Reported is a study to determine the feasibility of teaching selected concepts related to the particle nature of matter to students in grades 2-6. The lessons developed for this study did not require a high student reading ability, did not require more than one-half hour of time, included the use of analogous mechanical models whenever possible,…

Reported is a study designed to determine the current status of acceptance of science misconceptions by college freshmen with poverty backgrounds and to determine the influence of integrated secondary education on educational development. A sample of 350 students was used as subjects for this study. They were selected to represent four distinct…

This study was conducted in order to assess the difference in concept development and principle learning between high school biology students studying the origin of life from a two-model approach (evolution and creation) and those using the single-model approach of evolution only. The pre-test, post-test control group design using a criterion…

The purpose of this study was to determine the relative effectiveness of three different types of visual devices in an instructional program designed to teach an understanding of selected theoretical science concepts to elementary school children. The visual devices were prepared using Bruner's three modes of representation (enactive, iconic, and…

The experiment was designed to study the effects of an instructional strategy on prospective elementary school teachers receiving a course in the modern concepts of physics. The study involved two classes, both of which were taught with the same teaching method. The concepts presented were different. Those considered as traditional content…

The research reported was associated with an early stage of developing a subunit of a curriculum within the framework of the Audio-Tutorial (A-T) Elementary Science Project at Cornell University. The research consisted of two parts: the development of an instructional unit for second-grade pupils and the formative evaluation associated with it.…

The study was designed to determine if chronological age is the main factor in a child's ability to develop a particulate concept of matter. Four demonstrations were organized which consisted of a graded series of particle mixing, gas diffusion, dissolving and smoke investigations. The individualized interviews with children were tape recorded. On…

Some of the purposes of this study were: (1) to determine whether the "Meaning of Science" course can make a significant contribution to college students' understanding of science, (2) to determine whether the course can promote a positive change in attitude toward science, and (3) to identify academic and non-academic characteristics related to…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of systematic instruction in the concept of speed and simple proportions on the performance of concrete operational children in the third grade. A screening test was administered to select a population of children who could perform simple division and who were concrete operational in the…

Reported is a study to evaluate the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) program at the fourth-grade level, in particular the unit, "Relativity." To avoid the problems of a written test, an alternative test involving examples of relative position and motion was developed. This 30-item planetarium test was used as a pretest and…

This report describes a program for improving scientific literacy at the primary level. The target population consisted of pre-kindergarten and second grade students in an expanding suburban Midwestern community. An intervention which included the identification of scientific skills and their integration into the curriculum, student exposure to…

This investigation was performed to test the hypothesis that male high school students of high discrepancy score on self-concept would be less able to apply principles of dynamics to new situations than male high school students of low discrepancy score. The discrepancy score was the difference between self-concept and ideal self as calculated…

This study is an empirical investigation of Ausubel's paradigm of meaningful learning, applied specifically to the learning of high school physics students. In the first phase of the study path analysis and multiple regression techniques were used to describe the Ausubelian learning variables: available relevant ideas in learner's cognitive…

This report describes a program for improving the retention of science concepts and motivation through the use of technology. The targeted population consisted of seventh grade students in a suburb of a large Midwestern city. The problem, due to lack of access to technology, was documented through student surveys, teacher observation, previous…