Presents the results of a study that identifies misconceptions in chemistry by means of a two-tier diagnostic instrument. Data indicate that similar misconceptions are held by both Singaporean and Australian populations. Focuses on covalent bonding and structure. (DDR)

Recommends the use of concept mapping in science teaching and proposes that it be presented as a creative activity. Includes a sample lesson plan of a potato stamp concept mapping activity for astronomy. (DDR)

Analyzes the problem students have in learning the Theory of Relativity. Points out that the results of the study are ambiguous and intriguing. Describes the publication of Lorentz's Transformation Equations, the presentation of two postulates by Einstein, and the rejection of the Electron Theory and the final acceptance of the Theory of…

States that the shift in meaning of the Periodic Table to represent regularities in the electron distribution in the shells of atoms can result in confusion between elements and atoms. (DDR)

This paper examines the nature of physics students' knowledge, the means to identify alternative conceptions, and possible methods to overcome misconceptions. This examination is a survey of the techniques and ideas of a large number of researchers who are seeking their own solutions to this problem. An examination of the nature of knowledge…

Describes a module that combines a traditional hex nut activity with a sugar cookie activity to provide students with an in-depth understanding of balancing chemical equations. (DDR)

Presents an account of one teacher's path to realizing the depth of intuitive beliefs about science. Organizes chemistry misconceptions into eight patterns of reasoning that include thinking rules and alternative conceptions. (DDR)

Analyzes didactic problems related to the inseparability of electric charge from the mass, the impossibility of its direct observation, and the meaning associated with the basic concepts of electricity. Contains 44 references. (DDR)

SCALE-UP is an extension of the highly successful IMPEC (Integrated Math, Physics, Engineering, and Chemistry) project, one of North Carolina State's curricular reform efforts undertaken as part of the SUCCEED coalition. The authors utilize the interactive, collaboratively based instruction that worked well in smaller class settings and find ways…

Describes a study in which teaching and learning activities are designed using a cognitive conflict strategy. Focuses on the effectiveness of these activities in classroom research in pre-university courses in Botswana and South Africa. Contains 39 references. (DDR)

Describes a study that investigates the relationship between secondary students' written responses and the mathematical and cognitive processing used when solving a complex problem. Contains 40 references. (DDR)

Reconstructs students' and teachers' understanding of the structure of the atom based on a framework characterized by considering the history of science as competing research programs and by believing that some great scientific research programs progress on inconsistent foundations. Contains 107 references. (DDR)

This study investigates and compares American and Chinese secondary students' science achievement, their attitudes toward science, and other factors influencing science learning. The subjects, in Grades 7-12, include Chinese students (N=495) and American students (N=469). A survey of attitudes towards science developed by the authors was employed…

This paper reports on an interdisciplinary theoretical framework for the characterization of models and modeling that can be useful in application to chemistry education. The underlying argument marks a departure from an emphasis on concepts that are the outcomes of chemical inquiry about how knowledge growth occurs through modeling in chemistry.…

Explores whether exposure to increasingly sophisticated mental models at different points in a chemistry education class showed up in patterns of preference and use of models in interpreting physical properties and phenomena. (Contains 92 references.) (DDR)