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Ron Good

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Dr. Ron Good is Professor Emeritus, LSU (Baton Rouge, 1987-2002) and FSU (Tallahassee, 1968-1986). Dr. Good is a science educator recognized as a Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), a member of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, and former editor of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching. He is the author of numerous professional publications, including Scientific and Religious Habits of Mind in 2005. His professional interests include the study of how these habits of mind develop and interact in children and adults, with a focus on the history and philosophy of science.

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Papers by Ron Good

Science Computer Software. A Handbook on Selection and Classroom Use

The domain of science education

Science Education, Apr 1, 1985

Scientific and religious habits of mind: Irreconcilable tensions in the curriculum

The open, inquiring nature of science is fundamentally incompatible with the closed, authoritaria... more

Science Computer Software. A Handbook on Selection and Classroom Use

The Computer as Powerful Tool for Understanding Science

Teaching Science for Understanding, 2005

... Other Microworlds and Simulations Logo, Sprite-Logo, Lego-Logo, and similar microworlds ...Sc... more

The Assessment of Self-Perceptions in Science

The researchers developed a unique measure of student self-perception for use in a large, control... more

The Assessment of Self-Perceptions in Science

The researchers developed a unique measure of student self-perception for use in a large, control... more

Timothy Ferris: The Science of Liberty: Democracy, Reason, and the Laws of Nature : Harper, New York, 2010, ISBN: 978-0-06-078150-7, 368 pp, price 26.99 (Book Review)

Science Education, 2011

The first chapter ''Science & Liberty'' begins with a quote by Thomas Jefferson: ''Liberty…is the... more The first chapter ''Science & Liberty'' begins with a quote by Thomas Jefferson: ''Liberty…is the great parent of science and of virtue; and…a nation will be great in both, always in proportion as it is free.'' In his 1789 letter to Joseph Willard, Jefferson conveys the essence of what will become the theme of Timothy Ferris' book, published 221 years later. Jefferson, the main author of the U.S. Declaration of Independence and one of the greatest U.S. presidents, was also the most scientific and he saw the importance of scientific thought in promoting liberal democracy. Unlike other histories of U.S. democracy where science is seen as a correlate but not a cause of democracy, Ferris' Science of Liberty maintains that ''…the democratic revolution was sparked-caused is perhaps not too strong a word-by the scientific revolution, and that science continues to foster political freedom today'' (p. 2). He goes onto say ''…the freedoms protected by liberal democracies are essential to facilitating scientific inquiry, and that democracy itself is an experimental system without which neither science nor liberty can flourish'' (p. 2). Throughout the remainder of his book, Ferris explores this proposition by (1) studying the link between science and liberty from the Renaissance through the end of the 18th century, (2) tracing R. Good (&) Professor Emeritus,

Lyons, Sherrie Lynne: Species, Serpents, Spirits, and Skulls: Science at the Margins in the Victorian Age

Sci Education, 2011

Jerry A. Coyne: Why Evolution is True : Viking Press, New York, 2009, ISBN: 9780670020539, 304 pages, US$ 27.95 (Book Review)

Science Education, 2010

Students' conceptual ecologies and the process of conceptual change in evolution

Science Education, 1995

Using conceptual change as a theoretical lens, the purpose of this study is to describe the struc... more Using conceptual change as a theoretical lens, the purpose of this study is to describe the structure of a learner's conceptual ecology within a specific content area (biological evolution) and to illustrate how this ecology influences the process of conceptual change. Data were gathered using participant observations in a high school Biology I1 classroom as well as a series of 17 open-ended and structured interviews with each of four research participants. The interviews were designed to illustrate the participants' approaches to biology as well as to describe their changing conceptual frameworks for evolutionary theory. Interview techniques used include: concept mapping, drawing interviews, discussion of pre-and posttests, and sorting tasks. A learner's conceptual ecology for evolution was found to include prior conceptions related to evolutionary theory (both scientific and alternative), scientific and religious orientations, view of the biological world, and acceptance of evolutionary theory. However, the data demonstrate that the actions of these aspects of the conceptual ecology can vary among individuals and no single controlling mechanism was isolated. Most importantly, the data demonstrate that conceptual change has significant affective com

Editorial. More guidelines for reviewing research

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1993

Editorial.JRST welcomesAll quality research

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1992

Editorial. The importance of replication studies

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1992

Should we give up on the goal of science literacy?

