This article seeks to provide researchers and practitioners in laboratory education, particularly those involved in the curriculum design and implementation of teaching laboratories at university level, with a conceptual framework and a working model for an integrated assessment of learning domains, by attending to a more holistic approach to…

This paper presents a model of the epistemic development of organic chemists from student to practitioner. Key features of this model suggest that individuals first learn the language of organic chemistry, followed by the heuristics. Deep conceptual understanding of the concepts and models of organic chemistry does not occur until individuals…

In this article, the authors explore the question, "Does the Moon spin?", and show how the question is investigated. They emphasise the importance of the process by which people work out what they know, by "learning from the inside out." They stress that those involved in science education have to challenge current conceptions and ideas, making…

Discusses the applications of the principles of mechanics to rock climbing techniques. Provides illustrations showing the applied force vectors. (YP)

Describes an experiment demonstrating Lenz's law by measuring a magnet falling through a copper tube compared to a nonmagnet falling. Presents diagrams and pictures showing the apparatus. (YP)

Discusses the nature, resolution, focal length, and angle of a pinhole camera. Describes the development and some applications of the camera. Nineteen references are listed. (YP)

Teaching how scientific models work can result from "black box" techniques applied to various classroom seating arrangements. The teacher can assign students to seats based on observable (last name, height) and nonvisible (telephone number) criteria. Students become involved in guessing the criterion, which leads to discussion of models and…

Describes several ways to partially levitate permanent magnets. Computes field line geometries and oscillation frequencies. Provides several diagrams illustrating the mechanism of the oscillation. (YP)

Discusses the physics principles applied to the main steps of the photocopying process. Of particular interest (and at the heart of the process) are the ways in which electric charges, or particles carrying charges, are caused to transfer from one surface or medium to another at each stage. (JN)

The concept of paraphyly is defined and its importance in the teaching of evolution and taxonomy is discussed. Examples are included to illustrate this concept. A list of 14 references is provided. (CW)

Discusses the application of the laws of physics to natural phenomena, including Jackrabbit ears, transparent atmosphere, formation of ice, and long-wave radiation. (YP)

Describes the historic development of the periodic table from the four-element theory to the Lavoisier's table. Presents a table listing the old and new names of chemicals and the Lavoisier's table of elements. Lists two references. (YP)

Explores the basic physical laws of the juggling activity. Derives some equations involving height, angle, time, and distance for common juggling objects. Describes the relationships among height, length, mass, number of clubs, number of spins, angular velocity, time, and angle in club juggling. (YP)

Describes a high school physics teaching sequence including more modern topics. The first quarter covers cosmology, astronomy, optics, wave mechanics, relativity, gravity, and quantum theory. The second quarter covers classical mechanics. The third quarter covers electromagnetism and electronics. The fourth quarter consists of thermodynamics and…

Discussed are two contrasting views about the nature of scientific thinking including Pearson's and Collingwood's. The contexts of questions, methods, problems, experiments, and history are described as contexts of inquiry. The physical thoughts of scientists from pre-Aristotelian times to the present are outlined in relation to contexts of…