Reports on a study of alternative conceptions held by junior high-level secondary science teachers enrolled in an inservice teacher-training program. Finds that science teachers are inadequately prepared to teach a broad and balanced science curriculum. Contains 34 references. (Author/WRM)

Describes an activity in which students use metric measurements to find length and mass, calculate the towing strength of a bess beetle, and compare animal adaptations with human adaptations. (WRM)

Describes an activity in which students make careful observations about earwigs, then design their own questions for further investigation. (WRM)

Describes an experiment in which students determine the density of Coke and Diet Coke, consider density as an intensive property, and compare the accuracy and precision of different types of glassware. (WRM)

Presents a plain English map of the gene coding for the glycolysis enzymes in humans to be used as a teaching tool. The map can be used to illustrate that every reaction in a cell requires an enzyme, and that every enzyme is a protein coded for by a gene somewhere on the chromosomes. (WRM)

Argues that treatment of one investigative longitudinal topic from start to finish in a high school biology class can illustrate many major ideas and concepts. Discusses ways to use various longitudinal studies of plant growth with General Biology classes. (WRM)

Describes a novel course in first-year undergraduate practical biology that introduces students to the principles and practices of a variety of biological techniques. (CCM)

Examines the growth in students' understanding about the nature of astronomy in a one-semester college course. Discusses how students respond to instruction with regard to the extent to which they demand and examine evidence used for justifying claims, integrate scientific and religious views, and distinguish between scientific and nonscientific…

Explores how children's ideas in science affect elementary science instruction by investigating whether and how three primary teachers recognize and react to student ideas. Finds that the experienced teacher with the highest level of content knowledge had the largest repertoire for eliciting and addressing student ideas, and the intern teacher's…

Describes a unit on biodiesel from a socio-critical chemistry teaching approach aimed at improving student participation and decision making. Explores the use of biodiesel (chemically changed vegetable oils), especially in Europe. The unit proved to be successful as students participated enthusiastically and social and scientific goals were…

Documents Swazi students' written explanations of everyday actions in terms of an awareness of the social and economic implications of science, their skills in designing experiments to solve everyday dilemmas, and their abilities to draw on relevant science concepts to solve everyday problems. Finds that considerably less than half of the students…

Argues for using "conflict maps" as a way of enhancing science teaching and learning. The conflict map emphasizes not only the use of discrepant events, but also the resolution of conflict between students' alternative conceptions and the scientific conception. Discusses the conflict map as an instructional aid for teachers or as a…

Describes a physics demonstration that dramatically illustrates the mutual repulsion (attraction) between parallel conductors using insulated copper wire, wooden dowels, a high direct current power supply, electrical tape, and an overhead projector. (WRM)

Describes a survey of Greek schoolchildren's alternative conceptions about weather and climate. Finds that misconceptions exist, including confusion between the meanings of the terms "weather" and "climate", inflated estimates of temperature, and a belief that yearly weather data define climate. Suggests ways to help students…

Presents a series of experiments that can be used to demonstrate how aspirin can be synthesized and characterized, how the hydrolysis of aspirin can be used as an introduction to kinetics, and how coordination chemistry (chelation) can be introduced by preparing and characterizing the copper complexes of aspirin and salicylic acid. (Contains over…