Describes a teaching-exchange visit between the United Kingdom and the United States that reveals the dangers of making too many cultural assumptions. Differences can be traced to long-term cultural divergence and different technologies. (DDR)

Outlines an in-depth case study of teachers' use of image processing in biology, earth science, and physics classes in one high school science department. Explores issues surrounding technology implementation. Contains 21 references. (DDR)

Relates that concerns about the dropout rate among physics majors at the University of Montreal (Canada) led to a study of student persistence. Indicates that those who dropped out and those who stayed differed in their perceptions of their skills and knowledge, and their confidence in finishing the program. Presents preliminary recommendations.…

Describes "Reaching for the Stars," a program which develops teaming and mentoring skills in senior physics students. Phase 1 requires student pairs to design a rocket; Phase 2 pairs seniors with gifted second graders who build the rocket from written instructions; and in Phase 3, pairs of seniors create a children's storybook explaining…

Describes a physics laboratory exercise that focuses on an idea common to all scientific disciplines; that is, there are scaling laws that relate one measurable physical variable to another. (WRM)

Reports on procedural and conceptual knowledge for solving a basic quantitative problem in chemistry by expert and novice secondary school students. Concludes that the major differences between experts and novices lay in conceptual understanding, use of a qualitative procedure, and the type of strategy used. Suggests some instructional techniques…

Describes a simple cooling experiment that can be conducted in class at the college algebra, precalculus, calculus, or differential equations level whose aim is to determine the best exponential function to fit the experimental data. (Author/ASK)

Describes the transformation of PHY 101-02, an introductory physics course taught at Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus, into a distance learning course by putting the lecture component on video tape and transforming the laboratory component into "at-home" labs. Course requirements may be completed on students' own…

Every year, a Vermont high school teacher uses laws of physics to teach students how to design, field test, and calibrate a weapon that fires tennis balls to 100-yard distances. This article explains how the "physics war" grew to accommodate the new Vermont curriculum standards at various organizational levels. (22 references) (MLH)

Describes a Physics Exploration Center, a space where students solve lecture-related homework problems in a hands-on facility. (CCM)

Reports on a study of whether limited use of inquiry activities as a supplement to a traditional lecture and demonstration curriculum would improve student achievement in introductory physics classes for preservice teachers and general education students. Finds that students who engaged in inquiry investigations significantly outperformed other…

Investigated how Israeli secondary physics student teachers developed understanding of the concept of force during preservice teaching. Results from a longitudinal study included the fact that most respondents: held the Aristotelian impetus misconception; held the fading-away concept; had difficulty recognizing reaction as a force; and were…

Surveys internet sites that provide resources for science teachers and their students. Focuses on topics related to science and society, sound, optics, professional development, and tips for searching the internet. (DDR)

Offers a critical examination of some of the basic claims of studies that employ ideas from social constructivism and the sociology of scientific knowledge. Argues that social constructivism cannot explain some of the most characteristic features of the physical sciences. Contains 26 references. (DDR)

Describes the first moon-radar echo experiment conducted by Zoltan Bay in Hungary and comments on Bay as a model for contemporary physics education. (DDR)