Describes a study of the understanding of basic electrical concepts shown by 15-17 year-old students in England, France, Netherlands, Sweden, and West Germany. Reports substantially the same pattern of learning difficulties across countries. Provides sample items. (Author/YP)

This newsletter describes an ongoing empirical field study involving a description and analysis of practical teaching situations aimed at describing the content and structure of pupils' frames of reference. The project takes the form of a series of case studies in classes of the 3-year lines of upper secondary schools in Sweden. The study seeks to…

Describes five ways that high school students explain a chemical change. Discusses the differences in conceptual understanding of the students based upon their responses to questions about simple reactions. Presents additional classifications of conceptions of chemical reactions done by other researchers. (TW)