This study explores the way the concept of temperature was presented in lower-secondary science textbooks in France, Poland and England at the end of the 1950s and in the 2000s. I draw on history of science, history of education and book history to analyze different treatments of an apparently-similar scientific concept with regard to national…

This paper addresses the importance of evaluating evidence for enriching critical thinking in the chemistry classroom. The purpose of the study was to examine the usefulness of a historical chemical controversy in promoting students' assessment of evidence. The investigation was conducted in a high school in Melun, France. 63 participants (24…

The purpose of the paper is twofold: (1) To contrast the longstanding tradition of private and public courses of chemistry with the public demonstrations of physics. Whether taught in public institutions such as the Jardin du Roi or by apothecaries in their officines chemistry demonstrations were not for the entertainment of their audiences.…

COMPARED ARE THE RESPONSES TO EINSTEIN'S THEORY OF RELATIVITY IN FOUR COUNTRIES BETWEEN THE YEARS 1905 AND 1911. THE COUNTRIES STUDIED ARE GERMANY, FRANCE, ENGLAND, AND THE UNITED STATES. ON THE BASIS OF THE RESPONSE, NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC STYLES ARE IDENTIFIED, AND THESE STYLES ARE RELATED TO PREVIOUS NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF DOING SCIENCE AND…

Studied were (1) the evolving use of the microscope in science education, and (2) its relationship to the changing teaching methods, content, and emphases of science courses and to the prevailing philosophies of education of nineteenth century American colleges. To establish the necessary background, the evolution and availability of the…

New interpretations of the "chemical revolution" associated with the name of Lavoisier are considered, as is the growth of chemistry as a profession in France, Germany, and Britain. Both biographical and institutional approaches are used to help relate the history of chemistry to other areas. (KR)

Explores how Carnot's and Monge's mathematical endeavors responded to social, political, and technological developments in French society; how these concerns were reflected in the education reforms that they carried through; and how absolutely essential the new educational arrangements were for the reception and transmission of the conceptual…

Investigates the difficulties students are confronted with when facing the concept of electrical resistance. Discusses the nature of the electrical resistance concept in light of Cassirer philosophy and its origin in the 19th century. Presents an analysis of the way this concept is taught in French high schools. (SAH)

Describes how satellites and other tools of space technology have transformed classical geodesy into the science of space geodynamics. The establishment and the activities of the French Center for Geodynamic and Astronomical Research Studies (CERGA) are also included. (HM)

Examines one of the key methods used to stimulate bourgeois interest in science in France during the Second Empire and early Third Republic; the campaign to create a popularized science. Concentrates on the "science writings" of Jules Michelet and Jules Verne, both of whom were immensely successful in creating a favorable climate of…