Many researchers have investigated the effects of students' prior knowledge upon learning chemistry, for example, the tenacity of alternative conceptions. Knowledge about learning also shapes students' learning of chemistry. This research describes the development of CHEMX, a survey instrument that measures an aspect of knowledge about learning…

Recent research studies have reported on how novices and experts differ in storing, organizing, and retrieving subject matter knowledge and on how they apply their knowledge to solve new problems. These findings have been integrated and implemented in a computer environment to help novices improve their problem-solving skills. An outline of this…

Learning science is complex and difficult for many students and their understanding of science concepts and processes may be inaccurate or lacking. In an effort to improve the science achievement of underprepared students enrolled in a general science course, an integrative instructional model, "Dimensions of Learning" was used. Since acquiring…

The purpose of this longitudinal investigation was to assess the nature, development, and changes in preservice secondary science teachers' (n=12) conceptions/knowledge structures of subject matter and pedagogy as they proceeded through a fifth-year Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. Open ended written questionnaires were used in Phase I of…

This thesis focuses on the definitional and cross-cultural processes involved in the development of an environmental education (EE) database of essential learnings, and the potential of the product in improving the effectiveness of international EE. Identifying the universal aspects of EE is crucial because EE is an evolving field, and is…

The primary purpose of this descriptive survey study was to compare the research priorities of preservice and inservice elementary teachers. Secondary purposes included (1) determining the research priorities of preservice elementary teachers; (2) investigating the differences in research priorities according to gender; (3) investigating the…

This report addresses concerns about the quality of biomedical and behavioral research conducted in the United States and the role that federally supported research and training plays in developing it. In addition, current and projected supply of and demand for scientists in the biomedical and behavioral fields is assessed. These fields include…

Hydrology is the science dealing with the earth's waters, their occurrence, circulation, and distribution, their chemical and physical properties, and their reaction with the environment. As such, hydrology is an indispensible requirement for planning in the field of water resources. Objectives for, spectrum of, and topics for education in…

Major findings of a survey of 188 universities and colleges that constitute the universe of higher education institutions with doctoral-level programs in neuroscience are highlighted and discussed in this brief report. Areas considered included graduate students, doctoral recipients, postdoctoral trainees, principal areas of concentration,…

This report, which includes 51 tables and charts, examines past, present, and future imbalances in the supply of and demand for scientists and engineers. The supply is assessed by source and by field, and compared with current and short-range demand for new graduates and for experienced scientists and engineers, including assessment of the…

Several central ideas emerging from a systematic approach to teaching problem-solving in the quantitative sciences (chemistry, physics, engineering) are discussed. Areas addressed include: differences between teaching and performance, between naturalistic and effective functioning, and between detailed observations and gross statistical data;…

Studies have shown that students, after having studied physics concepts and being familiar with them for an appreciable time, may nevertheless lack the ancillary knowledge needed to use such concepts reliably; correspondingly, they exhibit major misconceptions and errors. Provided in this paper is an analysis of the ancillary knowledge required to…

The objective of the research is to learn if learning level of the university students in redox subject of chemistry education change when they use traditional learning method and computer supported method, and to compare these two methods by measuring their success through pre- test and final test. And also some factors that may affect the…

This study examined how the science methods program at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln affected pre-service elementary teachers' attitudes toward teaching science. A pretest/posttest design was used to evaluate the change in attitude over the course of the semester. Results of the study indicated that the methods course positively influenced…

This paper reports on the effects of structuring problem solving activities of novices in the domain of physics in a way consistent with the problem solving approaches used by experts. A total of 42 undergraduate students who completed a first semester physics course and received a grade of B or better participated in this study. The treatment…