American Journal of Physics, 1997

Science Education at the Crossroads

This paper represents a pilot study of a Lego Robotics Curriculum which is currently being used t... more This paper represents a pilot study of a Lego Robotics Curriculum which is currently being used to teach Engineering Design Principles that are presently tested on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) to a group of special needs students in grades one through five at the Chamberlain Elementary School (pseudonym) in an urban elementary school. The MCAS is the current test used to measure student progress for No Child Left Behind. The current Massachusetts Frameworks for Science and Technology, ...

Nature-of-Science Assessment Based on "Benchmarks" and "Standards

by Catherine L Cummins and Ron Good

One way to achieve a higher level of agreement on the nature of science (NOS) within the science ... more One way to achieve a higher level of agreement on the nature of science (NOS) within the science education community is to embrace the two major documents, Benchmarks for Science Literacy (1993) and National Science Education Standards (1996). Both Benchmarks and Standards have many statements on the nature of science that can be used as the basis for research in this area of science literacy. This paper reports a study of the development and field test of a questionnaire based on the NOS information in

Nature-of-Science Assessment Based on "Benchmarks" and "Standards

One way to achieve a higher level of agreement on the nature of science (NOS) within the science ... more One way to achieve a higher level of agreement on the nature of science (NOS) within the science education community is to embrace the two major documents, Benchmarks for Science Literacy (1993) and National Science Education Standards (1996). Both Benchmarks and Standards have many statements on the nature of science that can be used as the basis for research in this area of science literacy. This paper reports a study of the development and field test of a questionnaire based on the NOS information in

Postmodernism and Science Education: An Appraisal

Children's Abilities With the Four Basic Arithmetic Operations in Grades K-2

School Science and Mathematics, 1979

A position paper entitled "The Traditional Sequencing of Mathematics for Young Children Should be... more A position paper entitled "The Traditional Sequencing of Mathematics for Young Children Should be Changed" appeared in the January 1977 issue of School Science and Mathematics, In that paper I proposed that the four basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division should be totally interrelated, in a concrete way, from the very beginning of a child's instruction in mathematics. The "content" of the four operations would be mostly non-symbolic experiences with manipulative materials, with references to multi-digit numbers being deemphasized. Thus, the increasing difficulty of such a mathematics program for young children would be with the number system itself rather than the operations. This is consistent with what teachers recognize as the most difficult area for children to conceptualize, namely place value.

Science Computer Software. A Handbook on Selection and Classroom Use

The domain of science education

Science Education, Apr 1, 1985

Scientific and religious habits of mind: Irreconcilable tensions in the curriculum

The open, inquiring nature of science is fundamentally incompatible with the closed, authoritaria... more

Science Computer Software. A Handbook on Selection and Classroom Use

The Computer as Powerful Tool for Understanding Science

Teaching Science for Understanding, 2005

... Other Microworlds and Simulations Logo, Sprite-Logo, Lego-Logo, and similar microworlds ...Sc... more

The Assessment of Self-Perceptions in Science

The researchers developed a unique measure of student self-perception for use in a large, control... more

The Assessment of Self-Perceptions in Science

The researchers developed a unique measure of student self-perception for use in a large, control... more

Timothy Ferris: The Science of Liberty: Democracy, Reason, and the Laws of Nature : Harper, New York, 2010, ISBN: 978-0-06-078150-7, 368 pp, price 26.99 (Book Review)

Science Education, 2011

The first chapter ''Science & Liberty'' begins with a quote by Thomas Jefferson: ''Liberty…is the... more The first chapter ''Science & Liberty'' begins with a quote by Thomas Jefferson: ''Liberty…is the great parent of science and of virtue; and…a nation will be great in both, always in proportion as it is free.'' In his 1789 letter to Joseph Willard, Jefferson conveys the essence of what will become the theme of Timothy Ferris' book, published 221 years later. Jefferson, the main author of the U.S. Declaration of Independence and one of the greatest U.S. presidents, was also the most scientific and he saw the importance of scientific thought in promoting liberal democracy. Unlike other histories of U.S. democracy where science is seen as a correlate but not a cause of democracy, Ferris' Science of Liberty maintains that ''…the democratic revolution was sparked-caused is perhaps not too strong a word-by the scientific revolution, and that science continues to foster political freedom today'' (p. 2). He goes onto say ''…the freedoms protected by liberal democracies are essential to facilitating scientific inquiry, and that democracy itself is an experimental system without which neither science nor liberty can flourish'' (p. 2). Throughout the remainder of his book, Ferris explores this proposition by (1) studying the link between science and liberty from the Renaissance through the end of the 18th century, (2) tracing R. Good (&) Professor Emeritus,

