Understanding the particulate nature of matter (PNM) is vital for participating in many areas of science. We assessed 11 students' atomic/molecular-level explanations of real-world phenomena after their participation in a modelling-based PNM unit. All 11 students offered a scientifically acceptable model regarding atomic/molecular behaviour in…

In this article, the students teachers' opinions, including rock formation and improper terms related to or different from these ideas, all of which are considered or must be considered in geology classes, have been analyzed. Alternative conception is used to inform our understanding of students teachers' ideas and describe any conceptual…

Most of the troubles poor at-risk children have are not "loud" problems like disruptive behavior or gang involvement. They are "quiet." The range of these problems is vast. Hunger, dehydration, asthma, obesity, and hearing problems can all insidiously trip children up in school. Some quiet problems are psychological--depression, anxiety, the fear…

An audience response systems (ARS) allows students to respond to multiple choice questions using remote control devices. Once the feedback is collected and displayed, the teacher and students discuss misconceptions and difficulties experienced. ARSs have been extremely popular and effective in higher education science classrooms, although almost…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the factors associated with turnover and retention of direct care workers. We hypothesize that a dual-driver model that includes individual factors, on-the-job factors, off-the-job factors, and contextual factors can be used to distinguish between reasons for direct care workforces (DCWs)…

This article discusses English-only policies as they relate to second language teaching for children and adults; explores popular perceptions and misconceptions about learning English; and discusses types of programs best suited for different students, depending on educational background. Examples from research and practice highlight the value of…

Two-thirds of U.S. citizens do not understand the scientific process. There is a clear misunderstanding about what science is--and is not--both in our society and in the classroom. Furthermore, students below basic proficiency are locked into an achievement gap. In response, the No Child Left Behind Act was passed in 2001. Since then, there has…

This paper reports on the responses of a cohort of preservice primary teachers to a statement about the extent to which helping children achieve relational understanding is a realistic expectation. Although the preservice teachers' course had included teaching about understanding a number of misconceptions about the meanings of relational and…

Examines methods and problems of the therapeutic professions by describing fictitious argument among Oedipus Rex, Faust, and Cassandra. Focuses on moral of the story, that myths are lies that lead to the truth. (NB)

Examines the accuracy of a disclaimer proposed by the state of Oklahoma to be placed in science textbooks mentioning evolution. Analyzes the scientific accuracy of the disclaimer line by line. (YDS)

Object naming studies have generally observed that both normal and brain damaged individuals are faster and more accurate at identifying non-living objects than living objects (Humphreys, Riddoch, & Quinlan, 1988; Warrington & Shallice, 1984). However, a potential confounding variable, manipulability, has been present in past studies that may…

Attention is brought to the existence of incongruity in the definition of reliability in the literature, and some unnecessary controversies and confusions which result. A conventionalization of the meaning of reliability at a conceptual, model-free level is proposed. Through the exploration of two paradoxes, this article attempts to address some…

Some returnees from abroad want to find work that would provide them with annual salaries of about 300,000 yuan when they return to China. However, employers back off from these potential employees as they cannot afford their high salary standards. In view of the difficulties that increasing numbers of returnees are encountering and that are…

Teachers and researchers have long recognized that students tend to misunderstand the equal sign as an operator; that is, a signal for "doing something" rather than a relational symbol of equivalence or quantity sameness. Students' equal sign misconception has been researched for more than thirty years (Weaver, 1971, 1973) with little…

This study assessed professional caregivers of persons with Alzheimer disease (AD) and non-caregivers' knowledge about aging and AD. Participants completed modified versions of the Alzheimer Disease Knowledge Test and the multiple-choice version of the Facts on Aging Quiz #1. Overall, knowledge levels about AD and aging were low. Caregivers were…