Professor John Gilbert, the internationally renown and award-winning author, has spent the last thirty years researching, thinking and writing about some of the key and enduring issues in science education. He has contributed over twenty books and 400 articles to the field and is Editor-in-Chief of the "International Journal of Science Education". For the first time, sixteen of his key writings have been brought together in one volume. The specially written introduction seeks to untangle the impact of the three sources of influence on the direction of the work reported. This unique book highlights important shifts in emphasis in educational research, the impact of influential individuals, and looks at matters of national and international concern. All this is interwoven in the following four themes: - explanation, models, modeling in science education - relating science education and technology education - informal education in science and technology - alternative conceptions and science education. For anyone who seeks a clearer understanding of the developments in science education over the last thirty years, this volume provides a useful route map to the thoughts and work of one of the leading scholars in the field.