In order to make a dramatic change in the way teachers approach science writing, the authors found it necessary to address both science instruction as a whole and the use of writing during various stages. To guide them in this endeavor and communicate a concrete idea of an ideal foundation for highly effective science writing to teachers, the…

This study investigates how 25 junior high school students employed their bodies of knowledge and responded to problem cues while individually performing a science experiment and reasoning about a drops phenomenon. Line-by-line content analysis conducted on students' written ad hoc explanations aimed to reveal students' concepts and their…

Research has established that students enter their science classes with ideas about the natural world that do not align with accepted scientific beliefs. The diagnosis of these student preconceptions may be seen as an initial, crucial step in the process of teacher-facilitated conceptual change. So as to capture what science teachers do in their…

This article describes the PROVE strategy, which provides students with learning disabilities with a procedure for naming a concept, providing evidence (both why and how), and defending it. Research results are presented that indicate students with (n=12) and without (n=26) disabilities benefited from the PROVE strategy. (Contains references.) (CR)