Investigated children's conceptualization of scientific phenomena and intuitive methods learned from their everyday experiences. Explores the nature of tinkering within the context of electricity. Presents a model of tinkering that provides a conceptual framework for the interpretation of tinkering as one of the methods students use to make sense…

Tested Richard Duschl's triadic model of the growth of scientific knowledge against research practices of 10 accomplished life scientists. Reports that the scientists were willing to change their aims, methods, or theories and were both realists and relativists depending on the scientific discourse about the phenomena in question. Discusses…

Models occupy the content core of physics, and modeling is a major process for constructing and employing physics knowledge. A model is characterized by its domain, composition, structure, behavior, and organization. Problem solving is a schematic modeling process consisting of model selection, construction, validation, analysis, and deployment. A…

Reports on the meiosis models utilized by five individuals at each of three levels of expertise in genetics as each reasoned about this process in an individual interview setting. Results revealed a set of biologically correct features common to all individuals' models as well as a variety of model flaws (i.e., meiosis misunderstandings) which are…

Investigates the effect of modeling analogy on learning of the concepts of electricity in grade 6, 8, and 10. Describes 2 analogies (train analogy and thermal analogy) with diagrams and examples. Discusses the accessibility, transferability, and difficulty of each analogy. Reports treatment effect and some further implications. (YP)

An examination of the introspective evidence of artists and scientists on their creative processes suggests that determining the causes underlying the transformation of material in thought is the key for understanding creativity. A similar problem underlies the transformational process of understanding metaphor. T.S. Kuhn's view of scientific…

Discussion of problems students have with learning about Newtonian dynamics and kinematics focuses on the assumption that learning is promoted through confronting students with their own misconceptions. A computer-based modelling environment--DYNLAB--is explained, and a study conducted with high school boys in Scotland to test it is described. (29…

Discusses the use of analogies and models for teaching about electric current. Reports on a study in which one group of students used analogies to learn about electric current and one did not. Results indicate that, in this case, analogies did not play a significant role in student understanding. (TW)

Discussed is the importance of valence bond theory on the quantum-mechanical theory of chemical structure and the nature of the chemical bond. Described briefly are early VB theory, development of VB theory, modern versions, solid-state applications, models, treatment in textbooks, and flaws in criticisms of valence bond theory. (KR)

Investigates high school students' understanding of the physical relationship of chromosomes and genes as expressed in their conceptual models and in their ability to manipulate the models to explain solutions to dihybrid cross problems. Describes three typical models and three students' reasoning processes. Discusses four implications. (YP)

Some central issues in discussions of creative processes in science are: (1) the mechanism(s) by which hypothesis formation takes place; (2) the sources of new knowledge during hypothesis formation; and (3) the "Eureka" versus steady accumulation (accretion) issue concerning the pace of change during hypothesis formation. This paper…

In this paper examples of the role of analogical reasoning in expert problem solving are presented. These are intended to show that using an analogy can change an expert's understanding of a problem situation by changing the conceptual model he or she uses to think about the situation. This suggests that using a good analogy may allow students to…

During the summer of 1986 a conference funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) was organized to assess the current state of cognitive research on the psychology of physics problem solving, and to examine the needs of physics instructors and instructional designers that must be addressed by a psychological theory of physics problem solving.…