Students who solved problems individually or in small informal groups understand science and scientists better than those who solved the same problems (based on BSCS Blue Version) as a class group. (AA)

Compared was the relative effectiveness of a new college level general biology course utilizing an audio-tutorial (A-T) laboratory with a traditional lecture course without a laboratory. Five biology classes (two traditional and three A-T) with 720 students at Kansas State Teachers College comprised the population. Seventy students, 35 male and 35…

Compared was the effectiveness of a two-year integrated chemistry-physics course with a two-year sequence of separate courses, in developing understanding of chemistry and physics concepts, understanding science and its methods, and reactions to the study of science. Both groups used the content, materials and instructional approach of the…

This study measured the effects of teacher-directed and self-directed problem solving techniques on junior high school students' expressed attitudes about science and scientists, their achievement of understandings of science facts and principles, and the rate at which they mastered understandings of the conceptualizations of science necessary to…

Determined were differences in understanding the nature of science and scientists and in subject matter achievement between seventh grade students who studied source papers as part of their instruction in science and those who did not. Experimental students analyzed ten source papers related in subject matter content to the local course of study.…

This paper presents the procedures, results and conclusions of a study designed to determine whether three different methodological approaches to the laboratory for a general education physical science course would lead to the same behavioral outcomes. Students enrolled in the physical science course were randomized into one of three laboratory…

Students whose Physical Science Study Committee (PSSC) physics course was supplemented with the PSSC films did not achieve significantly higher scores on the PSSC Achievement Test or the Test on Understanding Science than students who did not see the films, when intelligence and science background were used as covariates. (AL)

The purpose of this study was to compare a factual method of teaching introductory college astronomy with a conceptual method. Two sections of about 100 students each were taught from the same textbook, but had the same information presented by different techniques and with different emphasis. The control group was taught in a generally factual…

The outcomes of 1333 students enrolled in Chemical Educational Materials Study (CHEMS), Chemical Bond Approach (CBA), and a traditional chemistry course were compared on the basis of grade and ability level. For the total group, students taking CHEMS and CBA performed significantly better on the American Chemical Society Cooperative Examination in…

Investigated was the effect of different types of laboratory reports on measured outcomes of the Chemical Education Materials Study (CHEMS) Chemistry. Compared were procedures using essay laboratory reports, mimeographed laboratory sheets prepared by the investigator and completed by the students, the laboratory manual for the course completed by…

This investigation was an attempt to determine the suitability of a highly structured course in science, Introductory Physical Science (IPS), for all eighth-grade students in a suburban school. The major measure for the evaluation of the course was to study the degree of teacher commitment to the objectives of the course and determine if this…

Studied was the effect of instructional method on educational outcomes in an interdisciplinary science uni t taught to 143 eighth grade students of earth science. Compared were the didactic and guided discovery methods of teaching. Also analyzed were the interactions of methods with student characteristics including sex, intelligence, creativity,…