This book explores sixteen contemporary issues in science education by examining the practical dilemmas these issues provoke for teachers. It is a unique book which presents student-teachers with personal and professional insights into a whole range of science topics including the laws of science, teaching ethics, laboratories and culture, gender and ethnicity.Each chapter takes as its focus one of the sixteen issues and begins with a case-study of a science lesson written by a practising teacher. This is followed by a short, reflective piece by the same teacher on how the lesson went and how opportunities for teaching and learning could be improved. This reflection is followed by commentaries from some of the world's leading science educators on what they felt were the strengths and weaknesses of the lesson.The extensive use of teacher-written case studies and commentaries will make this book suitable for the pre-service courses, where case methods are typically used to provide a context for learning the craft of teaching. The addition of commentaries from distinguished scholars makes the book relevant for postgraduate courses in science education and as a reference volume for teacher researchers.

Part I: Dilemmas about Science 1. The Nature of Science 2. Laws of Science 3. Laboratories Part II: Dilemmas about Difference 4. Gender 5. Equity 6. Culture and Ethnicity 7. Power Part III: Dilemmas about Representation 8. Textbooks 9. Student Reports 10. Questioning 11. Analogies Part IV: Dilemmas about Teaching and Learning 12. Teaching Ethics 13. Constructivism 14. Science for All 15. Teaching Out of Field 16. Curriculum Change