The undergraduate years are a turning point in producing scientifically literate citizens and future scientists and engineers. Evidence from research about how students learn science and engineering shows that teaching strategies that motivate and engage students will improve their learning. So how do students best learn science and engineering?…

Educational strategies have evolved over the years, due to research breakthroughs and the application of technology. By using the latest learning innovations, curriculum and instructional design can be enhanced and strengthened. The "Handbook of Research on Driving STEM Learning with Educational Technologies" is an authoritative…

Though central to any pedagogical development of physics, the concept of mass is still not well understood. Properly defining mass has proven to be far more daunting than contemporary textbooks would have us believe. And yet today the origin of mass is one of the most aggressively pursued areas of research in all of physics. Much of the excitement…

Over the last three decades, many studies have been conducted to identify students' preconceptions on various science topics. It is time now for a synthetic study of preconceptions to enhance our understanding of students' everyday cognition and to benefit our effort in developing effective instructional inventions for conceptual change. Through a…

The application of technology in classroom settings has equipped educators with innovative tools and techniques for effective teaching practice. Integrating digital technologies at the elementary and secondary levels helps to enrich the students' learning experience and maximize competency in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and…

Researchers and practitioners alike express concerns about the conceptual difficulties associated with the concepts of momentum and kinetic energy currently taught in school physics. This article presents an in-depth analysis of the treatment given to them in 44 published textbooks written for UK secondary school certificate courses. This is set…

Describes an approach to teaching quantum theory without math with emphasis on some innovative approaches and topics such as nonlocality and Bell's theorem. Written in the form of suggestions to prospective instructors. (JRH)

Presents an example demonstrating the quantitative resolution of the hydrostatic paradox which is the realization that the force due to fluid pressure on the bottom of a vessel can be considerably greater or considerably less than the weight of the fluid in the vessel. (JRH)

Describes the behavior of a pulse during inversion of the pulse in a string when it reflects from a fixed end. Discusses the forces it exerts on the fixed end. (JRH)

Discusses the continuity equation and presents two real-life problems involving salmon survival and the construction of dams. (JRH)

Offers encouragement and advice to physicists who might be asked to teach a college astronomy course for nonscience majors. (JRH)

Presents a demonstration that employs angular momentum to disprove the myth that water spirals down a bathtub drain clockwise in one hemisphere and counterclockwise in the other because of the Coriolis force on water. (ZWH)

Contains the abstracts and detailed schedule of the American Association of Physics Teachers summer meeting which was held in Columbus, Ohio, June 23-27, 1986. An author index is included. (ML)

Discusses refraction in terms of the deviation of light. Points out that in physics courses where very little mathematics is used, it might be more suitable to describe refraction entirely in terms of the deviation, rather than by introducing Snell's law. (DH)

Describes the construction and use of homemade kaleidoscopes using film canisters and microscope slides. (JRH)