An assessment-oriented design-based research model was applied to existing inquiry-oriented multimedia programs in astronomy, biology, and ecology. Building on emerging situative theories of assessment, the model extends prevailing views of formative assessment "for" learning by embedding "discursive" formative assessment more directly into the…

This study investigated the effectiveness of a web-based learning environment in enhancing 10th grade high-school students' understanding of the concept of "chemical bonding". Two groups participated in this study: an experimental group (N = 161) and a comparison one (N = 93). The teachers in the experimental group were asked to implement four…

The use of the expert-novice technique in science education is examined critically. Discussed are four techniques including their methodological limitations. Improvements and alternatives in experimental design are suggested. (Author/CW)

Presents data which leads to the construction of a response to the question of how different phases of the learning cycle influence physics students' content achievement and attitudes. Discusses the importance of the learning cycle in science instruction and the strength of using contrasting techniques (qualitative and quantitative) in research.…

Summarizes the results of a preferred method of study questionnaire in which college students explained how they approached reading a new textbook. Reports that women showed a significant preference for adopting a single method of study. Indicates that there was no discernable relationship between study strategies and college level. (CW)

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…

Reports the relationship between student characteristics and results of a test of misunderstanding administered to 49 suburban high school students enrolled in a New York State Regents Chemistry Class. A multiple regression analysis of data revealed that the best predictors of performance on the posttest misunderstanding test was the pretest score…

Presents meta-analysis of 54 articles and dissertations dealing with cognitive preferences. Information provided includes: test reliability; comparisons by country, grade level, gender, disciplines, and curricula; relationships between cognitive preferences and career orientation, science achievement, interest, and aptitude; and effect sizes.…

Presents a study involving students (n=46) enrolled in an introductory physics course designed to describe and understand students' experimenting and problem-solving strategies in a constructivist learning environment. Concludes that students should be provided with problem-rich learning environments in which they learn to investigate phenomena of…

In this project, a resynthesis of the research dealing with student performance in new science curricula was conducted using refined statistical procedures. Results generally supported earlier meta-analysis studies. (CW)

This study compares inservice (n=30) and preservice (n=30) earth and space science teachers on general mental abilities, content knowledge, Gagnean levels of content knowledge, and procedural knowledge in solving earth and space science problems. Results support Norman's theory of learning that inservice teachers function at the tuning mode of…

Reports on students' study and drawing of five electronic circuit diagrams. Concludes that the success of the students depended upon the amount of detail in the instructional diagrams. (RT)

Describes a qualitative study that explores students' perceptions of their own learning. Document review, participant observation, and open-ended interviews were used to gather and triangulate data. Factors that were perceived as helpful were woven into a theoretical model. The uses of the model are discussed. (Author/KR)

Reports on a study to determine the effects of the presentation of questions inserted into texts for students in introductory biology. Results indicated that students reading the text with questions at the beginning of the paragraph scored significantly higher on achievement tests than the students reading without questions. (TW)

Compares models of the classroom dynamics for a traditional laboratory setting and a problem-solving-centered environment, both at the eighth grade science level. Descriptive data indicate no differences in the models, whereas path analyses suggest that, in the problem-solving model, student behaviors significantly correlate to lesson structure,…