Written questionnaires were given to (n=213) preuniversity students to assess their judgments of association and their solution strategies with contingency tables in statistics. Compares results with previous psychological research. Qualitative analysis found three misconceptions concerning statistical association. Includes questionnaire.…

Analyzes students' attempts to answer examination questions involving stoichiometry and chemical equilibrium and reports that the majority of the students do not fully understand either concept. Concludes that the main difficulty with these topics is that they are highly abstract and first taught to students before they have reached the stage of…

Comments on the articles presented in this issue devoted to the Japanese perspectives on conceptual change. Discusses the overall conveyed message: The human cognitive system is a thematically organized knowledge base with agentive causality as the main mechanism for explain phenomena and analogy as the main mechanism for promoting conceptual…

Comments on the articles presented in this issue devoted to the Japanese perspectives on conceptual change. Suggests that different approaches to knowledge acquisition and conceptual change should be carefully examined in light of their implications for the teaching of science. Discusses critically the issues advanced from the Japanese…

Provides six short story problems that are solved using common physics concepts. Includes solutions. (MVL)

United States has produced a generation of students who engage in problem solving without regard for common sense or the text of the problem. Three factors bear the blame: societal beliefs about mathematics, the typical math curriculum, and deficiencies in teacher preparation. New conceptions about learning should help spawn curriculum,…

Describes the problem-solving behaviors of six novice subjects attempting to solve an electrostatics problem in calculus-based college physics. The level of qualitative thinking exhibited by these novices was determined. Sound procedural knowledge and problem representation were suggested as an integral part of skilled problem solving in physics.…

Reports on the effects of a problem-solving-based instructional model on earth science students' (n=172) achievement and alternative frameworks. Results revealed that the problem-solving-based instructional model significantly improved the achievement of students, especially at the application level. Students in the treatment group experienced…

In this article, the authors describe their efforts to assess prospective K-8 teachers' knowledge of proportional reasoning. Based upon their analysis of prospective K-8 teachers' work on a mathematics performance task, they discuss the implications for preparing prospective teachers to teach proportional reasoning to their students. In general,…

Calculators used widely by students, teachers, scientists, engineers and many others provide an interesting case study of a compelling technology that has helped change the way many professionals work. They not only help in enhancing problem solving skills of most individuals, but also help visualise solutions to problems in a better way. Research…

The purpose of this research was to determine the pre-service primary mathematics teachers' competency of pedagogical content knowledge in mathematics. The data were collected by means of four open ended problems from the participation of 45 primary mathematics teacher candidates. Teacher candidates' responses were analyzed based on pre-determined…

Describes a study investigating the effects of short-term interventions on preservice elementary teachers' understanding of the topic of ozone depletion and whether complex issues can be dealt with successfully through short-term intervention. Reports that preservice teachers' understanding improved through a short-term intervention using a mix of…

Considers what college students think reasoning about physics involves. Discusses whether it is possible to identify students' general conceptions of physics and the effects of a course on students' concepts. Data indicated that students' understandings had an effect on problem solving, qualitative problems, and misconceptions. (YP)

Discusses a well-known optical refraction problem where the depth of an object in a liquid is determined. Proposes that many texts incorrectly solve the problem. Provides theory, equations, and diagrams. (MVL)

Presents hands-on activities to teach about the causes and consequences of strokes. (YDS)