To help students understand the real-world applications of calculus, our calculus students all take part in a lab. This is not another "computer lab" but a lab where the students perform experiments and then collect and analyze the data. The students are able to verify for themselves many of physical claims that are left as theory in…

The Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) is an instructional technique that combines inquiry, collaborative learning, and writing to change the nature of the chemistry laboratory for students and instructors. The SWH provides a format for students to guide their discussions, their thinking, and writing about how science activities relate to their own…

Laboratory classes are regarded as an important learning activity, but they also have shortcomings: laboratory classes are often an inefficient learning activity for students and often do not sufficiently support students in developing research specific cognitive skills. It is hypothesized that some of such skills can be achieved more effectively…

Background and aims: In order to develop arithmetic expertise, children must understand arithmetic principles, such as the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction, in addition to learning calculation skills. We report two experiments that investigate children's understanding of the principle of inversion and the relationship between…

Teaching is essentially a personal and professional business in which lively, thinking, enthusiastic teachers continue to analyze their own activities and mediate the curriculum framework to their students. This book aims at encouraging teachers and curriculum developers to continue to rethink how science and technology should be taught in…

The purpose of the Toys in Space project was to create new ways for children to discover the joy and excitement of science and technology in the world around us. This book describes how familiar toys behave in the space environment where the downward pull of gravity is absent, and clearly documents those principles of physics that explain why the…

Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) is a nonprofit water education program for educators and young people. This curriculum and activity guide for kindergarten through twelfth grades is a collection of innovative, water-related activities that are hands-on, easy to use, and fun. The activities incorporate a variety of formats such as large…

This book is designed to help students understand the nature of scientific inquiry by involving them in doing science rather than merely reading about it. The content of the text emphasizes science process skills, mathematical skills, and the use of theories and models that are fundamental for learning the various science disciplines. The…

Males are more likely than females to aspire to and attain careers in science. This pattern might be attributed to differences in the appeal of school science to boys and girls. In this study, 114 middle school students in grades 7 and 8 carried out versions of science experiments that differed in their motivational appeal. Findings showed that…

Instruction in Scientific Inquiry Skills (ISIS) is part of a seven-year Air Force effort--the Fundamental Skills Training Project--to design, build, evaluate, and transition advanced computer-aided instruction to the education community. This report describes ISIS 2.0 and presents the results of an initial field evaluation of the software during…

The development of the "Directories of Unpublished Experimental Mental Measures" is traced. Two decades ago, the senior author of this research began the compilation of a list of non-standardized experimental test instruments developed by behavioral and social sciences researchers. Making this information available was intended to help…

This paper reports a study designed to examine the types of behaviors students exhibit while conducting laboratory activities and assess the effectiveness of strategies students employ. The sample was 42 students enrolled in a physics lab section at a single university. Three types of data were collected: (1) observational data during the lab…

This study explores how an Inquiry-Based Demonstration Classroom (IBDC) professional development program affects the extended inquiry instruction of secondary science teachers and how teachers view their extended inquiry practice while involved in the IBDC professional development program. To assess the impact of the program on participants'…

Different effects of instructional strategies on recall and comprehension of terms frequently used in formal analysis of art were examined. The study looked at a synthesis of three theoretical positions: dual-coding theory, schema theory, and elaboration theory. Two-hundred and fifty sixth-grade students were randomly assigned to three groups:…

This paper reports the preliminary results of an experiment on the impact of computer assisted instruction (CAI) on disadvantaged students participating in the U.S. Department of Labor's Job Corps Program. In 1980-81, data were collected from participants in the Job Corps Comprehensive Computer Program at a large center in the Southwest. The…