Little is known about how the content of a video case influences what preservice teachers learn about science teaching. This study was designed to determine the impact of two different video cases on preservice elementary teachers' conceptions of multiple aspects of effective science teaching, with one video selected to focus attention on the role…

This study exemplifies how faculty members can develop instruments to assess affective responses of students to the specific features of the courses they teach. Means for assessing three types of affective responses are demonstrated: (a) student attitudes towards courses with differing instructional objectives and methodologies, (b) student…

Determined is the logical reasoning necessary to construct line graphs including a straight line with a positive or negative slope and an exponentially increasing curve. The responses of subjects (grades 6-12) were classified into one of nine categories fitting with Piagetian operational structures. (Author/YP)

This project consisted of a meta-analysis of U.S. research published from 1980 to 2004 on the effect of specific science teaching strategies on student achievement. The six phases of the project included study acquisition, study coding, determination of intercoder objectivity, establishing criteria for inclusion of studies, computation of effect…

Describes an exploratory study to identify determinants of elementary student's intentions to perform laboratory and nonlaboratory science activities. Fishbein and Ajzen's theory of reasoned action was used as the basis for the study. (PR)

Reports on the results of a study designed to examine what middle and high school science teachers believe should be the goals for science education for the remainder of the 1980s. Respondents compared modern science education goals with those of the 1960s. (TW)

Evaluated the effects of cooperative learning on students' (n=36) verbal interaction patterns and achievement in a conceptual change instructional model in secondary science. It was found that students using cooperative-learning strategies showed greater achievement gains and made greater use of specific verbal patterns believed to be related to…

Reports a naturalistic study to develop and validate a "Science and Reading Questionnaire" to assess secondary science teachers' attitudes toward science reading and their belief or informed opinions about science reading. The items for this instrument are presented. (PR)

Interviews were conducted with grade 10 students (n=34) who had received 4 years of physics instruction. Interview's focus was to understand students' responses from their point of view. The results of the study confirm and deepen findings from other studies concerning students' severe difficulties in learning the energy concept, the particle…

This study investigated whether Science Curriculum Improvement Study or more recent interpretations of the learning cycle could be used by teachers to engage students in social constructivist learning. Two researchers and six science teachers implemented instruction based on the reciprocal use of language and action. Changing beliefs and practices…

Reports on misconceptions held by intermediate grade students concerning chemistry textbook concepts, on the relation of reasoning ability to those misconceptions, and on the extent that textbooks encourage misconceptions. Concludes that the level of understanding displayed for the selected concepts, in combination with the nature of students'…

Presents results of intensive clinical interviews with 11 high school chemistry students representing a broad range of achievement levels as selected from 180 students who completed a written test upon completion of an instructional unit on chemical change. Results indicate that students commonly experience difficulties in chemical knowledge,…

Describes an analysis of test items used to measure the science process skills of 11-year-olds in Great Britain. Concludes that the level of cognitive demand was a reliable predictor of the difficulty of an item. (TW)