Teaching Science for Understanding: A Human Constructivist View (Educational Psychology) [Hardcover]

Joseph D. Novak (Author), Joel J. Mintzes (Editor), James H. Wandersee (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 27, 1998 | ISBN-10: 012498360X | ISBN-13: 978-0124983601 | Edition: 1

Science education has undergone a revolution in recent years, shifting its emphasis from breadth and memorization to depth and understanding. Teaching Science for Understanding begins with an overview of the changes in science education. It then presents a review of each major instructional strategy, information about how it is best used, and the effectiveness of the strategies for understanding and retention of information. The book presents the main strategies used to achieve this depth of understanding, including the use of computer simulations, small laboratories, and journal writing, and it discusses how to use each strategy at the elementary, secondary, and college level.

* Presents an overview of changes in science education
* Discusses both teaching and learning strategies for better understanding
* Covers strategies for use at elementary, secondary, and college levels of teaching
* Reviews specialized teaching methods including computer simulations, small labs, and journal writing

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Science education has undergone a revolution in recent years, shifting its emphasis from breadth and memorization to depth and understanding.Teaching Science for Understandingbegins with an overview of the changes in science education. It then presents a review of each major instructional strategy, information about how it is best used, and the effectiveness of the strategies for understanding and retention of information. The book presents the main strategies used to achieve this depth of understanding, including the use of computer simulations, small laboratories, and journal writing, and it discusses how to use each strategy at the elementary, secondary, and college levels.
Key Features
* Presents an overview of changes in science education
* Discusses both teaching and learning strategies for better understanding
* Covers strategies for use at elementary, secondary, and college levels of teaching
* Reviews specialized teaching methods including computer simulations, small labs, and journal writing

Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Academic Press; 1 edition (January 27, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 012498360X
• ISBN-13: 978-0124983601
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #610,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book to help drag science teaching from the 19th Century!, July 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Teaching Science for Understanding: A Human Constructivist View (Educational Psychology) (Hardcover)

An excellent book laying out the authors'view of teaching and learning - The Human Constructivist view. If you are a science teacher and feel that there is something missing in your classrooms, read this book. If you are disenchanted with a prescriptive curriculum that bores you and your students, read this book. If you want to find out how to get into your students' minds (using tools such as concept maps), read this book. I have found this book to be full of interesting and useful ideas that can act as a spark to ignite a period of critical reflection. If science teaching is to drag itself away from a 19th Century perspective that bores the pants off our students, it is thinkers such as Mintzes, Wandersee and Novak that will light the path.