This paper reports an interview case study with two physics doctoral students designed to explore their conceptions about the theory of evolution. Analysis of interview transcripts reveals that both students mistakenly constructed a "theory of evolution by environmentally driven adaptation" instead of the commonly accepted "theory…

Conceptual and quantitative difficulties surrounding Newton's second law often arise among introductory physics students. Simply turning around how one expresses Newton's second law may assist students in their understanding of a deceptively simple-looking equation.

Portions of this paper were read at the annual convention of the Eastern Psychological Association, April 1967.

Many factors contribute to the difficulties the media have in dealing with science, engineering, and technology. These difficulties were pointed up in the media coverage of the March 1979 accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, which reflected confusion and lack of understanding and which combined with other factors (including the movie…

THE DISCRIMINATION OF PICTURES AND PICTURE ELEMENTS AMONG 5TH-, 8TH-, AND 11TH-GRADERS WAS STUDIED (1) TO DETERMINE THE DIFFERENCES IN INTERPRETATION OF SPECIFIC STATIC VISUAL STIMULI WHEN PRESENTED THROUGH TWO TYPES OF ILLUSTRATIONS (PHOTOGRAPHS AND OUTLINE DRAWINGS OF THE SAME SCENES) AND (2) TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO VARIATION IN THE INTERPRETATION…

Approximately 30 experiments related to environmental problems comprise this manual. The three conceptual themes under which these lessons are organized deal with: (1) change; (2) the interaction of custom, rule, and law in society; and (3) economy, life style, and individual attitudes. Provided are materials for both students and teachers.…

Reported are the findings of the Panel on Undergraduate Major Curricula which define the specific content on an undergraduate core curriculum in the biological sciences. In-depth analysis of the detailed information content of the core program is presented. Content descriptions of the core programs at four colleges are provided, and a composite…

This sourcebook provides direction for the elementary school teacher in working with Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) materials. It focuses on providing insight into the underlying rationale for these materials and on providing suggestions for the implementation of the program in the classroom. Part One provides a brief overview of the…

The science of education has been influenced by the basic sciences to the extent that educational research now has been able to modernize its approach by accepting and using the basic scientific methodology and experimental techniques. Using primarily the same steps of scientific investigations, education today holds a place of much greater esteem…

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…

This booklet presents the language used in dealing with water. The booklet is intended to provide decision-makers with an adequate base of information to analyze water sources for consumption, recreation, and industry. The first section defines water and its properties, geologic locations, domestic and industrial uses, and patterns of change. The…

This book, written by classroom teachers, introduces the application of secondary school mathematics to space exploration, and is intended to unify science and mathematics. In early chapters geometric concepts are used with general concepts of space and rough approximations of space measurements. Later, these concepts are refined to include the…

This report presents the procedures, results, and conclusions of a study to determine the characteristics of secondary school chemistry students who were successful in grasping a mathematical approach to learning chemical equilibrium. Subjects were eighty-nine students enrolled in chemistry at a rural-suburban high school; each student had…