Discusses student and teacher perceptions of a new development in the use of the predict-observe-explain (POE) strategy. This development involves the incorporation of POE tasks into a multimedia computer program that uses real-life, digital video clips of difficult, expensive, time consuming, or dangerous scenarios as stimuli for these tasks.…

A study examined the views of five Norwegian teachers who are deaf on science learning by deaf students. The teachers see the systematic work in class discussions, especially on the concepts of physics, as a major contributor to their success and try to use similar methods in their own teaching. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Attribution retraining was conducted with 82 German 8th grade girls as part of feedback provided by trained teachers in the students' first physics course. In comparison with controls, attribution retraining significantly improved students' performance in physics. Training also had favorable effects on the motivation sets and self-related…

Explains how electronic mailing lists operate, and provides information about the objectives and membership of the four largest physics education-related electronic mail lists. (WRM)

Describes an activity in which students determine where wind chime tubes should be supported and struck to give the best tone, then find the frequency of the tubes. This activity can be used to introduce ideas on significant figures, experimental error, types of variation, peer review of results, seeking empirical relationships with data, and…

Examines the design and construction of a mini-sextant and its use in demonstrating Fresnel reflection, geometric optics, and several common optical techniques. A sidebar explains the basic use of the mini-sextant as a navigational tool. (WRM)

Describes a way of performing the classic oil drop experiment in which a CCD video camera replaces the eyepiece of the microscope, reducing measurement error to approximately 7%. (WRM)

Finds that high school physics and chemistry courses are not beyond the grasp of most high school students, provided they are given help when needed. (CCM)

Describes a study of the professional qualifications of high school physics teachers conducted by the American Institute of Physics (AIP). Concludes that high school physics teachers are better trained than they are given credit for, and that instances of utterly unqualified instructors are rare. (WRM)

Presents a series of standard demonstrations as examples of activities that can be used to introduce multiple concepts and tie different sections of an introductory physics course together. Contributes to changes in classroom dynamics by stimulating student engagement and encouraging inclusivity. (Contains 23 references.) (DDR)

Measurement is a foundational topic in secondary school physics that must be taught to all beginning secondary education students in Kenya. The secondary level offers education for students who are aged between 12-and 18-years-old. Physics teachers in the Rift Valley province identified the topic of measurement as an area that is difficult to…

Many learning and instructional approaches that manipulate the environment in which learners work and cooperate with each other have illustrated growth in cognitive, intellectual, social, and affective areas. To date, however, uncertainty still exists as to the mechanism by which various types of peer tutoring facilitate learning. This study seeks…

Low participation rates of girls in advanced physics classes are a serious problem in many countries. Assuming that physics teachers can affect girls' choice to elect advanced physics classes, and that teachers' behaviors are affected by their knowledge and beliefs, the goal of this study was to investigate physics teachers' knowledge and beliefs…

The potential value of a multiple-choice question-construction instructional strategy for the support of students' learning of physics experiments was examined in the study. Forty-two university freshmen participated in the study for a whole semester. A constant comparison method adopted to categorize students' qualitative data indicated that the…

Although computer modelling is widely advocated as a way to offer students a deeper understanding of complex phenomena, the process of modelling is rather complex itself and needs scaffolding. In order to offer adequate support, a thorough understanding of the reasoning processes students employ and of difficulties they encounter during a…