Organic chemistry education is one of the youngest research areas among all chemistry related research efforts, and its published scholarly work has become vibrant and diverse over the last 15 years. Research on problem-solving behavior, students' use of the arrow-pushing formalism, the investigation of students' conceptual knowledge and…

This investigation evaluated the effectiveness of a teaching approach on the students' ability to demonstrate and retain specific behaviors of science inquiry skill in the attainment of critical thinking ability in problem-solving situations. The sample consisted of 318 first-year liberal arts, chemistry students who were assigned to three groups,…

Nine undergraduate science and non-science majors (novices) who had recently completed their first college classroom study of genetics and seven genetics graduate students and biology instructors (experts) were videotaped as they attempted to solve a selected group of seven moderately complex classifical genetics problems and three Piagetian tasks…

The purposes of this study were: (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of audio-tutorial (A-T) instruction and (2) to identify, classify and study differences in problem solving approach using a theoretical framework derived from the ideas of D. P. Ausubel. Seventy of 420 students taking a college introductory non-calculus physics course used A-T…

Examines the assumption that students use a level of reasoning, when solving problems, that is substantially below their intellectual capacity. The study involved 466 college students enrolled in a general chemistry or a physical science course. The results include a comparison of science and non-science majors. (GS)

Investigated was the level of cognitive development of Afro-American students enrolled in general chemistry courses to determine the strategies used by both successful and unsuccessful problem solvers in solving stoichiometry problems. Results indicated that a higher level of cognitive development may be crucial in solving more sophisticated…

Examined relation between college students' (N=108) ability to solve simple ratio tasks (for example, their proportional reasoning patterns) and their rule-governed behavior with the balance beam. Also identified modifications in a set of rules for the balance beam tasks. Results and implications for science instruction are discussed. (JN)

Reports a study to determine if the formal capabilities of 81 elementary education preservice teachers would be enhoused from problem solving instruction with manipulative feedback or with pictorial feedback. Results indicate the manipulative mode was clearly superior in student attitudinal responses and achievement. (SL)

Reports research supporting the hypothesis that concrete-operational college students playing the game Master Mind with an observer where there is verbal interaction designed to stimulate thinking about the problem-solving situation will show greater cognitive growth than subjects not playing the game. Implications for science instruction are…

One approach to the study of cognitive processes highlights the distinctions between expert and novice problem solvers. This approach attempts to discover how experts and novices differ in the way they organize, retain and use domain related knowledge. It appears to some that what is learned from expert-novice research can help teachers to teach…

This investigation examined the relationship between problem solving ability and the criteria used to decide whether two classical mechanics problems could be solved similarly. The investigators began by comparing experts and novices on a similarity judgment task and found that experts predominantly relied on the problems' deep structure in…

Examines the role of individual preference in the measurement of a student's cognitive level of development utilizing 324 science students from grade eight to college seniors. Results indicate that although students may possess formal thought ability, they may prefer to solve certain problem types via concrete methods. (SL)

Prescriptions for improving student understanding and problem-solving performance related to transmission genetics are discussed. Research on novice/expert problem-solving in transmission genetics is reviewed. (Author/CW)

The purpose of this study was to develop a procedure for the evaluation of M-demand of chemistry problems. It was shown that dimensional analysis upon the Neo-Piagetian theory of Pascual-Leone could help science teachers to understand the epistemological basis of their discipline. (CW)

Comparisons of expert and novice problem solving in physics have helped characterize some of the key features of expert behavior. There is considerable debate, however, as to whether these characteristics are specific to the field of expertise (physics) or exportable to other fields. While the question seems difficult to answer in general, at…