Describes the problem-solving behaviors of experts and novices engaged in solving seven chemical equilibrium problems. Lists 27 behavioral tendencies of successful and unsuccessful problem solvers. Discusses several implications for a problem solving theory, think-aloud techniques, adequacy of the chemistry domain, and chemistry instruction.…

Examines the psychology of learning and its application to work in the laboratory. States that the working memory capacity of students is limited; therefore the amount of information they can process needs to be controlled and "recipe following" in the laboratory is perfectly reasonable. (RT)

Surveys secondary school teacher and student perceptions of chemistry laboratory activities. Reports the frequencies of perceived advantages of laboratory activities in four categories: affective, psychomotor, cognitive, and process. Perceived disadvantages were categorized into five categories: time, expense, safety, management, and content. (YP)

Describes the New Jersey Chemistry Olympics involving events such as library research, laboratory experimentation, model building, and computer programing. The goals, operational plan, competition events, and evaluation of the Olympics are discussed. (YP)

Describes a course focusing on applied catalysis for helping students prepare for careers in a chemical or petroleum industry. Provides a course outline and suggested topics for term papers. (YP)

Discusses a heavy-duty KBr press that will allow undergraduate students to prepare KBr windows in room-temperature conditions. Described are the essential components and the procedures for the KBr window preparation. (YP)

Examined are implications for biology teachers of proposed changes in the national biology curriculum in Great Britain. Access to teacher training, and the nature of teacher education courses are stressed. Future prospects for inservice and preservice teachers are discussed. (CW)

Provides a calendar for the month of November on which are placed directions and pictures for different activities that can be performed each day. Outlines materials and procedures for an experiment. Includes information on an acid rain teachers kit, availability, and price. (RT)

Describes "Parents and Children for Terrific Science (PACTS)" program sponsored by the American Chemical Society's Education Division for encouraging the development of family science projects at the elementary and intermediate school levels. Discusses some examples and the results of the project. (YP)

Reported are observational limits of detectability for several single stimulus and multi-stimuli observation tasks in secondary level chemistry. Provided are tables of actual results obtained including type of observation, chemical system used, method of determining stimulus magnitude, and observational thresholds. (Author/YP)

The comparability of scores on test forms that are constructed through examinee item choice is examined in an item response theory framework. The approach is illustrated with data from the College Board's Advanced Placement Test in Chemistry taken by over 18,000 examinees. (SLD)

Presents a distillation experiment that uses temperature sensors connected to a computer in place of thermometers, and enables the whole class to view the data on a monitor and interpret and discuss the data in real time. (JRH)

Presents a lesson plan that uses information about traditional African iron-smelting to highlight the scientific contributions of non-European cultures. Includes a laboratory activity on the reduction of metal oxides with a multicultural perspective that helps students grasp some of the chemistry concepts involved in smelting. (JRH)

Describes an experiment to investigate chemical changes, pH, dissolved oxygen content, light intensity, and temperature in water containing aquatic plants. (MKR)

Discusses simple activities with familiar materials to help children feel at home with chemistry and what the term "chemical" means. (PR)