Many proven research-based instructional strategies have been developed for introductory college-level physics. Significant efforts to disseminate these strategies have focused on convincing individual instructors to give up their traditional practices in favor of particular research-based practices. Yet evidence suggests that the findings of…

Students are currently exposed to world environmental problems--including global warming and the greenhouse effect--in science classes at various points during their K-12 and college experience. However, the amount and depth of explosure to these issues can be quite variable. Students are also exposed to sources of misinformation leading to…

Biotechnology is the latest in a series of technological innovations that have revolutionized the fields of agriculture and the health sciences; however, there are concerns with this technology. This document is designed to help foster dialogue with emphasis on education and the development of a public understanding of the principals involved in…

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…

Achievement in science depends among other factors on hypothetico-deductive reasoning ability; that is, on the developmental level of the students. Recent research indicates that developmental level of the students should be studied along with individual difference variables such as Pascual-Leone's M-capacity (information processing) and Witkin's…

Two studies were conducted to determine the effects of gender, reasoning level, and inductive and deductive computer-simulated experiments (CSE) on problem-solving abilities in introductory general chemistry. In the pilot study, 254 subjects were randomly assigned to control (computer-assisted-instruction tutorials), inductive or deductive CSE…

This paper deals with one aspect of technical change in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): the production of scientific and technical knowledge. Part I presents a quantitative view of the scientific output in SSA based on data from the Science Citation Index that provides information on scientific publications and citations by field and by country. Science…

The purpose of this research was to provide information about gender-related worldview structures, among college students, that can inform the instructional decision making process. Information was generated in a logico-structural investigation of the interrelationship of gender, interest in science, and concept of nature. The strength of the…

This book introduces scientists, health professionals, and engineers to principles of communicating with the public and to practical aspects of dealing with the press. Part I focuses on the advantages, principles, and problems of communicating with the public. Part II discusses the nature of science reporting and offers advice for presenting…

This monograph is intended to guide teachers of water resources, technicians and university students in establishing physical facilities which can introduce learners to methods, techniques, and instruments used in water resources management and assessment. It is not intended to serve as an exhaustive list of equipment and their descriptions or as…

The primary task in solving a physics problem is to select ways of viewing the problem in terms of physical systems whose behavior is described by physical laws. The physical systems are, in general, only approximate models of the real-world systems. As models of real-world systems are made more accurate, the equations involved quickly become…

This report updates a 1977 study (which explored the status of women in faculty, postdoctoral, and advisory posts) and examines any changes in the status of women faculty between 1977 and 1981. Drawing on more limited data, it also examines their situation in industry. Data for the report were obtained primarily from the 1981 Survey of Doctorate…

Describes a sequence of three Unified Science courses for elementary education majors. The use of required and optional learning modules provides the student with knowledge of new curricula, environmental studies, and science processes in all areas of science, and provides experiences in group interaction and personalized student-teacher…

In 1989 a study was conducted at Pima Community College (PCC) to assess students' knowledge of basic physical science concepts. A three-part survey instrument was administered to students in a second semester sociology class, a first semester astronomy class, a second semester Spanish class, and a first semester physics class. The survey…

In 1980, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) initiated the Graduate Student Researchers Program in order to cultivate additional research ties to the academic community and to support promising students pursuing advanced degrees in science and engineering. Section I of this handbook summarizes the program and lists the…