All Journal of College Science Teaching resources

Journal Article

The Case Study: Saint Anthony and the Chicken Poop—An Essay on the Power of Storytelling in the Teaching of Science

Not only are stories captivating, they make it easier to learn and recall facts, figures, and equations. Stories tell us who we are as a people—the ...

Journal Article

An Integrative Science Capstone Course: Western Washington University's Experiment in Investigative Science for Elementary Education Majors

This article describes a course in experimental science for preservice elementary education students. Through “directed discovery,” students colla...

Journal Article

SCST: Celebrating SCST's Commitment to Science Education—A Brief Look Back: Improving Interdisciplinary Science-Teacher Interaction

In this column the leadership of SCST shares its views with JCST readers. In this month’s issue the focus is on the first SCST goal: Improvement in ...

Journal Article

A Shared Biology Teaching Experience Among Undergraduate Colleges: The "Spartan Speakers Program”—Benefiting Colleges and Universities Across Michigan

In over 18 years of operation, the Michigan State University’s “Spartan Speakers Program” has provided over 346 quality seminars, discussions, a...

Journal Article

Original Research Projects: A Major Component of an Undergraduate Microbiology Course: Engaging in Independent Research—Studying a Karst Aquifer in South Central Texas

This article describes a new teaching strategy employed in a senior-level microbiology course where up to 25 students are introduced to and conduct se...

Journal Article

A Science-in-the-Making Course for Nonscience Majors: Reinforcing the Scientific Method Using an Inquiry Approach

Using the inquiry method, nonscience majors in Portland State University’s Natural Science Inquiry classes complete student-directed projects, indiv...

Journal Article

Favorite Demonstration: An Interactive, Fiery Model of Genetic Complementation—Shedding Light on a Conceptually Difficult Biological Topic

The phenomenon of complementation is not only one of the most important, but it is also one of the most challenging concepts for undergraduate genetic...

Journal Article

Introducing Undergraduates to Diagnostic Virology Using PCR: Understanding Molecular Techniques of DNA Analysis in Diagnostic Medicine

In clinical laboratories, molecular methods of DNA analysis such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are used to identify fungal and bacterial path...

Journal Article

Research and Teaching: "Chemical-Free" Foods—An Investigation of Senior Chemistry: The Struggle to Reach a Definition of “Chemistry”

The aim of this study is to determine what students' conceptions of a chemical are as they graduate with degrees in chemistry. With the knowledge of w...

Journal Article

What Should Students Learn About the Nature of Science and How Should We Teach It? Applying the "If-And-Then-Therefore" Pattern to Develop Students' Theoretical Reasoning Abilities in Science

Teaching in ways that help students understand the nature of science and how to use scientific reasoning patterns have long been central goals of scie...

Journal Article

Scientific Reasoning for Nonscience Majors: Ronald N. Giere's Approach: Analyzing Scientific Press Reports to Teach Nonmajors the Value of Research

Ronald Giere has created a novel and effective approach for teaching general education science courses. His textbook provides students with an opportu...

Journal Article

SCST: SCST Turns Twenty. Now What? Asking How We Can Better Serve Our Members—Can You Provide the Answers?

In this column the leadership of the Society for College Science Teachers (SCST) shares its views with JCST readers. In this month’s issue the new p...

Journal Article

Writing Abstracts on a Central Theme: Linking Diverse Course Material to Create a More Complete Understanding of Engineering Geology

The abstract writing assignments described in this article focus on a central theme and require the students to apply, rather than summarize, course m...