ABSTRACT
In this ever-changing climate of standards-driven curriculum, high-stakes assessments, and conflicts about what elementary school teachers should know and be able to do in science, teacher educators must provide the opportunity for exploring, with their students, the implications of learning theories for elementary science pedagogy. This chapter examines aspects of major learning theories and ways of thinking about learning theories that relate to elementary science instructional practices. Connecting theory to practice is a complex undertaking, requiring thoughtful consideration of the ways individuals learn best and what pedagogies foster those processes.
