Presents a guide to 101 physics curriculum materials including improvement projects and related articles, reference books, commonly used textbooks, teaching aids, and science education periodicals. (CC)

Discusses on the basis of Ph.D. qualifying examination results, advantages of a discrete scoring system under which continuously graded answers are classified as either correct'' or incorrect'' with the cutoff placed at a bias level.'' Indicates that the discrete method is characterized by increased selectivity about the marginal students. (CC)

Discusses use of two EAI semi-expanded TR-20 units to display solutions to differential equations for harmonic oscillators, quantum-mechanical particles, trajectories, radioactive decay series, and hysteresis curves. Suggests practical applications for both undergraduate physics laboratories and classroom demonstrations. (CC)

Reviews the general structure of the educational system in Ghana, insufficient numbers of trained teachers, the movement to renovate the 0 level physics syllabus, advanced level physics and the selection of students, and the lack of opportunities for physics graduates. (PR)

The development and contents of the Nuffield Advanced Physics project are described. The usefulness of the material to students in college courses as engineers or physicists is discussed. (TS)

Research supported by the U.S. Office of Education.

Discusses the definition of energy found in many high school and college level physics texts, the conflict of that definition with the second law of thermodynamics, and the relation to the concept of the conservation of energy. Suggests not using a definition of energy and provides some alternative strategies. (JM)

Interviews were conducted and tests were administered to determine if students found chemistry or physics easier. Reasons for their choices (including the fact that physics was perceived as relating to the life/world domain) and type knowledge used by the students are discussed. (JN)

Suggests that ideal experiments fit into course time constraints and be meaningful, relevant to course content, safe, inexpensive, simple, reproducible, and easy to set up/maintain. Describes a Boyle's Law experiment that uses a minimum of equipment and meets the foregoing criteria. Apparatus used, procedures, and safety precautions are…

Discusses the construction of various types of physics equipment from laboratory "bits and pieces" (parts of discarded/unusable equipment). Includes comments on constructing improvised equipment from similar bits and pieces in schools in Peru and the Caribbean. (JN)

Describes an experiment enabling students to apply concept of diffraction, determine limits of their color perception, learn how to measure wavelength with a simple apparatus, observe continuous and line spectra, and associate colors with corresponding wavelengths. The homemade diffraction-grating spectrometer used is easily constructed. (JN)

Describes inexpensive method of determining harmonic content of a repetitive signal such as a sound wave and demonstrations of the precession of a bicycle wheel and inversion shadows on the retina. Also describes a resonance demonstrator (made from scrap material) driven by a portable jigsaw. (JN)

Trends in science teaching equipment include digital instrumentation and use of microcomputers as general purpose laboratory instruments. Describes interface units which exploit this capability of the microcomputer. Also describes materials supporting the teaching of electronics. (JN)

Reports results of an informal questionnaire sent to university physics departments (N=33) to determine attitudes towards Nuffield and traditional A-level physics. Concludes that Nuffield students perform better at practical work, universities prefer the traditional background, and Nuffield students lack mathematics skills. (DC)