Investigates high school students' understanding of the physical relationship of chromosomes and genes as expressed in their conceptual models and in their ability to manipulate the models to explain solutions to dihybrid cross problems. Describes three typical models and three students' reasoning processes. Discusses four implications. (YP)

Describes a computer program presenting four genetics problems to monitor the problem solving process of college students. Identifies three main areas of difficulty: computational skills; determination of gametes; and application of previous learning to new situations. (Author/YP)

Compares different views of the role of sexual reproduction concerning the survival and evolution of species. Discusses the benefits and disadvantages of thelytoky, one nontraditional method of reproduction. (CW)

This survey of nine journals identified two distinct cultures in mental retardation research: classification by level of retardation (usually by psychologists and special educators) or etiology (usually by geneticists and psychiatric researchers). The paper discusses varied effects that genetic etiology may have on behavior, issues in reconciling…

Questionnaires completed by parents of 40 patients with Lesch-Nyhan disease provide information on developmental history, life course, management, medication, variability, and topography of self-injury. Analysis indicated that patients could not inhibit self-injury but could predict it and request restraints; self-injury was strongly related to…

Examines relationships between factors affecting high school students' (n=142) ability to acquire meaningful understanding of specific biological concepts. Assessment using mental modeling techniques showed a significant correlation between students' meaningful learning orientation and their understanding of a topic. Suggests that perhaps much…

An adaptation of the multiple regression approach of De Fries and Fulker (DF analysis) is used to account simultaneously for genetic and environmental influences on achievement. The model was fitted to achievement measures of 1,044 related pairs of children from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth (NLSY). (SLD)

Yearly cognitive tests were administered to adoptive and nonadoptive siblings between one and seven years of age and identical and nonidentical twins between one and three years. Results indicated that genetic influences are a source of continuity and change in mental development, whereas shared and nonshared environmental effects contribute to…

This article summarizes the major cognitive, behavioral, and language characteristics of the Fragile X syndrome and considers their educational implications. This common heritable cause of mental disability has implications for teaching style, curriculum, family counseling, and speech therapy. (DB)

Reports an experimental study of 80 ninth grade biology students randomly assigned to treatment and control groups to determine whether the use of human examples in instructional strategies on Mendelian genetics increases acquisition and retention of genetics concepts. Results indicate that use of human examples in contrast to traditional examples…

Adaptive behavior in mentally retarded males with fragile X syndrome was longitudinally examined in 17 subjects, ages 1 to 17. Findings included relative strength in daily living skills and weakness in socialization only for older subjects, and significant declines in adaptive behavior scores from first to second testing for the older subjects.…

Described is the role of technology in the Human Genome Project. A poster of the human genome as is known in 1990 is provided with a list of representative genes and a glossary of terms. (CW)

Describes a computer program to teach the concepts that underpin genetic mapping using a three-point test cross. The program is used in a sophomore-level course for biology majors that presents a rigorous introduction to genetics. (PR)

Describes a simple and inexpensive, one-period activity to extract DNA to make the study of DNA less abstract. A microscope titration is used to determine when cells are ready for DNA extraction. (PR)

Presents a chromosome map for 19 known chromosomes in human genetics. Describes the characteristics attributed to the genetic codes for each of the chromosomes and discusses the teaching applications of the chromosome map. (MDH)