Physics is the study of forces and motion--the science of matter and energy and the interaction between the two. The big idea the children explore, as well as the question they ask as they engage in physical knowledge activities related to physics, is "How does it move?" Many teachers translate naturally as they come to know the children they…

The impulse to investigate the natural world is deeply rooted in our earliest childhood experiences. This notion has long guided researchers to uncover the cognitive mechanisms underlying the development of scientific reasoning in children. Until recently, however, research in cognitive development and education followed largely independent…

Presented is an experiment investigating children's awareness of regularities in physical phenomena and their capacity for expressing these regularities. Hypothesized and confirmed is that children can use statements with the form and purpose of a physical law. Cartoons related to Archimedes' principle (and connected gravitation and fluid…

Proposes an approach to school laboratory experiences which leads to gradual acquisition of inquiry skills based on the idea of advance organizers. Presents a design which is context familiar and can serve as an introduction to scientific inquiry. Discusses student achievement, and teacher and student attitudes. (CW)

This study explored the process and outcomes of constructivist methods of enhancing science understanding in the topic areas of light and the earth in space. The sample was drawn from a group of 41 nine-year-old children, delivered in four two-hour weekly sessions. Each session involved different combinations of interactive discussion and…

Students lacking formal training in physics have great difficulty predicting the paths of various projectiles. With respect to pendulum-bobs that are released from various points in a swing, a previous experiment found that empirical feedback (i.e., resultant trajectories) produced transfer-of-training to other pendular-based tasks. However, such…

Conceptual change teaching is an instructional method that helps students modify, extend, or exchange their alternative conceptions for the appropriate scientific conceptions. Provides activities and a diagnostic test to apply the method to the concepts of heat and temperature. (MDH)

This guide is designed to help elementary classroom teachers develop the knowledge and skills necessary to bring process skills to the classroom. The text is presented in two parts. The first part covers the basic science skills which are intended for grades K-3. The basic skills are observing, inferring, measuring, communicating, classifying and…

Discusses the advantages of using discrepant events in elementary school science classrooms in terms of motivation and problem solving skills. Describes the materials, procedures, and reasons behind five discrepant activities. (YP)

Examines whether participation in physical experiments together with social interaction with adults and school-mates favor the development of causal knowledge and the understanding of a complex physical subject. Concludes that the treatments can lead students to give up pre-causal explanations and to resort to physical ones. (Author/YP)

The use of concept maps, Vee diagrams, flow charts, and productive questions to increase student understanding of laboratory exercises and to improve student attitudes toward lab classes is discussed. Examples of each are provided. Student responses to these teaching methods are described. (CW)

This paper describes the design and results of a study carried out with elementary pupils ages 8-9 years on the topic of sinking and floating, with the aim of checking the validity of a general scheme for classroom activities based on a constructivist perspective. Children's "ways of looking" at buoyancy and the production of materials…

This monograph describes the origins of the learning cycle, related research, and how future research might be conducted to further the understanding of theories of instruction. A wide range of information is synthesized, producing a coherent framework for better understanding the theory of the learning cycle. The monograph identifies various…

Investigates the construction of understanding of the motion of an object down an inclined plane which takes place through the process of model building in an integrated algebra, trigonometry, and physics class. Discusses four major themes related to student learning through modeling that emerged from the results. Discusses implications for…