Describes research project being implemented in the United Kingdom that has been developed to examine the process of change in secondary school students' conceptual understandings in the physical sciences. Models of conceptual change are described, the role of computer based activities in promoting conceptual change is discussed, and software…

Discusses the nature and function of mental models, explains tools for exploratory and expressive learning, and describes a research program to be conducted in the United Kingdom for 10- to 16-year-olds that is designed to explore characteristics of students' mental models. Highlights include knowledge domains; software, including simulations; and…