Outlines a way for instructors to teach astronomy and the nature of scientific inquiry. Highlights a discussion with students during coverage of the Earth-Moon system. (CCM)

Describes equipment used for a magnetic force experiment that is capable of producing precise results but rugged enough to withstand handling by several hundred undergraduate students per year. (WRM)

Describes a procedure that allows undergraduate students to determine the approximate age of the universe using their own data. The experiment requires a relatively small telescope with a modest spectrograph. Includes sample data and calculations. (Contains 11 references.) (Author/WRM)

In addition to "formal" reference citations in scientific journals, articles also contain further references. The main findings of an examination of non-indexed indirect-collective citedness (NIICC) are presented; two representative, elite physics journals were examined. Further research is needed to reveal the life course and nature of the ICC…

Examines the number of relative clauses and percentages of subordinate clauses in two sets of research reports from "Physical Review." Finds a slight decrease in percentages of relative clauses from the first set (1893-1901) to the second (1980). Finds striking differences in patterns of what relative clauses modify. Suggests a stylistic…

Explains a series of laboratory activities which employ a microwave oven to help students understand word problems that relate to states of matter, collect data, and calculate and compare electrical costs to heat energy costs. (DDR)

Presents an activity on the study, collection, and analysis of snow. Provides students with opportunities to conduct fieldwork in a collaborative team fashion and develop skills in formulating and testing hypotheses. (DDR)

This paper discusses the bases of a Brazilian secondary school teacher's contradictory conceptions of the nature of science. It includes findings from a group interview based on methodology developed by J. Piaget with this teacher and four other experienced physics teachers. The interview helped clarify the teacher's views. (SLD)

Makes the case that the traditional sequence of biology, chemistry, and physics in U.S. high schools may be at the root of poor student performance. Reviews integrated, inverted, and coordinated science teaching. (DDR)

Reports the findings of a study that suggest that alternative ideas can form part of a progression toward a scientifically acceptable model. Argues that teaching may be inadvertently promoting alternative ideas as endpoints. Contains 38 references. (DDR)

Addresses the identification of qualitatively different types of interest in physics among students aged 12-16. Characterizes these types in terms of preferred interest pattern, age and gender distribution, and physics-related self-concepts. Contains 19 references. (DDR)

Introduces three science activities for elementary and middle school students on the concepts of heat transfer and temperature. Includes two learning cycles. The first learning cycle examines the effects of temperature on air movement, and the second learning cycle investigates heat movement in water. (YDS)

Studied how features of student interaction and the way an individual student contributes to that interaction relates to the improvement of conceptual understanding in the domain of physics, focusing on the use of textbooks during collaborative work. Results for 56 high school students show that the use of textbooks had a negative effect on…

Describes an instructional sequence in which a bicycle context was used to increase the status of appropriate concepts of work and simple machines. Tests this instructional sequence in an applied physics course for elementary education majors. Makes implications for conceptual change pedagogy and curriculum design. (Contains 13 references.)…

Considers the process of conceptual change and describes empirical studies into children's naive theories of physics concepts. Uses the Representational Redescription model to explain how naive theories are a feature of conceptual change. Provides a starting point for considering how children's naive theories might mediate their ability to learn…