Microsoft Word - IEJEE_5_1_Editorial


 

 

 

International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 2012, 5(1) 
 

ISSN:1307-9298 
Copyright © IEJEE 
www.iejee.com 

 

 

 
 

Dear IEJEE readers, 

 

This special issue of the International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education (IEJEE) is 
devoted to one of the most current and important educational topics of our time: Learning 
and Instruction in the Natural Sciences (K-10 focus). Drs. Florencia K. Anggoro and 

Benjamin D. Jee of the College of the Holy Cross, USA, have done a great job as special issue 
editors. I am very grateful for the scientific editorialship they have accomplished as two 
active scholars in their field.  

Our generation has experienced many technological developments, innovative solutions 
and challenging aspects of information society and knowledge society. As contemporary 
educators we have been witnesses to the debates on learning and instruction in the Natural 
Sciences in our countries. Since the 1990s comparative international studies, i.e. the Trends in 
International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the new demands in the national 
and globalized labor markets revealed that the educational systems in all countries have to 
reconsider their existing approaches to the teaching of natural sciences. 

As the world is transforming to a knowledge society, our educational systems necessitate 
appropriate perspectives on and approaches to curriculum development, teaching methods, 
and the creation of learning environments for natural sciences. All are for the sake of our 
children, our environmental consciousness, and our future.   

Dr. Anggoro and Dr. Jee have succeeded in bringing together papers on this challenging 
topic from prominent researchers. I am sure, as a reader, you’ll be delighted to have the 
opportunity to read the papers that were written with the aim of contributing to enhancing 
learning and instruction in the natural sciences. You’ll find creative papers and papers that 
present new ideas and trends and papers that inform us about the new approaches in this 
area. Regardless of whether we are teachers, teacher educators, and/or educational 
researchers, this special issue of the International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education 
(IEJEE) will give us several useful ideas originating from applied cognitive theory. 

This well presented special issue hopefully will be one of our sources of inspiration to 
continue to be a part of the amazing educational field of learning and instruction in the 
natural sciences. This affiliation include some commitments: Working for a better learning 
and teaching environments in natural sciences in all stages of our educational systems. This 
is due to the fact that the natural sciences as a school subject suffers alack of qualified 
teachers and interest from young students. I hope this special issue will make its contribution 
and will inspire more and more youngsters in our countries and environments to be a part of 
our circle of natural scientists.  

This is the fourth special issue of IEJEE since 2006. Without tireless efforts of Dr. Anggoro and 
Dr. Jee, it would not be possible to present this issue. I want to express my gratitude to both 
of them. I also want to thank all the contributors to this special issue. It’s a great honor for me 
to make their knowledge accessible to the readers in the entire world. 



 

International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education Vol.5, Issue 1, 2012 

 

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I also want to thank Dr. Karen Michele Zabrucky, Dr. Turan Temur and Dr. Gökhan Özsoy for 
all the academic advising, professional coordination, and the tireless technical contribution 
they have done for the realization of this special issue. 

 

Dr. Kamil Özerk 
Editor in Chief