Lyons, Sherrie Lynne: Species, Serpents, Spirits, and Skulls: Science at the Margins in the Victorian Age

Sci Education, 2011

Jerry A. Coyne: Why Evolution is True : Viking Press, New York, 2009, ISBN: 9780670020539, 304 pages, US$ 27.95 (Book Review)

Science Education, 2010

Students' conceptual ecologies and the process of conceptual change in evolution

Science Education, 1995

Using conceptual change as a theoretical lens, the purpose of this study is to describe the struc... more Using conceptual change as a theoretical lens, the purpose of this study is to describe the structure of a learner's conceptual ecology within a specific content area (biological evolution) and to illustrate how this ecology influences the process of conceptual change. Data were gathered using participant observations in a high school Biology I1 classroom as well as a series of 17 open-ended and structured interviews with each of four research participants. The interviews were designed to illustrate the participants' approaches to biology as well as to describe their changing conceptual frameworks for evolutionary theory. Interview techniques used include: concept mapping, drawing interviews, discussion of pre-and posttests, and sorting tasks. A learner's conceptual ecology for evolution was found to include prior conceptions related to evolutionary theory (both scientific and alternative), scientific and religious orientations, view of the biological world, and acceptance of evolutionary theory. However, the data demonstrate that the actions of these aspects of the conceptual ecology can vary among individuals and no single controlling mechanism was isolated. Most importantly, the data demonstrate that conceptual change has significant affective com

Editorial. More guidelines for reviewing research

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1993

Editorial.JRST welcomesAll quality research

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1992

Editorial. The importance of replication studies

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1992

Should we give up on the goal of science literacy?

American Journal of Physics, 1997

Science Education at the Crossroads

This paper represents a pilot study of a Lego Robotics Curriculum which is currently being used t... more This paper represents a pilot study of a Lego Robotics Curriculum which is currently being used to teach Engineering Design Principles that are presently tested on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) to a group of special needs students in grades one through five at the Chamberlain Elementary School (pseudonym) in an urban elementary school. The MCAS is the current test used to measure student progress for No Child Left Behind. The current Massachusetts Frameworks for Science and Technology, ...

Nature-of-Science Assessment Based on "Benchmarks" and "Standards

by Catherine L Cummins and Ron Good

One way to achieve a higher level of agreement on the nature of science (NOS) within the science ... more One way to achieve a higher level of agreement on the nature of science (NOS) within the science education community is to embrace the two major documents, Benchmarks for Science Literacy (1993) and National Science Education Standards (1996). Both Benchmarks and Standards have many statements on the nature of science that can be used as the basis for research in this area of science literacy. This paper reports a study of the development and field test of a questionnaire based on the NOS information in

Nature-of-Science Assessment Based on "Benchmarks" and "Standards

One way to achieve a higher level of agreement on the nature of science (NOS) within the science ... more One way to achieve a higher level of agreement on the nature of science (NOS) within the science education community is to embrace the two major documents, Benchmarks for Science Literacy (1993) and National Science Education Standards (1996). Both Benchmarks and Standards have many statements on the nature of science that can be used as the basis for research in this area of science literacy. This paper reports a study of the development and field test of a questionnaire based on the NOS information in

Postmodernism and Science Education: An Appraisal

Children's Abilities With the Four Basic Arithmetic Operations in Grades K-2

School Science and Mathematics, 1979

A position paper entitled "The Traditional Sequencing of Mathematics for Young Children Should be... more A position paper entitled "The Traditional Sequencing of Mathematics for Young Children Should be Changed" appeared in the January 1977 issue of School Science and Mathematics, In that paper I proposed that the four basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division should be totally interrelated, in a concrete way, from the very beginning of a child's instruction in mathematics. The "content" of the four operations would be mostly non-symbolic experiences with manipulative materials, with references to multi-digit numbers being deemphasized. Thus, the increasing difficulty of such a mathematics program for young children would be with the number system itself rather than the operations. This is consistent with what teachers recognize as the most difficult area for children to conceptualize, namely place value.