High school physics, if taught properly, should be accessible to 50% of students rather than the currently estimated 20% of students. Suggests changes that need to be made in course format, including giving plenty of problem-solving help, improving high school texts to conform to principles of learning, and designing a course so that all can…

Argues that research and teaching in physics and in the history of physics are complementary in nature. Explores some of the implications of this perspective. Contains 69 references. (DDR)

Compares the ideas of young people about Newton's third law, focusing on youth of today and youth of the 17th and 18th centuries. Examines the use of Newton's third law in understanding impact phenomena in the 17th and 18th centuries. Contains 46 references. (DDR)

Analyzes the problem students have in learning the Theory of Relativity. Points out that the results of the study are ambiguous and intriguing. Describes the publication of Lorentz's Transformation Equations, the presentation of two postulates by Einstein, and the rejection of the Electron Theory and the final acceptance of the Theory of…

Presents an analogy that relates the one-dimensional mechanical equilibrium of a rigid block between two Hooke's law springs and the chemical equilibrium of two perfect gases using ordinary materials. (PVD)

It is estimated that this academic year, for the first time, the majority of first-year doctoral students in physics are foreign, with one-fifth of foreign students in physics from China alone. At Pennsylvania State University, all six physics doctoral students are foreign, and much effort is spent to help the students function in an American…

Draws data from student responses to the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI) and a curriculum analysis of the implemented laboratory tasks. Involves biology, chemistry, and physics students (N=387) in 20 classes in Tasmania, Australia. Contains 23 references. (DDR)

Reviews literature on conceptual change and the study of concepts. Introduces a theory of one particular type of concept. Contains 25 references. (DDR)

How distractors in a test item function differentially is discussed. Also discussed are methods to identify distractor bias, including the Pearson chi square, likelihood-ratio chi square, and the Neyman weighted-least squares chi square tests. Problems from a physics test illustrate possible causes of distractor bias. (SLD)

Contends that storytelling is a device which physics teachers can add to their repertoire for motivating and encouraging students. Presents an example of effective storytelling using the story of the COBE discovery of ripples in cosmic background radiation. (Author/WRM)

Marbles were successfully used to help primary students develop concepts of motion. Marble-unit activities began with shaking and rattling inference bags and predicting by listening just how many marbles were in each bag. Students made qualitative and quantitative observations of the marbles, manipulated marbles with a partner, and observed…

Describes a way to demonstrate the causes of seasons and related phenomena by using an umbrella and flashlight. (WRM)

Explains how to create a paper replica of the Bighorn Medicine Wheel, an ancient timepiece thought to have been constructed by the Lakota Indians around 1700 A.D. The Bighorn Wheel uses four key seasonal stars as well as the solstice sunrise and sunset to mark the passage of time through the summer. (WRM)

An open-ended, written test was administered to 364 students divided into four groups according to their scientific learning background at a teachers college. Results indicate that although the science-major students performed better than nonscience majors, their understanding of condensation and boiling concepts still needed to be enhanced.…

Describes the different types of reasoning in scientific research activity. Outlines three different but complementary ways to integrate history into the presentation of science. Considers and illustrates the close historical relationship between mathematics and physics. (Contains 50 references.) (ASK)