This study developed an empirically based questionnaire to monitor young learners' conceptions of nature of science (NOS). The questionnaire, entitled Students' Ideas about Nature of Science (SINOS), measured views on theory-ladenness, use of creativity and imagination, tentativeness of scientific knowledge, durability of scientific knowledge,…

Describes validation procedures used with an individually administered test involving a branching program format to assess students level of cognitive achievement in biology. Reports results of comparisons of classes of teachers with BSCS or non-BSCS backgrounds. (AL)

Designs a testing situation to examine the presence of combinatorial analysis, to establish construct validity in the use of an instrument, Combinatorial Analysis Behavior Observation Scheme (CABOS), and to investigate the presence of the schema in young adolescents. (Author/GA)

Evaluated is the Longeot test, a paper and pencil test designed to measure various aspects of formal and concrete operational thought. Information from over 500 subjects (ages 17 to 20) indicated the test to be reliable and classifications from it correlated with classifications mode using Piagetian tasks. (DS)

Determined the degree to which classification of students (N=512) as formal or concrete based on three Inhelder tasks administered by clinical interview method was mirrored by Longeot and Karplus-Lawson-Renner (KLR) classifications. Results indicate that Longeot and KLR differentiate between concrete/formal operations and are discussed from…

Three cognitive preference instruments were administered to 71 college students and 37 tenth graders to measure cognitive preferences in a natural information processing (learning) situation and to assess convergent validity of cognitive preference construct and instrument validity of conventional tests. Strong evidence of convergent validity was…

Explored the relationship between high school students' (N=37) performances on the Tomlinson-Keasey and Campbell paper-and-pencil test of formal operations and a set of traditional, individually administered, Piagetian developmental tasks. Correlations between the traditional, formal operations tasks and paper-and-pencil tests were low. (Author/DS)