Creating Lifelong Science Learners: What Models Form a Firm Foundation?

Abstract

Recently published standards for science, mathematics, history, and other fields challenge educators to design instruction that sets in motion a lifelong habit of learning. Creating lifelong learners requires the redesign of instruction to ensure that students have a generative understanding and an inclination to progressively refine their ideas. We discuss research on middle-school science learning and instruction that suggests how generative models of scientific phenomena can be developed, and we offer a framework for curriculum reform.