Abstract
This paper briefly reviews evidence on gender inequities in science education. It argues that making science instruction more effective is one way in which greater equity can be achieved. A line of research conducted in my laboratory dealing with conceptual change (CC) approaches to science instruction is discussed. CC instruction explicitly activates students’ pre-existing conceptions, leads students to be dissatisfied with less than adequate conceptions, and helps students construct more effective conceptions. Across several studies, CC instruction was found to be more effective than didactic instruction. CC features added to science text and science lessons facilitate learning for both males and females. Finally, I argue that in adopting new mathematics and science curriculum standards, it is important to recognize the need to promote CC and that “minds-on’ as well as “hands-on” approaches are essential to effective learning.
Recommended Citation
Andre, Thomas
(1997)
"Minds-on and Hands-on Activity: Improving Instruction in Science for All Students,"
Mid-Western Educational Researcher: Vol. 10:
Iss.
2, Article 7.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/mwer/vol10/iss2/7
