technical Information Services)
Reports on research in the U. S. and other nations in the fields of engineering
and the sciences. Includes some coverage in areas including education, business,
economics, health sciences, government policy, sociology, etc. The LIAS Web-based
NTIS is available only to Penn State users.
http://www.lias.psu.edu/scripts/linklias.exe?where=Go+There&what=NTIS
PENpages - PSU Ag Extension
Database
News, alerts, and articles in the areas of agriculture, animal science, agronomy,
family life, food safety, and many others.
http://www.penpages.psu.edu/
Professional Development Collection
Professional Development Collection, designed for professional educators and librarians, provides a highly specialized collection of over 515 full text journals, including nearly 350 peer-reviewed titles, with full text dating as far back as 1965. . It also provides full text for 167 education pamphlets, a searchable images database, and will soon contain full text for scholarly monographs. A title list can be seen at http://www.epnet.com/titlelists/pdf/tf.pdf.
http://www.lias.psu.edu/dball.html#PROFDEV
Web of Knowledge/Web
of Science
http://isi4.isiknowledge.com/portal.cgi/wos
Selected Journals
Cognition and Instruction
http://www.leaonline.com/loi/ci
International Journal of Science Education
Provides information, ideas and opinions that serve as a means for placing
research findings in the context of the classroom.
Q181.A1E8901 Life Sciences Lib 4th Floor Paterno
Journal of Elementary Science Education
Research on learning and teaching science in elementary school.
Q181.A1J64 Life Sciences Lib 4th Floor Paterno
Journal of the Learning Sciences
Provides a multidisciplinary forum for the presentation of research and new
ways of thinking about learning and education.
http://www-static.cc.gatech.edu/computing/lst//jls/
Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education
Provides access to innovative concepts and techniques for improving science
education programs.
S531.J67 Life Sciences Lib 4th Floor Paterno
Journal of Research in Science Teaching
Articles related to the philosophy, historical perspective, teaching strategies,
curriculum development, and other topics relevant to science education.
Q1.J68 Life Sciences Lib 4th Floor Paterno
Journal of Science Teacher Education
A forum for disseminating research and theoretical position statements concerning
the preparation and in-service education of science teachers.
Q181.A1J67 Life Sciences Lib 4th Floor Paterno
Journal of Teacher Education
Covers social and professional issues affecting teachers at all levels.
LB1705.N27 Educ & Behav Sci Lib 5th Floor Paterno
Science
Education
Publishes original articles on the latest issues and trends occurring internationally
in science curriculum, instruction, learning, policy and preparation of science
teachers with the aim to advance our knowledge of science education theory
and practice
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/32122
Science &
Education
Promotes the utilization of historical, philosophical and sociological scholarship
to clarify and deal with the many intellectual issues facing contemporary
science and mathematics education.
http://www.kluweronline.com/issn/0926-7220/
Resources for Science Education
Academic Standards for Science and Technology: Pennsylvania Department of Education
Provides access to the academic standards for teaching science and technology in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
http://www.pde.state.pa.us/k12/lib/k12/scitech.doc
Division of Science
Resources Studies (SRS)
A central clearinghouse for the collection, interpretation, and analysis of
data on scientific and engineering and technology resources.
http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/stats.htm
The Independent School Entrance
Examination (ISEE) Practice Test Prep Review
This is a site that provides information and free online practice tests to
assist ISEE test takers. http://www.testprepreview.com
The International Handbook of Science Education
A detailed, comprehensive, and up-to-date overview of advanced international
scholarship in science education.
Q181.I6557 1998 Reference Educ & Behav Sci Lib 5th Floor Paterno
IPL Science Fair Project
Resource Guide
Serves as a guide to a variety of web site resources that facilitate student
participation in science fairs.
http://www.ipl.org/youth/projectguide/
National Science Resources
Center (NSRC)
Provides schools with information, training, resources, and support that would
improve the teaching of science. Provides excellent ideas on hands-on science
activities.
http://www.si.edu/nsrc/about/about.htm
School Science Fairs
Projects Homepage
Aids students in the most difficult aspects of their science fair experience
and provides numerous ideas for science fairs.
http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/sciencefairs/
Virtual
Courseware for Science Education
Includes interactive Web-based activities for the Life and Earth Sciences
at the high school AP level.
http://www.sciencecourseware.org/
Evolution
Debate in Kansas Spurs Battle Over School Materials
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/27/AR2005102701999.html