The 21 essays in this two-part book provide conceptual and operational understanding of the nature of models as representations of reality and as tools for description, analysis, interpretation, and forecasting. Topic areas addressed in part 1 (concept) include: the nature of models; the earth as a system; the determination of form; some…

This research compared the performance of ninth grade females and males on flight protocol, with particular attention to interpretation of the graphs of paths of falling bodies, rolling objects, and projectiles. These subjects were chosen because they had received no formal instruction in projectile motion, yet through typical life experience, had…

While problem-based learning (PBL) has a relatively long history of successful use in medical and pre-professional schools, it has yet to be widely adopted by K--12 teachers. This may be due, in part, to the numerous challenges teachers experience when implementing PBL. In this paper, we describe specific hurdles that teachers are likely to…

Presented is a compilation of papers focusing on new questions and new directions for research in science education. Papers are grouped into one of three related fields of research: (1) analysis of curriculum materials, especially science textbooks; (2) investigations of science understandings of students and experts; and (3) investigations of the…

This book has a threefold purpose. First, it provides a problem-solving framework for comprehensively analyzing and attacking current weaknesses in both pre- and in-service teacher education. Next, it explains how this approach can be applied by providing concrete examples of procedures and products appropriate to each of three problem-solving…

Self-formulating study-groups, comprised of teachers voluntarily meeting with consultant leaders, are used in Denmark as an effective tool for identifying and discussing relevant problems and developing action programs. The general educational approach employed in self-formulating study-groups includes a problem orientation related to the…

An interdisciplinary course in problem solving, entitled "patterns of problem solving," and its unique peer program offered at the University of California, Los Angeles, are described. The emphasis in the subject matter and approach is to expose the student to the wide range of alternative problem solving techniques and to enable the…

A small residential center for boys with learning disabilities and/or emotional problems was the setting for an intensive six-week inservice program designed to provide the staff with a combination of tutorial and direct training. The training was subsequently integrated into a more formalized, comprehensive, and on-going program through a local…

Presented is a report on a course for undergraduate students which is designed to increase their intellectual abilities early in their college careers. The report gives the characteristics of concrete thought and formal reasoning, followed by an explanation of the process involved in data collecting and the data itself. The authors suggest that…

The student traceback model is described and is used to demonstrate various concepts relative to institutional research methodology. The methodology of the problem-solving institutional researcher includes a wide spectrum of how-to's: how to anticipate issues in higher education and estimate their practical institutional impact; how to develop the…

During the 1963-64 school year, a secondary teacher from the rurally isolated area of Silverton, Colorado initiated an individualized program in problem solving for a senior social studies class (N=8-10). Utilizing community resources, the instructor planned several units on government, while the students selected resource materials from the…

Indicates that books with realistic views of both war and peace are still rare. Claims children cannot escape the subject of nuclear war so they deserve books that will confront their fears honestly and present reasonable solutions. (RT)

Describes a program developed by the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) which includes an engineering/science outreach program designed to enrich the science experiences of fifth and sixth grade students and encourage them to aspire to careers in scientific and technological fields. (TW)

Suggestions to help faculty discover ways of achieving interactive, investigatory, and intimate learning environments in large settings are provided. The instructional objective is to empower students to take responsibility for their own learning. (MLW)

Promotes the use of computer-based simulations in the pre-clinical medical curriculum as a means of providing students with opportunities for problem solving. Describes simple simulations of skeletal muscle loads, complex simulations of major organ systems and comprehensive simulation models of the entire human body. (TW)