David Galenson's bifurcation of creative types is well-founded across several strata of the traditional fine arts. According to Galenson, experimental innovators outwardly express their creativity at a later age after long periods of development. I reason that many of the students in undergraduate classrooms are experimental innovators, since…

This paper is about new contents that can be introduced into science education. It is a description of an experience aimed at introducing a complex approach into the final grade of a Brazilian elementary school. The aim is to show the transformation of the conception of space and time from the Middle Ages with the physics of Aristotle to the 20th…

During the past few decades, a wide consensus has been reached in the community of science educators that it is almost unimaginable to conduct a quality science education without including the history and philosophy of science in some form in the science curriculum, and this is especially the case for physics education (Matthews 1994). However, in…

In this article, the author discusses why the history of science should be included in the science curriculum in schools. He also presents some opportunities that can come out of using historical contexts, and findings from a study assessing the place of history of science in readily available textbooks.

Details an eight-year project designed to reform a physics curriculum using a philosophical, historical perspective and inservice teacher training. Includes information on the development and implementation of the project as well as details about the teacher's guide. (DDR)

This article traces the development of a contextual approach to the teaching of science (physics) subsequently called the Large Context Problem (LCP) approach. This approach is based on the general observation that learning could be well motivated by a context with one unifying central idea capable of capturing the imagination of the students. The…

Describes a two-semester physics course developed at the University of Alberta, Canada to present the development of some of the major theories in physics and their interaction with the prevailing cultures, religions, and philosophies. (HM)

Suggests that there are possible dangers in using the history of science in science education. Examines arguments that young and impressionable students at the start of a scientific career should be shielded from the writings of contemporary science historians. (JR)

Provides historical examples of intuitive discovery applicable to the teaching of physics for majors. Cites details for the discovery of Coulomb's law, emphasizing the roles of Joseph Priestley and Henry Cavendish. Also discusses the career of Ivar Giaever, a Nobel Prize winner of 1973 in solid state physics. (CS)

Provides an historical chronology of events related to understanding the photoelectric effect. Focuses on the early history, the mystery of the photoelectric effect, the contributions of Albert Einstein and Robert Millikan to the field, and hands-on activities that demonstrate the phenomenon to students. (DDR)

Describes a course for college seniors, science majors and non-majors, designed to trace the development of modern science as part of western culture. Reports three years of experience. An outline of the course and a reading list are included. (GH)

Describes an interdisciplinary course on physics and history. The major goal of the course is to examine and compare history and physics in order to illuminate the implicit assumptions underlying the two disciplines. (MLH)

Traces the history of the observation of the production of electric sparks and the early history of battery design. Detail is provided about laboratory experiments performed by Robert Bunsen, who spent a great deal of time developing an efficient and comparatively cheap battery. (36 references) (DDR)

Offers a psychological role that external representations can play in the process of refining intuitive ideas into scientific knowledge. Presents an argument for this role through historical analysis of Galileo's ramp experiments, then through documentation of an innovative 6th grade classroom activity. (Contains 19 references.) (Author/YDS)

Investigates the effect of the presentation of brief biographical materials on women scientists on student knowledge of women scientists and on student perceptions of scientists. Contains 29 references. (DDR)