Reports on a study in which clinical interviews were conducted with three elementary school children to determine the extent to which they held naive misconceptions about important biological topics, and to determine agewise trends in the development of biological knowledge. (TW)

Performance on five logical, spatial, and formal tasks was used to make inferences about the reasoning structures of 101 middle and high school students. Findings (obtained during interviews) include grade level differences in performance and sex differences in performance on one of the tasks. Implications for instruction are proposed. (Author/JN)

Calls for differentiating between three kinds of studies of students' conceptions in science, namely descriptive studies, explanatory studies, and studies attempting to foster conceptual change. Cites the literature about student perceptions and science instruction. (TW)

Discussed is the philosophy of the educational purpose of science education, the science involved, and the relationships of students and learning and students and content. A list of 14 references is included. (CW)

Examined are two aspects of science education--the nature of science and curriculum reform. Contemporary views on the tentative nature of science and a generative model of learning are synthesized. (KR)

Examined is the hypothesis that an important intellectual acquisition during adolescence is the ability to generate arguments that involve reasoning to contradiction. Implication for hypothesis teaching at the elementary grades is discussed. (KR)

Investigated if relationships existed between middle school students (N=105) science concept structure interrelatedness competence and their time on task, science achievement, scholastic aptitude, previous experience with concept structure interrelatedness, attitudes toward science, interest in science, science curiosity, and self-concept of…

Reports on a study designed to examine the effect of concrete and formal instruction upon reasoning and science achievement of sixth grade students. Results indicated that the concrete instruction group had significantly higher levels of performance in science achievement and cognitive development and that males outperformed females. (TW)