Dedication. Contributors. Preface. 1. Introduction; R.F. Fuller. 2. A Love of Discovery. 3. Exciting Science Lessons. 4. The Learning Cycle. 5. Student Autonomy and Teacher Input. 6. Central Role of Students' Reasoning. 7. Teaching and the Conceptual Structure of Physics. 8. Scientific Literacy and the Teacher Development Gap: Karplus' Challenge. 9. The Scientist's Science Educator. 10. The First Career of Robert Karplus - Theoretical Physics; R.G. Fuller. 11. The Transition Years; R.G. Fuller. 12. The Second Career - Science Education; R.G. Fuller. Appendices.

Robert Karplus, a professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley, USA, became a leader in the movement to reform elementary school science in the 1960s. This book selects the enduring aspects of his work and presents them for the scientists and science educators of today. In an era when `science education for ALL students' has become the clarion call, the insights and works of Robert Karplus are as relevant now as they were in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s. This book tries to capture the essence of his life and work and presents selections of his published articles in a helpful context.