Explored Morine and Morine's ("Discovery: A Challenge to Teachers") assumptions regarding age and cognitive development of students (N=174) successfully utilizing structured inductive and semi-deductive inquiry strategies. One finding noted is that age has made a significant difference on achievement for both strategies. Implications for…

Examples of explanations students give during science lessons are used to demonstrate that there are a number of very different modes of explaining. In addition, it is suggested that the peculiarly scientific method of explanation is fraught with difficulties, some of which current learning theories may just be able to describe. Areas discussed…

An increase in the cognitive restructuring aspect of field-independence was found to be associated with an increase in formal operational thought in 11- to 12-year-olds who were given materials designed to achieve this result. Materials used (including computer programs) are described in an appendix. (JN)

Investigated what effects two instructional strategies (related to student use of manipulative materials) would have on second-grade students' (N=96) development of logical structures. Also examined the effects of sex on logical development. Results indicate that supplying manipulative materials alone is not adequate in promoting development of…

Examined were children's conception of changes in the state of matter and their understanding of the reversibility of the process. The relationship between children's intuitive ideas about matter, as observed in this study, and their logical ability to conserve weight is discussed. (CW)

Presented is a criticism of Lawson's (1988) article on the development of misconceptions of biological concepts. Lawson's response to this criticism follows. (CW)

The results of a study conducted with elementary school students in Tanzania are presented. A number of alternative conceptions were revealed. The role of sociocultural beliefs in forming these conceptions is described, and the implications of these findings for science teaching and teacher education are discussed. (Author/CW)

Researchers have attempted to develop paper and pencil Piagetian tests that yield results equivalent to manipulative Piagetian tasks and that can be administered in significantly less time. This study is an attempt to partially replicate and extend the findings of research by Paul Ankeny and Lyle Joyce who found significant positive correlations…

This study is concerned with preservice primary school teachers (N=100), a group of tertiary students who traditionally come from the secondary school stream. These students have, on the whole, avoided subjects like physics, chemistry, and mathematics that demand a high level of cognitive development for understanding/assimilation of abstract…

The fields of science education and science studies and their respective academic communities, while appearing to have many potential points of contact, remain surprisingly separate, with little apparent recognition of the relevance to the interests of each to work done within the other traditions. As a field of study science education deals with…

This paper contends that the science education community would benefit from a three-step, research-based model that would allow science education researchers, in the final step, to make recommendations to classroom teachers. The first step would be to establish an interdisciplinary approach to research on how the brain and mind learn and remember.…

Relationships between an inquiry-oriented science inservice education program and teacher implementation of workshop-developed materials were investigated. Workshop topics included Piagetian learning theory, creating classrooms conducive to implementing inquiry-oriented science programs, use of the learning cycle, and matching learning activities…

Models the ideas of children's misconceptions and subsequent acceptance of conventional scientific thought on the simple cusp of catastrophe theory. Demonstrates one theory of the forces which are necessary to change a misconception to a scientific concept. (CW)

Presents a theoretical framework for and a detaled description of a model for teaching scientific analogies. The framework focuses on the definition of an analogy, analogical learning, variables related to analogical learning, evaluating outcomes of analogical limiting, and limitations of using analogies in teaching. (JN)

Described is an investigation that determined whether young children have schemas for environmental information. The results are discussed with reference to the importance of memory schemas for learning about the environment. (KR)