Discusses instructional strategies that help students make and differentiate between observations and inferences, including the use of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation processes. Suggests that early activities focus on analytical procedures in such a way that they can be explained in terms of facts and principles that students will readily…

Four papers are reviewed. They include a description of how instructional modules and small group problem-solving (PS) in a second-year plant anatomy course produced excellent PS skills and various ideas on PS in the context of chemistry. Also reviews guided-design as a strategy to help develop PS skills. (JN)

In order for students to experience science as scientists do, they must learn the skills of inquiry. This paper examines inquiry as a way of learning science and presents strategies to promote inquiry in teaching science. A model of progression of inquiry skills from grades K-2 to 3-5 is presented and the skills are aligned with the Massachusetts…

Discussed are the basic and specialized skills needed for graphing exercises. Suggests approaches and activities that can be used in the teaching of graphing skills. Includes a listing of software programs for both teaching graphing and for analyzing data. (ML)

Presents a method for solving problems related to gas laws, the mole concept, molarity, heats of reactions, and other chemical concepts. Also presents another method which was devised to simplify the teaching of stoichiometric calculations using conversion factors. (JN)

Reviews findings from three diagnostic studies which focused on the problem of tautological explanations. Includes a report on a teaching intervention strategy which resulted in the improvement of pupil performance. Suggests that avoidance of tautology can be taught. (ML)

Offers examples of activities and practical ideas for the instruction of process skills in a laboratory setting. Includes suggestions for the processes of observing, comparing, inferring, collecting data, organizing data, interpreting results, identifying variables, formulating hypotheses, experimenting, predicting, and model building. (ML)

Describes a strategy in which students complete 12 types of reports during a chemistry course. The goal is to improve their ability to communicate effectively in a variety of styles without sacrificing the traditional goals of imparting an understanding of experimental chemistry and an ability to critically analyze experiments/results. (JN)

Recognizing that success in general chemistry is dependent on the development of disciplined study habits, the author motivates his students to develop these skills through prelecture assignments that introduce them to various studying strategies. The format and use of the prelecture assignments are described. (JN)

Explains a study that proposed and tested how graphical representations influence what is learned and recalled from text. Results highlighted the importance of graph-focusing strategies for text learning and support the creative use of interactive computer presentation. (ML)

Describes a laboratory exercise that introduces physics students to graphing. Presents the program format and sample output of a computer simulation of an experiment which tests the effects of sound intensity on the crawling speed of a snail. Provides students with practice in making exponential or logarithmic graphs. (ML)

Investigated whether instructing children in the component skills underlying Piagetian transitivity tasks would increase their performance on both transitivity-related tasks and on reasoning tasks not directly related to transitivity. Results indicate that incorporating the quantification of certain abstract symbols, training can influence…

Offers a series of hands-on activities for introducing students to concepts of energy transfer and conversion. Describes how simple devices as marbles, ramps, and sliders can be used to gauge the transfer of energy and assist in the development of investigative skills. (ML)

This study was undertaken to determine whether a biology preparatory course, given at an urban community college, was helping students to develop the proper skills and background necessary for them to successfully complete follow-up courses in biology. From this case study, it was discovered that only 16% of the initial group of preparatory…

This information sheet: (1) lists and describes basic science process skills (observing, inferring, measuring, communicating, classifying, and predicting); (2) lists and describes integrated science process skills (controlling variables, defining operationally, formulating hypotheses, interpreting data, experimenting, and formulating models); and…