Building on the foundation set in Volume I--a landmark synthesis of research in the field--Volume II is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art new volume highlighting new and emerging research perspectives.

The contributors, all experts in their research areas, represent the international and gender diversity in the science education research community. The volume is organized around six themes: theory and methods of science education research; science learning; culture, gender, and society and science learning; science teaching; curriculum and assessment in science; science teacher education. Each chapter presents an integrative review of the research on the topic it addresses--pulling together the existing research, working to understand the historical trends and patterns in that body of scholarship, describing how the issue is conceptualized within the literature, how methods and theories have shaped the outcomes of the research, and where the strengths, weaknesses, and gaps are in the literature.

Providing guidance to science education faculty and graduate students and leading to new insights and directions for future research, the Handbook of Research on Science Education, Volume II is an essential resource for the entire science education community.

Norman G. Lederman is Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA. He is internationally known for his research on teaching and learning nature of science, has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the American Educational Research Association (AERA), and has received the Distinguished Contributions to Science Education through Research Award from the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST).

Sandra K. Abell (deceased) was MU Curators Professor of Science Education, University of Missouri, USA. A renowned researcher and author nationally and internationally, she was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Educational Research Association (AERA), and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and received numerous awards for her teaching and mentoring of students.