Presented are the results of a study of high school and college students concerning their thinking about functions of the human body. It was shown that students' thinking could be positively changed over the short term from teleologic to mechanistic. Sample survey questions are included. (CW)

Provides information about hypnosis. Uses research data to define hypnosis, discuss the relationship between hypnosis and memory, and present some possible benefits. Includes a chart with some common misconceptions about hypnosis and the corresponding true statement. (DDR)

Uses a video presentation of six situations relating to the evaporation and boiling of liquids and the escape of dissolved gases from solution and investigates graduate scientists' understanding of the concepts of boiling and evaporation. (Author/YDS)

Reviews five methods of representing cognitive structures: (1) free word association; (2) controlled word association; (3) tree construction; (4) concept map; and (5) flow map. Discusses the applications as well as the limitations of these methods by comparing the types of analysis that are generated. (Contains 37 references.) (Author/YDS)

Investigated are three misconceptions of probability and the differential effect of two activity-based instructional units. Response categories (law of averages, law of small numbers, and availability) are identified. Treatment differences (evaluation or no evaluation) appear to influence subjects' interpretations of the information. (YP)

This study presents a quantitative method for scoring concept maps generated by students learning introductory college chemistry. Concept maps measure the amount of chemical information the student possesses, reasoning ability in chemistry, and specific misconceptions about introductory and physical chemistry concepts. They provide a visualization…

The concern of this paper is how people in organizations understand the dynamics of an organization's practices. The way that organizational culture influences advising systems is considered. The focus is on how people understand the function of academic advising and the influence of three concepts of culture (cognitive, symbolic, and…

Discussed is a common error made by students in judging the distribution of the magnetic field of a circular loop along its diameter. Qualitative and quantitative explanations of the magnetic field distribution are presented. (CW)

Studied were the misconceptions that preservice elementary teachers have about multiplication and division. Results indicated that they are influenced by the same primitive models as students; the most common errors made by both groups are quite similar. (MNS)

Discusses the difficulties that some students have in understanding the concept of chemical reactions. Proposes that instructors try to consider the various difficulties during a chemistry course when students form their concepts of element conservation. (TW)

Perspectives on the need for consistency in considering the promotion of conceptual change in science students and teachers (and in some circumstances, researchers) are presented in this paper. The parallels between the consequences of this consistency and the literature on educational change are also highlighted. A particular focus is directed to…

Discusses some of the ways that some scientific concepts evolve and are perpetuated, even if they are not completely accurate. Uses the example of groundwater, citing numerous ways that various people understand it and, in many cases, form misconceptions. (TW)

Presents a study that investigated relationships between gender, interest, and experience in electricity. Also explored the effect of conceptual change text manipulations on learning fundamental concepts of direct current. Suggests that conceptual change text manipulations are likely to be effective for both men and women. Contains 57 references.…

Discusses the various conflicting trends in mechanics education that have appeared over the past two decades, especially as related to conceptual change teaching and learning. Proposes the theory of schemata as a means to resolve the conflict that exists within the literature. Contains 82 references. (Author/WRM)

Reports on the results of an investigation into the understanding of the concepts of basic electricity by French students from grade six up through the fourth year of college. Discusses the misconceptions formed and the challenges these present to physics educators. (TW)