This fourth international handbook discusses developments not recognized or dealt with fully in the first three Springer Mathematics Education handbooks and tackles controversial issues in the field. After starting with a provocative introductory chapter which asks whether controversy is a healthy feature of international mathematics education,…

Interventions that are based on scientific principles of applied behaviour analysis (ABA) are recognised as effective treatments for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by many governments and professionals (Office of the Surgeon General, 2000; Ontario IBI Initiative, 2002). However, many still view ABA as one of many treatments for…

In this case study, we are able to take a close look at a situation not often encountered in the literature on ICTs in emerging economies: a private company from an emerging economy provided much-needed funding for a US NASA higher learning consortium through a contract for training and research and development in 3D visualization. This study…

Though the field of physics is moving toward more realistic problems and the use of computers and mathematical modeling to promote insightful treatment of physical problems, artificial problems still appear in textbooks in the field of electrostatics. Discusses physical arguments why one of the most popular textbook applications of Coulomb's Law…

Presents a simple experiment--a marble rolling on a tilted desk--to introduce students to moving bodies. Makes difficult subjects such as measurement, calculus, modeling, and uncertainty easier to identify by putting them into a simple context. Discusses misconceptions, models, and measurements. (JRH)

The misconceptions related to the concepts of force and acceleration among college students are explored. Misconceptions are identified and their occurrence among a large percentage of students are observed. Provided are some implications for physics teaching and an eight-item test. (Author/YP)

Examines the nature of selected traditional cosmological concepts among literate and nonliterate Nigerians. Findings indicate that the respondents, regardless of their status, hold both scientific and traditional notions of the universe. A preference for a scientific world view was evidenced by those who experienced a history/philosophy of science…

Primary school teachers' responses to interview questions about science concepts are described and compared in general terms with views of scientific concepts held by children. Some possible implications of the findings for the development of primary science are outlined. Sample interview questions are included. (Author/CW)

Describes an application of methodology based on the Information Integration Theory to study intuitive mastery by 13-14 year-olds of Archimedes' Effect in physics. (Author/YP)

Identifies and describes the problems students have with the concept of neutralization. Analysis of over 7,500 students' answers to test questions over neutralization showed that many students understand the concept in its original meaning. Students assumed that in any neutralization reaction a neutral solution is formed, even if a weak acid or…

The study reported in this paper intended to trace what Chinese children think about life and identify their naive theories. Fifty-eight 5-year-old children in Taiwan from 39 kindergartens were interviewed using a semi-structured instrument. Results indicate that preschool children have preconceptions about the concept of life even before entering…

Examined are tenth-grade Western Australian students' conceptual knowledge of gravity and the motion of the planets. Students were interviewed with seven cards, and a four-item diagnostic test based on the interview data on the first four cards was developed. A total of 113 students' responses to the test are summarized. (YP)

This article presents an approach to teaching "motion and inertia." The teaching strategy consists of four phases: (1) orientation; (2) eliciting children's ideas; (3) restructuring of ideas; and (4) improving and applying. Samples of students' ideas on the concept of mechanics are provided. Lists 11 references. (YP)

A questionnaire and demonstrations were used to identify students' conceptions about the composition of orthogonal velocities. Four questions from the questionnaire are provided and the results for each question are reported. The four implicit vector characteristics of this study are appended. (YP)

The results of survey of secondary school biology students used to access misconceptions about cells are presented. A distinction between conceptions, misconceptions, and nonconceptions is drawn in terms of secondary school biology concepts. The resilience of misconceptions is discussed. (CW)